It's the Word of the Day podcast for February 14th.

Today's word is canoodle, spelled C-A-N-O-O-O-D-L-E.

Canoodle is a verb. To canoodle with someone is to hug and kiss them in a romantic way.

Here's the word used in a sentence from the Dallas Morning News.

In one dining room, ruby-colored tufted banquettes sit under vintage-inspired chandeliers.

In a private room, purple-colored walls give way to cocktail tables where couples might canoodle sipping martinis.

The origins of the word canoodle are uncertain, but may have their genesis in an English

dialect noun of the same spelling, meaning donkey, fool, or foolish lover.

That canoodle may itself be an alteration of the word noodle, used to mean a

foolish person. The fool noodle likely comes from noddle, a word for the head. The guess seems

reasonable, given that since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century,

canoodle has been most often used lightheartedly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels

in love. With your word of the day, I'm Peter Sokolowski.

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