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Mercurial

Having the qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury;  Mercury was a god in Roman mythology.

He was a messenger and a god of trade.  Mercury was based on the characteristics and mythology of the analogous Greek deity, Hermes. Hermes was the Greek god of roads and all that happened on them, such as travel and even highway theft. Greek mythology says that Hermes stole his brother Apollo's cattle in order to create the first sacrifice to the Olympians.

So... Mercury traits were being swift; active; sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as a mercurial youth; a mercurial temperament.  In other words: unpredictable in not such a good way.

If you say someone is mercurial, then they are considered active and perhaps mischievous.

For example:

"Did you take my pen and sell it? Are you being mercurial?"

Quoted by Byron:  “A mercurial man Who fluttered over all things like a fan.”

Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade; hence, money-making; crafty. 

So... you can say to someone: "Wow. You are very mercurial. You made a lot of money selling stuff people did not want."

“The mercurial wand of commerce.” by J. Q. Adams.

Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury; as mercurial preparations, barometer.

Mercury is used in a barometer.  Think about it.  A barometer changes a lot since it measures atmospheric pressure. Barometers tell us if the pressure is high or low and is thus used in weather prediction since the wind moves between pressure zones.

Mercurial is usually an adverb since it tells more about a verb... such as

A mercurial trade.

... Which means a trade that is crafty.

Sometimes it's an adjective... when it tells more about a noun.

“A mercurial barometer.”

“A barometer that has mercury in it.”

You now know where the word mercurial comes from!

So... If you want to use it today… Say to someone...

You are a very mercurial person.

Of course it means... an unpredictable person who may be good or bad.

Pronounced:  Mur – cure – re- al

Listen to Pronunciation: Mercurial

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