The Captain’s Log

“Potential risk,”

is redundant. All risks are potential outcomes.

Liminal

The adjective liminal describes a feature that is a threshold or a border, or liminal describes a state that is transitional between other states. Liminal derives from the Latin limen, which meant threshold, doorstep, lintel, entrance, or beginning. The noun phrase the liminal names that which occupies the borderland.

Pretty

The adjective pretty derives from the Anglo-Saxon pratti/praettig/prettig which meant cunning, skillful, artful, wily, and astute. In Middle English, the word became pratie/praty/prety, which meant cunning and clever.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the adjective acquired the meanings of manly and gallant when applied to men and their behavior and cleverly made, fine, and esthetically pleasing when applied to objects.

The modern senses of pretty are esthetically pleasing when applied to people and objects, particularly to female persons and delicate objects, to a moderate degree when used as an intensifier: pretty good, pretty soon, pretty much, and of significant magnitude when applied to money: a pretty penny/sum.

Oldest Versus Eldest

Oldest

The adjective oldest describes something or someone that is of the most advanced in age in a group.

Eldest

The adjective eldest describes the person or animal that is of the most advanced in age in a group, typically a family.

Both words derive from the Anglo-Saxon eald, which meant old.