Incongruous – adjective
- Out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming (Dictionary.com)
- Not harmonious in character; inconsonant; lacking harmony of parts; inconsistent (Dictionary.com)
- Unusual or different from what is around or from what is generally happening (Cambridge)
- Appearing strange or wrong within a particular situation (Cambridge)
- Lacking congruity: such as
- not harmonious: incompatible
- not conforming: disagreeing
- inconsistent within itself
- lacking propriety: unsuitable (Merriam-Webster)
“Incongruous is a spin-off of its antonym, congruous, which means ‘in agreement, harmony, or correspondence.’ Etymologists are in agreement about the origin of both words; they trace it to the Latin verb congruere, which means ‘to come together’ or ‘to agree.’ The dates of the words’ first uses in English match up pretty well, too. The first known use of congruous dates from 1599, and the earliest print appearance of incongruous dates from 1611.” – Merriam-Webster
Keeping History Alive—an Interview with Bett Fitzpatrick
In the pre-dawn hours of February 18, 1942, three American warships zigzagged in convoy along the south coast of Newfoundland. Caught in a raging blizzard, the three ships ran aground on one of the most inhospitable stretches of coastline in the world—less than three miles apart, within eight minutes of each other. The Wilkes freed herself. The Truxton and Pollux could not. Fighting frigid temperatures, wild surf, and a heavy oil slick, a few sailors, through ingenuity and sheer grit, managed to gain shore—only to be stranded under cliffs some 200 feet high. From there, local miners mounted an arduous rescue mission. In Hard Aground, based onRead more…