Did You Know?

In Latin, the suffix -aster indicates partial resemblance. In both Latin and English, that often translates to "second-rate," or maybe even "third-rate." Not surprisingly, "poetaster" often goes hand in hand with doggerel, meaning "verse marked by triviality or inferiority." Are there are other kinds of "-asters" out there? Yes indeed - we have criticasters, philosophasters, and politicasters, among others.