Summary: Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2012 is: glogg \GLUG\ noun : a hot spiced wine and liquor punch served in Scandinavian countries as a Christmas drink Examples: "From traditional glogg and wassail to some combinations we never would have thought up ourselves, these mulled wine recipes will cut through any chill you can find." From an article at The Huffington Post, November 15, 2012 "In snowy Norway, nothing evokes Christmastime like a pot of glogg brewing on the stove. The traditional Scandinavian winter drink mixes wine and port with spices like clove, cardamom and cinnamon to make for a brew that smells divine and tastes even better." From a story on NPR.org, December 22, 2011 Did you know? Glogg is a holiday favorite in many Scandinavian cultures, where it is commonly served on St. Lucia's Day (December 13) and all around Christmas time. Not surprisingly, the word "glogg" itself (sometimes written as "glögg") is of Scandinavian origin; it comes from Swedish and derives from the verb "glödga," meaning "to burn" or "to mull." But although "glogg" may look like it should rhyme with that other notable holiday beverage"eggnog"the two aren't quite a perfect match. The "o" in "glogg" is pronounced like either the "u" in "nut," the "oo" in "foot," or the more foreign-sounding "" in "buf," the French word for "beef." "Nog," on the other hand, is generally pronounced with the "o" as in "mop"and thus it rhymes with "grog."
