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WordWealth:
vagary
va·gar·y
 ,
n., pl. -gar·ies.
1. an
unpredictable or erratic action, occurrence, course, or instance:
the vagaries of weather; the vagaries of the economic scene.
2. a whimsical, wild, or unusual idea, desire, or action.
[1565–75, in sense
"wandering journey"; appar. < L vag ārī
to wander]
—Syn. 2. caprice,
whim, quirk, crotchet. (Random
House Webster's Unabridged).
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The company has survived the vagaries of an
ever-shifting economic climate on the strength of its quality products
and its loyal customer base.
——
Merriam-Webster
Lestrade raised his eyebrows at this vagary, but being by now
habituated to Holmes's somewhat erratic mode of life, was disposed to
let the matter rest. In the event, the arrangement proceeded according
to plan. Midday found the five of us, Lestrade having brought his two
constables, at Paddington, where before no more than 10 minutes had
elapsed, the hawk-like figure of Sherlock Holmes could be seen moving
swiftly along the platform toward us.
——
DJ Taylor;
The Adventure of the Gilded Tiepin; A new Sherlock Holmes short
story for Boxing Day; Independent; December 26, 2002
Experts in every minuscule vagary of sea and wind, they
reckoned the direction of the freshening breeze meant that more
seaborne black filth was heading their way to compound the solidifying
scum that caked the sands and rocks around us.--"If this wind keeps
up, now that the ship has broken up and sunk, all that oil will be
heading here. I think more has come overnight," said Ramon Lois, whose
ruddy features and gnarled hands showed the effects of a lifetime at
sea.--"This is going to trouble us for years to come. I have a small
boat that I take out every day for spider crabs and octopus. I started
doing this at 14, like my father and grandfather. It means ruin for
us."
——
Elizabeth Nash in Caion, north-west
Spain; in
'This is Going to Trouble Us for Yyears to Come. It Means Ruin';
Independent; Nov 20, 2002
Did you know? (Merriam-Webster)
In the 16th century, if you "made a vagary" you took a wandering
journey, or you figuratively wandered from a correct path by
committing some minor offence. If you spoke or wrote vagaries, you
wandered from a main subject. These senses hadn't strayed far from
their origin, since "vagary" is probably based on Latin "vagari,"
which means "to wander." Indeed, in the 16th and 17th centuries there
was even an English verb "vagary" that meant "to wander." Nowadays,
the noun "vagary" is mostly used in its plural form, and vagaries have
more to do with unpredictability than with wandering.
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