Eccentric begins with a Greek idea of being off center, and today it fondly describes people whose habits and tastes wander well away from the ordinary path....

A glassblower's iron rod holds a glowing vessel while its mouth is finished, and it leaves a scar on the bottom. Here is the word and the story behind it....

Placid describes calm that runs all the way down: a glassy lake, an unhurried temperament, a day when nothing at all seems inclined to go wrong or stir....