Why “rubicundity” is a great word
The state or quality of being red or ruddy, especially in the complexion. From the English adjective 'rubicund' (meaning red or ruddy), itself from the Latin 'rubicundus' (reddish), derived from 'rubere' (to be red), plus the English nominal suffix '-ity' (denoting a state or condition). Unlike "pallor," which denotes an unhealthy bloodlessness, or "floridity," which implies a transitory flush of heat or emotion, rubicundity is a settled, constitutional ruddiness. It is the permanent bloom on a lifelong gardener's cheeks, the burnished glow of a well-aged port held to the firelight, the weathered, honest face of a terracotta pot in a sun-drenched courtyard—a color earned, not borrowed, a testament to a life lived vigorously in the open air.