Moral Latin Rectitudinous Rek Tih Too Din Uss Rek Tih Tood Nuss Adjective Characterized Straightness

["Rectitudinous" comes to us straight from the Late Latin "rectitudin-" (English added the "-ous" ending), which is, in turn, ultimately derived from the Latin word "rectus," meaning both "straight" and "right." (There are other "rectus" descendants in English, including "rectitude," of course, and "rectilinear," "rectangle," and "rectify.") When "rectitudinous" first appeared in print in 1897, it was in the phrase "notoriously and unctuously rectitudinous." Although "rectitude" often expresses an admirable moral integrity, "rectitudinous" has always had a less flattering side. It can suggest not only moral uprightness but also a displeasing holier-than-thou attitude.]