Congratulations!!

Well, it's official!

Brian and Dana, sitting in a tree...headed to matrimony.

In keeping with the theme, use these synonyms for "engaged" when you congratulate the happy couple.

Affiance
Betroth
Espouse

All have the same meaning: "intent to marry".

NPR is expanding my vocabulary!

I was listening to Fresh Air on National Public Radio last week, and heard a story on Jane Austen. During the course of the discourse (haha), several words were used that I had to jot down, with the sole purpose of bringing them to you:

Idiom: the language peculiar to a people or to a district, community, or class

Querulous: habitually complaining

Juvenilia: compositions produced in the artist's or author's youth

Anachronism: an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing

of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other

Pedantry: narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned

Strew: to spread by scattering

Obtuse: lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect

The piece, in particular, deals with the allegations that Jane Austen was a "sloppy writer", not able to spell or use punctuation correctly. I loved this sentence, as the narrator (linguist Geoff Nunberg) summed up his notion of anyone clucking their tongues as they apply what is a modern-day-notion of correctness:

"It's nice to know where a semi-colon's supposed to go, but it's nothing to swell your chest over. The artistry is in being able to write sentences that require one."

Well said!

Kerfuffle

Recentley NPR announced that it was firing news analyst Juan Williams because of his remarks about airplane passengers dressed in traditional Muslim clothing.

Kerfuffle was often used to describe this affair. For example:

"Liberals and conservatives alike were quick to elevate this kerfuffle into a larger battle of good-versus-evil over issues such as public financing of NPR or First Amendment guarantees, but it doesn't need to go there." – Armstrong Williams, The Hill's Pundits Blog, October 22, 2010

A fancy word for "disturbance" or "fuss," kerfuffle is often used to describe an exchange or encounter of exaggerated importance.

It's a popular word in British English, currently gaining popularity in the U.S.

Kerfuffle comes from Scottish Gaelic words meaning "awkward" and "disheveled."

Wise statement

Winston Churchill was a man of great quotes. I ran across this very excellent statement today in a search for something unrelated:

The short words are best, and the old words are the best of all.

Winston Churchill

Terms from Academia

I have run across two words from the world of academia lately.

Matriculate
v. muh-trik-yuh-leyt

1. to enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.

Ped·a·go·gy   /ˈpɛdəˌgoʊdʒi, -ˌgɒdʒi/ 1. the function or work of a teacher; teaching.
2. the art or science of teaching; education; instructional methods.
 
Origin:
1575–85; < Gk paidagōgía office of a child's tutor.

These are words that I would probably very rarely use, since they are so ... uncommon.

How would you use them?

I am lethargic today

lethargic
\luh-THAHR-jik\
adjective

1: of, relating to, or characterized by lethargy : sluggish
2: indifferent, apathetic


EXAMPLE
After eating a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs I often feel lethargic and sleepy.

DID YOU KNOW?

In Greek mythology, Lethe was the name of a river in the underworld that was also called "the River of Unmindfulness" or "the River of Forgetfulness." Legend held that when someone died, he or she was given a drink of water from the river Lethe to forget all about his or her past life. Eventually this act of forgetting came to be associated with feelings of sluggishness, inactivity, or indifference. The name of the river and the word "lethargic," as well as the related noun "lethargy," all derive from "lethe," Greek for "forgetfulness."

It all makes me want to lie down... :)

Ubiquitous

One of the most searched words on the Merriam-Webster website.

ubiq•ui•tous adj \yü-ˈbi-kwə-təs\

Definition of UBIQUITOUS

: existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread (a ubiquitous fashion); omnipresent: (ubiquitous fog; ubiquitous little ants).

The ubiquitous message:

Welcome fall!

We have obviously taken the summer off, but it's time to get back to the task at hand: strengthening vocabs everywhere with perfectly fine, though well-worn, words.

Word today: verisimilitude

Just saying this word is fun!

–noun
1. the appearance or semblance of truth; likelihood; probability: The play lacked verisimilitude.
2. something, as an assertion, having merely the appearance of truth.

I came upon this word while reading responses to book-of-the-month questions for "My Name is Mary Sutter". Thanks, John W for the usage:

The inclusion of Abraham Lincoln was not necessary but his inclusion did add verisimilitude to the novel. One can't think of the Civil War without associating the war with Lincoln. I enjoyed, if enjoyment is a valid verb, Lincoln's anguish and fears regarding whether the great experiment of the United States begun "four score and seven years ago" would survive the war.

Have fun!

Rigmarole

No photo today. You have no idea how difficult it is to find a picture of "rigmarole".


I am not sure why this word popped into my head, but I thought it a good word for the week.I had trouble spelling it initially, since I was including another syllable between the "rig" and "ma". You'll see that there is another pronunciation containing this extra syllable, but it's only in America and it's not the preferred.


rig·ma·role (rgm-rl) also rig·a·ma·role (--m-rl); n.


1. Confused, rambling, or incoherent discourse; nonsense.
2. A complicated, petty set of procedures.


[Alteration of obsolete ragman roll, catalog, from Middle English ragmane rolle, scroll used in Ragman, a game of chance : perhaps from Anglo-Norman Ragemon le bon, Ragemon the Good, title of a set of verses about a character of this name + Middle English rolle, list (from Old French, from Latin rotula, wheel; see roll).]
 
Turns out, it's also a fishing lure. I guess a play on the first syllable, "rig". Fishermen can be wordsmiths, too!

Apoplectic

Jim and I were watching the old Ocean's 11 last night and in of the scenes, the character played by Peter Lawford was talking to the Akim Tamiroff character, and called him apoplectic! I made Jim rewind a bit so I could see if I was wrong. This is a word that I have recently learned, and it is so wonderfully descriptive for so many people I know that I have started using it more and more.

I'll bet the remake staring George Clooney doesn't use that word. They don't script like they used to!

Main Entry: ap·o·plec·tic



Pronunciation: \ˌa-pə-ˈplek-tik\
Function: adjective
Etymology: French or Late Latin; French apoplectique, from Late Latin apoplecticus, from Greek apoplēktikos, from apoplēssein; Date: 1611


1 : of, relating to, or causing stroke
2 : affected with, inclined to, or showing symptoms of stroke
3 : of a kind to cause or apparently cause stroke ; also : greatly excited or angered

Serendipity

Serendipity has long been a favorite word of mine. This morning, my friend and coworker, Jack, used it in a sentence. When I commented on his usage, he sent me the following:

ser'en•dip'i•tous adj., ser'en•dip'i•tous•ly adv.

From the characters in the Persian fairy tale “The Three Princes of Serendip”, who made such discoveries, from Persian Sarandīp, Sri Lanka, from Arabic sarandīb.

Word History: We are indebted to the English author Horace Walpole for the word serendipity, which he coined in one of the 3,000 or more letters on which his literary reputation primarily rests. In a letter of January 28, 1754, Walpole says that "this discovery, indeed, is almost of that kind which I call Serendipity, a very expressive word." Walpole formed the word on an old name for Sri Lanka, Serendip. He explained that this name was part of the title of "a silly fairy tale, called The Three Princes of Serendip: as their highnesses traveled, they were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things which they were not in quest of...."

Isn't that a GREAT etymology? I love that story!!

Word of the Week: prolix

In an effort to keep this post from becoming too prolix, I will give a brief definition and sample usage.

Prolix- (adj.) using or containing too many words; tediously lengthy

“Carmen’s recent Facebook status proved to be much too prolix for my ADD state of mind.”

Schedenfreude

schadenfreude\SHOD-n-froy-duh\ , noun;

1.A malicious satisfaction obtained from the misfortunes of others

Someone on Facebook used this word when talking about Kate Gosselin on Dancing with the Stars, and how awful she is. I had never heard this word before, but I must say that I don't like it. It's not very nice.

And that's just all I'm going to say about that.

Etymology: German, from Schaden damage + Freude joy

Date: 1895

Ignominious

Main Entry: ig·no·min·i·ous

Pronunciation: \ˌig-nə-ˈmi-nē-əs\

Function: adjective

Date: 15th century

1 : marked with or characterized by disgrace or shame : dishonorable

2 : deserving of shame or infamy : despicable

I love it when a definition leads you to another discovery! When Dana posted her story on debacles, the definition had a word that I had never heard of, much less used. What a wonderfully descriptive word!

 

Marked by shame or disgrace: "It was an ignominious end ... as a desperate mutiny by a handful of soldiers blossomed into full-scale revolt" (Angus Deming).

Degrading; debasing: "The young people huddled with their sodden gritty towels and ignominious goosebumps inside the gray-shingled bathhouse" (John Updike).

Rapscallion

I used this word the other day, and I didn't even know that it was in my vocabulary! I called our little 3-legged kitty a "rapscallion" because he was being mischevious. I had to look up the word to make sure was using it correctly.

n. A rascal; a scamp.


Etymology:
1690s, alteration of rascallion (1640s), a fanciful elaboration of rascal (q.v.). It is the parallel term of now-extinct rampallion (1590s), from M.E. ramp (n.) "ill-behaved woman" (mid-15c.), which is probably connected to the definition of romp in Johnson's Dictionary (1755) as "a rude, awkward, boisterous, untaught girl."
 
I would say Dana's little tattlers are definitely rapscallions.
 
Excellent word!

Kindergarten Debacles

This weekend, a friend used an excellent word in one of our conversations: debacle. Naturally, this brought to mind That’s Uncanny, and the need for a new post.

Debacle (diˈbakəl) is defined as a sudden and ignominious failure. Synonyms include fiasco, catastrophe, disaster, and defeat. In a more informal sense the word can be used to describe a foul-up, botch, snafu.

Now, in my line of work, molehills are often made into mountains, and minor offenses in the eyes of a 5-year-old can be made into true debacles. We all know that “tattling” is a favorite hobby of these precious little ones, but it is NOT my favorite part of my job. In order to abate the urges to pull out my hair, which are spurred on by frequent “tattles,” I have placed a tattle book in my classroom. When children have the need to tattle, instead of coming to the nearest adult (always me), they are to write an entry in the tattle book. This turns tattling into something that I can actually enjoy! I’ve had many laughs as I have read the “debacles of a 5-year-old” in his or her own words in our tattle book. Below are some of my favorites, written just as the kids have worded and spelled (tip- read everything the way it sounds). Names have been changed to protect the guilty.

“The boos chratid sille bans at PE”

“Andrew wus chas me and I hav sec throt so win er I op my math it will hrt”

“Payton and Timothy wur yeling in the bathroom”

“Kimberly tadol”

“Hayley hit me with a pin sool”

“John om most hit me”

“Hannah and Kelsey wous bragon”

“Heather sed th silly band stec”

“Chad Jeremy wr telegus we wur chedeg.”

“Mark lookt in the grls bathroom”

“Kacey wos trig to tell me wot to do”

“Sam and Jennifer wer brping at lunch”

“Adam brot a hol mil” (This was written when a little boy brought a Lunchable for snack.)

“Alex sed the smel wuz me”

“Jeremy cold Maddie a liyer”

“Robert wus playing in the hall an stept on my show on prpis”

“Caleb calld my bruther puck” (Caleb called my brother puke.)

“Brody cold Jason stoopid”

“Billy and Josie wer shering food”

“Wes wus slemen the dos”

“Kelly jry on my papr”


Welcome to true debacles in my world!

Harbinger

Harbinger = sign of things to come

I love this time of year. Everyone is very tired of the dull, gray days of winter and ready for spring. Before even one bud blooms, you can hear spring peepers. These little angels are truly "harbingers of spring".

These darlings can be as small as less than an inch and grow to a robust 1.5 inches. Their collective chorus sounds like sleigh bells. When I hear the peepers, I know that spring is just around the corner, when it's time to open windows and put away the woolens.

What is your harbinger of spring?

Etymology:
harbinger

c.1471, herbengar "one sent ahead to arrange lodgings" (for a monarch, an army, etc.), alt. of M.E. herberger "provider of shelter, innkeeper" (c.1175), from O.Fr. herbergeor, from herbergier "provide lodging," from herber "lodging, shelter," from Frank. *heriberga "lodging, inn" (cf. O.S., O.H.G. heriberga "army shelter," from heri "army" + berga "shelter"); see harbor. Sense of "forerunner" is 1550. Intrusive -n- is 15c.

Like the Dickens

For some reason, I thought of this phrase this morning while I was watching my cat play like the dickens, and wondered about it's history. I was sure it would have something to do with Charles Dickens, the great author. Perhaps something "hurt like the dickens" would reference the agony that some of his characters endure. Boy - Was I ever wrong!

"Dickens" is actually another word for devil, and this phrase has a history back to the 1600s, several hundred years before the author was born. A "dickens oath" is derived from the use of "Nick" or "Old Nick". Following is from a website on the origin of cliches:

The etymology of 'nick' can be traced back a lot further - 'nicor' was Anglo-Saxon for monster. The devil-association is derived from ancient Scandinavian folklore: a Nick was mythological water-wraith or kelpie, found in the sea, rivers, lakes, even waterfalls - half-child or man, half-horse - that took delight when travellers drowned. Beginning several hundred years ago both protestant and catholic clergy commonly referred to these creatures, presumably because the image offered another scary device to persuade simple people to be ever god-fearing (".....or Old Nick will surely get you when you next go to the river...") which no doubt reinforced the Nick imagery and its devil association.

Kind of makes you think twice about using this one, doesn't it?

Sans

I love this word! It means "without", but is hardly ever used. I see it in print more than I hear it, so let's try to employ it in our dialogue.

Etymology:

Middle English, from Old French, blend of Latin sine, without and absentiā, in the absence of, ablative of absentia, absence, from absēns, absent-, present participle of abesse, to be away; see absent.

I used this word on my Facebook status yesterday, to indicate that I was "Without status. Sans status." My daffodills are starting to come up, but they are sans blooms just yet.

Easy to use and very descriptive!

Ebullient

Jim was reading an article last night and asked me if I knew what the word "ebullient" meant. I did not, so I asked him to read me the sentence, so we could get the usage. It was decribing a city government person as an "ebullient Republican". When I looked up the word, I found two meanings:

1. intensely agitated
2. having or showing liveliness and enthusiasm

Now, I think these definitions are very different. The first one is negative and the seond is positive. The common denominator is that they are both emotional. So my question is, is this Republican agitated or enthusiastic? The etimology may help.

1590s, "boiling," from L. ebullientem, prp. of ebullire "to spout out, burst out," from ex- "out" + bullire "to bubble" (see boil (v.)). Figurative sense of "enthusiastic" is first recorded 1660s.

Another definition I found was "boiling or seeming to bubble". This would support both definitions, in that the person would be about to run over with whatever emotion he was feeling. The author does his readers a disservice in not better defiining the emotion.

All in all, I would not find this a useful word because it would be apt to be misunderstood. Surely there are better words in our rich language that would paint the canvas of conversation with a more exacting stroke.

Donnybrook

My friend Keith left a note that "donnybook" is a good word that is not commonly used.

It IS a very good word, and very descriptive. Donnybrook is an actual place, a district in Dublin, Ireland. There was originally a Donnybrook Fair, an annual Irish event known for its brawls, drunken disorder and fracas of all types. Hence, the very appropriate term. More history:

By the eighteenth century it had become a vast assembly, held on August 26 and the following 15 days each year, a gathering-place for horse dealers, fortune-tellers, beggars, wrestlers, dancers, fiddlers, and the sellers of every kind of food and drink. It was renowned in Ireland and beyond for its rowdiness and noise, and particularly for the whiskey-fuelled fighting that went on after dark. A passing reference in, of all sober works, Walter Bagehot’s The English Constitution of 1867, gives a flavour: “The only principle recognised ... was akin to that recommended to the traditionary Irishman on his visit to Donnybrook Fair, ‘Wherever you see a head, hit it’.” The usual weapon was a stick of oak or blackthorn that Irishmen often called a shillelagh (a word which derives from the town of that name in County Wicklow). The legend was that visitors to Donnybrook fair would rather fight than eat.

There is a 1961 musical called "Donnybrook!", based on The Quiet Man which stars John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. I watch this movie every St. Patrick's Day. It is about an American boxer who kills an opponent by mistake and moves to Ireland to get back to himself. It is a very spirited love story.

Some quotes for you:

But this was the beginning of Tommy's years of fighting back, a period that ended in a donnybrook conducted all over the O'Connor house.

-- Tracy Kidder, Home Town

Wine and talk flow freely, so much so that the meal ends with a Rooney family donnybrook over, typically enough, religion and politics.

-- Howard Frank Mosher, "24 Hours in Due East, S.C.", New York Times, April 7, 1991

Thanks, Keith!

Prone

Dana brought up an excellent word that can be substituted for reclining: prone.

She used the example that she was going to spend spring break prone on the couch with a book. I have included a picture of Dana, taken during the spring break of 2010.

Prone is an interesting word in that it has two very distinct, yet commonly used, definitions. The first is having the tendency to incliniation. "I am prone to forgetting names", "the little boy was accident prone".

The second is the definition you see Dana exhibiting so well above: lying flat or prostrate. I guess you could say, "Dana is prone to being prone during spring breaks."

Fiddling while Rome Burns

After I dropped Strat at the high school yesterday, Jack, Chase and I were talking about etymology and the phrase "Nero fiddled while Rome burned" came up. I promised to do some research.

Of course, the violin was not yet invented, so I had to assume that this was not a literal observation. He may have played a kithara, as shown in the picture, but that would miss the point.

I would immediately assume that it meant that Nero did nothing to stop the burning of Rome. That is, it turns out, what many infer.

The burning of Rome appears to have been quite extensive, however, only two historians wrote of it, one of those only in passing. The other historians alive at that time in that area make no mention of it at all. That is very suspect. Accidental fires were common in ancient Rome, and some speculate that Nero himself started the fire so he could clear land to build an luxurious palace. Christians confessed to the arson, but most likely under torture since it is well known that Nero persecuted Christians.

After the fire, Nero rebuilt the city. He was the first "community organizer" and completely renewed the urban area. He paid for relief efforts from his own fortune and opened the palace to those displaced by the fire. He arranged for food to be provided to the homeless to prevent starvation. It's clear that he was not 100% bad.

But back to the topic at hand, "Nero fiddled while Rome burned." It would appear that, while Nero was extremely cruel, he was also very generous, especially when he would benefit in the long run. The phrase is very probably to darken his reputation and legacy.

Wanted: A Substitute

To jump-start word usage, sometimes it's best to have a few examples. I thought we would try this week to substitute some common words we use for less common, less used words which mean the same thing.

Think = Cogitate / Ruminate
"Let me cogitate (ruminate) on the subject for a bit."

Worry = Vex
"Don't be vexed by the test. You will do fine."

Disapprove = Censure
"I'm afraid I must censure that movie."

Flat on your back = Supine
"At the beach, I will be supine the entire vacation."

Wander aimlessly = Maunder
"Must you maunder? Please get to the point."

Okay! Let's get started!

Skullduggery!

This is Boom Boom Afridi, one of India's best cricket players. Being an American, I am totally unfamiliar with this sport, but I do know that it is not as gentlemanly as it thinks itself. It is very physical and very ... cut-throat. Even better that it is in this environment that one of our words is used - skullduggery!

I had just dropped the boys off at the junior high school and, as is my habit, tuned into National Public Radio. A segment was beginning on the game and the controversy surrounding Boom Boom tampering with the ball. And it was all caught on tape! Here is the usage:

In cricket, ball tampering is seen as one of the lowest forms of skullduggery. There've been similar scandals before when players were caught scouring the ball with dirt or bottom tops or even candy. Thirty-four years have elapsed since the notorious Vaseline Incident, when an Englishman was accused of polishing the ball with Vaseline. Cricket connoisseurs still have not forgotten it.

Beautiful usage!!

Say what you mean!

At a mission study some friends and I led for a church last year, we performed a skit using various idioms commonly used in our part of the country. The character played by my friend was a mission worker visiting a foreign country (we used Guatemala since this country was the focus of our mission study). My character was a translator, interpreting for the audience as the mission worker told the story of her adventure getting to the country. I spoke in English, of course, but in a Hispanic accent, as if the audience couldn’t understand the mission worker, but could understand me. We had so much fun coming up with various phrases to use and deciding how the translator would interpret their literal meanings. Probably had to be there, but here were some of my favorites…

Mission worker: The plane ride here was a little rough, and for a while, I was scared to death.
Translator: The plane didn’t feel very soft, and someone died and she was scared. I would be scared, too!

Mission worker: I have been in church most of my life, and God has forgiven me of my sins over and over.
Translator: She has been going to church all of her life, and she keeps doing bad things over and over again. But it’s okay.

Mission worker: The wind was blowing and it started raining cats and dogs.
Translator: The wind was blowing and all of a sudden little animals fell out of the sky... I don’t know why.

Mission worker: A little birdie told me that you have prepared dinner for us after the service.
Translator: Apparently she talks to animals because a “BIRD TOLD HER” we had dinner.

Again, it’s better when you can see and hear it, but we sure had fun with the English language that night!

Why the usage of "how come"?

I have noticed more and more people using the combination of words "how come" in place of "why". Why on earth would anyone do this? Do people love the sound of their voices so much they have to invent longer expressions?

I have included only a few of the plethora of examples found on the Internet. I can understand it most in the Dennis the Menace, since it is most fitting as a child's expression. But as the title of a book? Egad! Why on earth would a publisher let that pass scrutiny?

From the cigarette ad at the top, it's sadly clear that this is no recent phenomenon. The ad is from 1977, and surely grammar was not as lax back then as it is now. I refer to Jan Venolia's Write Right!, 4th edition published in 2001. "Perhaps no other grammar rule has prompted so many to say so much as the now-outdated rule prohibiting ending a sentence with a preposition." Outdated??!

Heresy! Heresy, I say!

It is a beginning of the tattering of the language's binding. You all know what happens when the binding comes off a blanket. Soon the blanket is used as a rag, then finds its way to the dog's bed, later used to wipe up oil on the floor of the garage. Finally, the landfill.

To what is the world coming?

Mend our precious blanket of the English language. Don your needle and thread of tradition and literary rules. Let no hole go unattended, regardless of size. Do not stand for "ain't", "irregardless" or "heighth" in a dictionary serve any purpose but to point the dear student to the correct usage elsewhere in its hallowed pages.

Be strong, lovers of English and keep the fires burning.

Feelings.... Nothing more than feelings....

Okay, I love my job-- 5 year olds are hilarious.

Here's a homophone story for you.

During our me/self awareness unit we spend some time talking about our emotions. I explained this concept to my students by saying, "We all have different feelings, different moods, or ways that we feel. Who can tell me a feeling you might have?" One child responded, "Happy." Another, "Mad." The third child to respond, however, began reaching in her mouth and said, "Like when you get a silver cap, when you have a cavity and go to the dentist..." It took me a second, but when it finally registered to me what she was getting at, I couldn't help but laugh as I explained, "No, not a 'filling' in your mouth....."

I just love Kindergarten!

I have often heard that English is one of the hardest languages to learn. One thing I love about the language is that it is so transitional, evolving, and we have literary expressions like "onomatopoeia", "juxtaposition", and "malapropism".

The picture is an example of another great term: homophone. Don't you know those treasure hunters got a real surprise when they finally found the pirate's booty? haha

What other homophones can you add?

You want how much??

I hate to follow-up Dana's very beautiful, touching and serious post with this, but I feel compelled to let you know what is going on in the world of dictionary pricing!

My friend and coworker, Jack, has a hard cover dictionary on his desk. I think this is a very cool thing, and it made me want to be like Jack. So, I have been searching for an unabridged dictionary.

Why unabridged, you ask? Well, I was looking up the word "folderol" or "falderal", depending on the dictionary, and ALAS! It was not to be found! I was referencing a Webster's New World Dictionary at the time, and was shocked! Shocked, I say! that my word was not listed. The only reasonable thing to do would be to purchase an unabridged dictionary. I am nothing, if not overboard.

My loving husband was taking the boys out for the day soon after, and I asked him to check on said reference material. He returned sans dictionary, and reported the cost as being $69.99!! Now, if this were a handbag or a pair of shoes, I would give said purchase consideration, but a dictionary? Nay, beggar!

I understand that a reference book is a purchase not made often, and the price must be higher, but my delicate sensibilities were offended!

What is a language lover to do? Compromise, of course! I went to the used book store and found a student's dictionary, containing the word that started this entire endeavor, and purchased it for $7.