Definition: To recognize someone but ignore them (Merriam-Webster Online).
Sample usage: "I can tell Bob knows he owes me $10 because he totally recognored me at the grocery store."
Popularity: It sounds like a rude thing to do, but in many cases, it's a way to avoid embarrassment. Maybe it involved someone who might be the parent of someone your kid went to school with five years ago, but you're not sure. What we really need is a word for waving at someone you think you know, but turns out you don't, as well as a word for the way you turn the wave into some strange, awkward hand gesture.
JAMES LILEKS
Interested in other words we've dissected? See more at startribune.com/word.
Include your camp in our free annual summer camp guide.
