A Bit of Silliness . . . (but I think it's food for thought!)

       Note:  If y'all haven't been there already, please stop by TGB and read 

Ronni's excellent post on what is being done to/in our country.     

I'm still buried with my book project (it's no longer a project -- it's become a mission) but I'm trying to keep up with y'all as well as the antics occurring in the world so I'm indulging in some silliness in the interest of maintaining a wee modicum of sanity in a world that's gone mad.   

Kent McKamy, whose emails help me maintain a modicum of sanity, sent along an excellent and funny piece that he received that not only made me laugh, but gave me food for thought.  He talked about collective nouns -- you know:  a gaggle of geese, a flock of sheep, a  school of fish, and my favorite: an exaltation of larks.  However, he included one that I really think is pertinent to today's political climate:  a congress of  baboons  and that, my friends, set me a-thinkin'. And henceforth, I shall refer to Speaker of the House, John Boehner, as the Chief Baboon.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #9

I know there a a lot of newer readers who aren't familiar with my love affair with the English language because I'm wayyyyyyy overdue for a frolic through the dictionary. Those of y'all who are familiar with that quirk are probably shaking their heads, rolling their eyes and muttering, "Oh Lord!!!! She's at it again!" Those who aren't -- welcome to yet another of my quirks.

The backlog is astounding!!!! Have fun, my friends and try to work them into conversation -- it's an adventure!!!!

* quondam: adj. former, sometime

This word is easy to work into conversation: The quondam governor of Alaska is now a member of Fox News. Think she's gonna be the new Katie Couric?]

* sacerdotal: adjective; Of or relating to priests: priestly.

I like this word -- it just rolls of the tongue -- and can be applied anyone who is devoted to an interest or cause. My cousin was almost sacerdotal as he tended to his old E-type Jaguar (and wouldn't let me drive it).

* hypocorism: noun; 1. a pet name; 2. the use of pet names.

A long ago suitor called me his 'Kaybaby' -- an unlikely, cutesy hypocorism for a fiftyish, 5'10" tall woman. As Molly Ivins said, "You can't be . . . tall and cute, both. I think I was first named captain of the basketball team when I was four." 'Cute' doesn't apply to me unless you re-define it.

* misprize: verb; 1. To hold in contempt; 2. To undervalue.

I don't hate guys like Rush Limbaugh -- I merely misprize him and his ilk. Hating requires effort and energy and I refuse to expend either on them.

* conglobate: verb; to form into a round compact mass.

This is a perfect word for this time of year when Ohio is covered with the white stuff! What I want to know is: why the kids aren't outside conglobating it for snowmen and snowballs? (Sorry, I forgot that the Play Station takes precedence. Sigh.)

* obambulate: verb; To walk about.

At first glance this looks like a made-up word referring to our President or his family. However, I think it it would be fun to see a news report say that "President Obama and the First Lady were seen obambulating on the beach in Hawaii." Can y'all imagine the kerfuffle on that? And I won't say anything more except that I gotta go wash my mind out with soap. LOL

Hope y'all enjoyed the visit to the dictionary!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #8

Dang!!! It's been wayyyyyyyyy too long since I did this but as as the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns, said, "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." I do prefer the more modern version: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. I think I know where I'm headed. LOL

Here are some really fine words that y'all might have fun working into your conversation or writing.

brachiate: v., To move by swinging from one hold to another by using arms;
adj., Having arms.

Tarzan's ability to brachiate across the jungle served him admirably.

wifty: adj., Eccentric, silly, scatterbrained.

If you read here often, you know that the author is often a tad wifty. (Or is that a gross understatement?)

theriac: n., 1. a mixture of many drugs and honey formerly held to be an antidote to poison; 2. cure-all.

My mother's favorite theriac for a bad cold was Vicks Vaporub and chicken soup.

quidnunc: n., A nosy or gossipy person.

Every neighborhood has at least one quidnunc who knows and tells all.

hypergelast: n., One who laughs excessively. (Its antonym is ageglast: One who never
laughs.)

I like hyperglasts -- they don't take the world too seriously.

epeolatry: n., The worship of words.

I suppose that I am all too guilty of epeolatry.

Hope you enjoyed them!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #7

I'm far and away overdue to do this post as I have a serious backlog of weird words to share with y'all. I am going to try very hard to make this a monthly feature. If I don't y'all, can rag on me for breaking a New Year's resolution and won't that be fun?

alienist: n., psychiatrist. This kind of makes sense. It comes from the French word, aliene, which means 'insane'. Therefore an alienist is a doctor who treats the insane. It's sort of a tossup as to which sounds better: "I have to see my alienist." or "I have to see my psychiatrist." Either way, people will think you're nuts.

elozable: adj., amenable to flattery. I like this word. We are all elozable. It's only human and helps keep us away from the alienist.

frigorific (frig-uh-RIFF-ik): adj.; causing cold. chilling. From the Latin word "frigus", this is a perfect January word. It sounds vaguely obscene and illustrates what I think of winter. On a cold day, you can stick your head out the door and say, "Good Lord, honey, it's freakin' frigorific out here!"

scapegrace (SKAYP-grayss): n.; an incorrigible rascal. My question is this: have you ever known a rascal who wasn't incorrigible? However, I do like this word a lot. Given my circle of acquaintance, I can make good use of this word.

bifurcate (BYE-fer-kayt): v.; to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts. The illusionist seemingly bifurcated the lady in the box. Sounds a lot nicer than "sawed her in half", doesn't it?

Hope I increased your vocabulary and gave y'all a giggle or two!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

The Story of the Poinsettia

I love poinsettias -- I always have and probably always will. Part of my love for them is their beauty -- part is their story. This is a translation of an article originally written in Spanish (and yes, I am the translator).

During the Christmas season, the flower of the Nochebuena (literally means 'good night' but it's the Mexican word for Christmas Eve) is very popular in the United States. However, many do not know that the flower is originally from Mexico,

In Spanish, the flower has many names: the flower of Nochebuena, the flower of Easter, the flower of fire, the Star of Christmas, and the crown of the Andes. The indigenous Mexicans call it 'cuetlazochitl' or the flower with petals as tough as leather. For the Aztecs, the red flower was the symbol of the blood of the sacrifices that were offered to the sun.

In the United States, the flower is known as the poinsettia in honor of Joel Poinsett, a botanist and physican as well as the first American minister to Mexico who sent samples of the flower to the United States.

In Mexico, there is a legend about the flower. It is said that there was once a very poor young girl who cried because she had no gift to give the baby Jesus on the altar of her church on Christmas Eve. An angel heard her prayers and told her to cut the branches of the plants near the path.

When the girl arrived at the altar, on contact with her tears the branches became beautiful red flowers. They were the first poinsettias. Now she had a suitable gift for the baby Jesus!

Today the poinsettia is the traditional Christmas flower in the United States and it adorns the altars of churches across the country as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!

Kay

The 2008 Word of the Year!!!!!!!!

Those fine folks at the New Oxford American Dictionary have announced their Word of the Year for 2008. It's always interesting as their goal is to choose a word that has relevence to the American way of life.

I know y'all are on the edge of your desk chairs in anticipation so without further adieu, I proudly present the 2008 Word of the year: hypermiling!!!!!!!!!!

What, y'all ask is hypermiling? Hypermiling is to "attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one’s car and one’s driving techniques." Rather than aiming for good mileage or even great mileage, hypermilers seek to push their gas tanks to the limit and achieve hypermileage, exceeding EPA ratings for miles per gallon.

Some of the more rabid hypermilers do some pretty wacky things to optimize their mpg. For example:

* driving without shoes (to increase the foot’s sensitivity on the pedals)

* “ridge-riding” or driving with your tires lined up with the white line at the edge of the road to avoid driving through water-filled ruts in the road when it’s raining

The AAA has warned that hypermiling is unsafe. I don't know. I'm not a hypermiler. Miss Ruby is a very efficient lil' machine and I do my best to keep her running smoothly.

The other four finalists for the 2008 Word of the Year were:

* frugalista: a person who leads a frugal lifestyle, but stays fashionable and healthy by swapping clothes, buying second-hand, growing own produce, etc.

* moofer: a mobile out of office worker: i.e., someone who works away from a fixed workplace, via Blackberry/laptop/wi-fi etc. (also verbal noun, moofing)

* topless meeting: a meeting in which the participants are barred from using their laptops, Blackberries, cellphones, etc.

* toxic debt: mainly sub-prime debts that are now proving so disastrous to banks. They were parceled up and sent around the global financial system like toxic waste, hence the allusion.

I like all these words and think they can serve us well in our shaky at best economy and environment! And they shouldn't be too difficult to work into a conversation either!

Whaddya all think?

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay (who is definitely a frugalista and proud)

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #6

Weird words abound and I really liked these that landed in my mailbox recently. Somehow they fit with my thinking these days!

* fugacious (fyoo-GAY-shuhs), adjective: Lasting a very short time.

Love can be fugacious or forever.

* philter (FIL-tur), noun: (1) A potion or charm supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love. (2) A potion or charm believed to have magic power. (3) To enchant or bewitch with or as if with a magic potion or charm.

It could take a long time to find the the right philter if one wants it to last forever.

* nugacity (noo-GAS-i-tee), noun: triviality; futility.

I am amazed at the unadulterated nugacity of some of the allegations made by both candidates during this presidential campaign.

* atrabilious (at-ruh-BIL-yuhs), adjective: 1. Gloomy. 2. Ill-tempered.

I gave up dating because I'm tired of atrabilious old men.

Aren't these fun? And they aren't too hard to work into conversation. However, some people might look at you as if you're nuts! I know . . . I know . . . I am! LOL

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #5

I haven't done one of these for a longgggggggggg time and frankly, I've missed it. I was required in college to take a class in Linguistics and I found that I love exploring the language and it's origins -- especially the weird words -- and I subscribe to at least a half dozen different sites that send me interesting or weird words. Here are a few of my recent finds. I hope y'all enjoy them as much as I have. The challenge is working them into casual conversation.

trichotillomania: (n.) the abnormal desire to pull out one's hair.

I think of it as a disease brought on by people who drive us nuts!

Cockaigne: (n.) An imaginary land of ease and luxury.

Remove a couple letters and you get a substance that takes you to that land. Coincidence?

quisquilian: (adj.) worthless, trifling.

This one could be useful in describing a lot of the members of Congress -- don't y'all agree?

heliolatry: (n.) sun worship

Compulsive tanners practice this.

titivate: (v.) to make or become smart or spruce.

Using this in conversation could cause some raised eyebrows! I think George Carlin would have liked it!

quotidian: (adj.) 1) Occurring or returning daily; as, a quotidian fever. 2) Of an everyday character; ordinary; commonplace.

I think y'all will all agree that the words here could not be called quotidian.

And last but not least, I'll leave with a word to think about . . .

callipygian: having well-shaped buttocks.

The Kay heads to her corner and puts on her Thinking Cap.

Hmmmmmmmmm . . .

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

2008 O. Henry Pun-Off Championships

Amid the shuffle of my s0-called life, one of my favorite things is a really good pun as I'm sure y'all know given my love of groaners. As a member of the International Save the Pun Foundation, I was quite disappointed to again be unable to attend the 31st Annual World Championships in Austin, TX. These are held each year in honor of O. Henry's Birthday.

Can you imagine an entire weekend of groooaaaannnns? I sure can. I don't want to be a contestant -- I just want to hang out with others who like word play as much as I do and bask in their skill!!!!!

The video of the World Champion can be seen here on YouTube. It's hysterical!!!!
It's author did not allow it to be embedded here but here's a cute pun-filled monologue to give y'all a giggle.



Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Blogginng!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #4

It is seriously cold and bone-chilling windy in Ohio. In the grand tradition of Carnac the Magnificent, y'all ask, "How cold is it?" It is so cold that . . . the windows and doors were frozen shut on poor Miss Ruby and I had to call AAA to get them open so I could get to the office. Other than needing the money, I may as well have stayed home. There's nada to do today and so I guess I get to play here unless the phone rings. OOPS! The boss just stuck his head in to tell me that he has some new data for one of my spreadsheets so another plan "gang aft agley" in the words of Robert Burns.

Okay, I'm back after six hours of wrestling with data and the ever-ringing telephone -- mostly en espanol of course. I'd love to ask my favorite question: "Can I go now? My brain is full." but since I was late this morning that wouldn't be very nice.

I recently added a new Word-A-Day to the half dozen or so I already have emailed daily. This one is from the Urban Dictionary. It's really kind of fun because it's a dictionary of slang and audience participation is encouraged and one can submit definitions. A lot of the definitions are internet acronyms and some are rather crude to which I say: yawwwwwwnnnnnn but some are quite creative and funny and some are right on the mark.

Here are a few I particularly liked:

bush: one who uses patriotism and immense propaganda to gain support for illegal, unjustified, brutal acts upon oppressed people for own gains. whether it be oil or money.

'Nough said!

choreplay: When a woman is turned on by the sight of her husband/boyfriend/partner doing regular household chores, that she would normally be doing.

I don't know if that would be a turn-on or a shock.

refrigerator blindness: Selective loss of visual acuity in association with common foraging of the refrigerator. Predominantly seen in children and males.

As in, "Honey? Where's the orange juice?" Having spent several decades married and raising kids, I know this condition exists.

rock star parking: The rare occurrence of obtaining a parking space directly outside the door of a bar, club, or restaurant.

Oh heck! I get that any time I want . . . wait a minute -- that's handicapped parking! Sigh.

And I absolutely love this last phrase!

electile dysfunction: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either party during an election year.

The above describes how I've felt since I was old enough to vote. Sigh.

Hope you enjoyed my findings. And I'll be back tomorrow -- hopefully-- with some quotes from a writer I love!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

The 2007 Word of the Year!

I'm in my Wonderful World of Weird Words mode and so is the New Oxford American Dictionary. Anyone who is a logophile is acquainted with it's mother publication, Oxford English Dictionary. It's probably the best dictionary of our language -- it not only includes definitions but has the history of the word which is really helpful for those of us who are interested in linguistics. If you visit the OED site you can, as I do, subscribe to their word of the day which is always interesting. The American edition has a blog that's interesting, too.

Each year the American edition, the New Oxford American Dictionary, selects a word of the year -- usually related to social trends and this year The New Oxford American Dictionary's 2007 Word of the Year is:

locavore: a person who uses locally grown produce largely for nutritional and ecological reasons.

The word began in San Francisco (where else?) with four women who began encouraging residents of the area to buy produce grown within a 100-mile radius or, even better, grow their own. The locavore movement has spread and more and more people are doing their produce shopping at farmer's markets or planting gardens. In some areas, they prefer 'localvore' but the meaning and concept is the same. Heck! I knew that as a kid whose parents -- and grandparents on both sides -- always planted a garden and it was fresh fruit and veggies all summer long. And and anything that could be "put up" (i.e., canned) was. Homemade strawberry preserves or grape jelly on your toast in the morning is the greatest!

Maybe I'm being picky but I'm not certain if I would consider it the word of the year because the first I heard of it was in a newsletter I get from Michael Quinion in England called World Wide Words, another interesting read if you love words.

Some of the runners-up that I like are:

colony collapse disorder: a still-unexplained phenomenon resulting in the widespread disappearance of honeybees from beehives, first observed in late 2006.

mumblecore: an independent film movement featuring low-budget production, non-professional actors, and largely improvised dialogue.

aging in place: the process of growing older while living in one’s own residence, instead of having to move to a new home or community.

If you want to see the entire list of nominees, you can look here.

Hope you find all this as interesting as I do and let me know if you're familiar with their choice as the 2007 Word of the Year! It's nagging at me that I missed it in my travels.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #3

It's that time again!!!! My collection of weird words keeps growing and I simply have to share them with you. I found some goodies this time. Enjoy and use them, if you're so inclined, in good health.

* caducity: n., senility; he quality of being transitory or perishable.

I like this word better than senility but the idea that old age is transitory or perishable bothers me. Both are probably true but I'd rather not be reminded.

*  pogonotrophy: n., The growing of a beard.

 Never in my wildest dreams did I suspect there was a word for this -- it sounds
like a contagious disease.

* roorback: n., a defamatory falsehood published for political effect; political dirty tricks.

I think this word could be very handy in the coming Presidential campaigns and elections.

* sequacious: adj., unthinkingly following others.

Unfortunately, this word is too useful given the mentality I see around me in this country. It's why certain politicians keep getting elected.

* scrutator: n., one who investigates.

   Despite sounding vaguely obscene, we could use a good one of these in our nation's
capital -- like yesterday!

And last but not least:

* ataraxia: n., a state of freedom from disturbance of mind.

Another word that sounds terminal. Wouldn't it be fun (and a tad twisted) to very seriously tell a friend that you have ataraxia and watch their reaction? Even more fun would be telling them what it means! lol

No one will ever dare to accuse me of ataraxia after reading this post!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #2

My love affair with the language continues and I haven't done this in a while and have some really neat new words for y'all! As usual, I've been trying to work them into my writing or conversation. However, since one is supposed to gear one's writing to 10th grade level (the 10th grade I went through or the one kids today get?) and using them in conversation brings a lot of blank stares and observations that I've lost my mind. I'll just share them with y'all. Each left me thinking which is always a good thing. Hope y'all enjoy them!

polymath: A person of great or varied learning; one acquainted with various subjects of study.
I really like this word. It's almost perfect for me since I'm pretty much known as a walking compendium of useless information and even useful information now and again. However, my favorite polymath is Leonardo da Vinci whose work in so many areas is a legacy to us today.

eructation: The act of belching; a belch.

I never knew there was a formal word for this. Can't you just see a sign as you enter somewhere like church that reads: "Please stifle your eructations"?

schadenfreude: delight in another person's misfortune.

Maybe it's my Bavarian roots, but I love this word. It has a certain je ne sais quoi and I think we saw a barrage of this during the latest debacles of Paris Hilton.

cineast: a devotee of motion pictures; also : movie maker.

Sounds classier than movie buff, huh? It's pronunciation, SIN-EE-AST, however. might label one as in need of a trip to the confessional.

mythomania: an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating.

Don't know about you ladies out there but I've dated a couple of these types. Think maybe we all know some politicians with this disease --combined with megalomania it would make a dangerous critter.

And last but not least . . .

hemidemisemiquaver: a musical note with the time value of 1/64 of a whole note; a sixty-fourth note.

This word is British is origin where they call eight-notes quavers. I took music lessons as a child and I don't recall any notes shorter than a sixteenth note. According to Merriam Webster, a sixty-fourth note is the fastest note commonly played. I suppose there are lots of these in a piece like "Flight of the Bumblebee" and I hope some of you gentle bloggers will enlighten me on this as music isn't an area of expertise for me. The Brits also use this word humorously as in:

And on that note -- pun definitely intended -- this post is ending not a hemidemisemiquaver too soon! LOL!!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!

Kay

And the Winner is . . .

I decided that I've been entirely too serious the past few days so I decided to lighten up a bit when I got a note from the International Save the Pun Society of which I am a very proud member.

If y'all recall, I was disappointed not to have the results of the 2007 O. Henry Pun-Off when I wrote about it a couple weeks ago. However, that has been rectified. I now have the results and, even better, I have video clips via YouTube documenting this auspicious event! Listen (and groan and laugh) at your own risk! I did!

This years winners (judged Punniest of Show, of course) -- Ta Da! -- are:

1st: Joe Sabia of Los Angeles

2nd: Carmen Petrick of Houston

3rd: Linda Eldredge of Austin

All were hysterically funny and well-deserving of their awards. Awards were also given for the High-Lies & Low-Puns and mmMvp categories. It looked like wonderfully good fun and I've definitely decided that this is on my dream list of events I need to attend. Ya never know . . . it could hap-pun! LOL

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Looking for a Giggle? Check Out This Classic!

The Kay is doing a round with what Hemingway always called the Black Dog. It's a curse I've suffered from my teenage years when life gets too lifelike or I get overly tired. Today the latter is mostly to blame as my idiot upstairs neighbor decided to raise hell with her live-in of the moment at 4 a.m and it sounded as if World War III had started. I nearly called the cops but opted not to as she and the nut cases she hangs out with don't appear to be too stable and I am afraid of retaliation. I've told my landlord and he allegedly has talked to her but it hasn't exacerbated the problem and as a result, I am awakened in the wee hours constantly these days. Not good. So what does one do about it?

I find, in addition to venting a little here, that laughter is pretty good medicine soooooooooooo I decided to share one of my favorite books with y'all. You know of my love affair with words as I've written about it here and my fellow cynic & Ohio native, Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914), wrote a wonderfully cynical, erudite, and witty book called The Devil's Dictionary that has fed that love since my high school days when I was introduced to his work. It's a great, worthwhile read and demonstrates his razor-sharp wit and flair for satire. Here are a few of my favorite definitions from it. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

politician: n., an eel in the fundamental mud upon which the superstructure of organized society is reared. When he wriggles he mistakes the agitation of his tail for the trembling of the edifice. As compared with the statesman, he suffers the disadvantage of being alive.

hospitality: n., the virtue which induces us to feed and lodge certain persons who are not in need of food and lodging.

turkey: n., a large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries, has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude. Incidentally, it is pretty good eating.

scribbler: n., a professional writer whose views are antagonistic to one's own.

acquaintance: n., a person whom we know well enough to borrow from, but not well enough to lend to; a degree of friendship called slight when its object is poor and obscure, and intimate when he is rich and famous

bigot: n., one who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.

dictionary: n., a malevolent literary device for cramping the growth of a language and making it hard and inelastic. This dictionary, however, is a most useful work.

frog: n., a reptile with edible legs.

corporation: n., an ingenious device for obtaining profit without individual responsibility.

love: n., a temporary insanity curable by marriage.

mad: adj., affected with a high degree of intellectual independence.

pun: n., a form of wit, to which wise men stoop and fools aspire.

work: n., a dangerous disorder affecting high public functionaries who want to go fishing

year: n., a period of three hundred and sixty-five disappointments.

age: n., that period of life in which we compound for the vices that we still cherish by reviling those that we no longer have the enterprise to commit.

future: n., that period of time in which our affairs prosper, our friends are true, and our happiness is assured.

There! I feel much better and I hope you are smiling, too!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Kay's Wonderful World of Weird Words #1

Welcome to a grey March day in Ohio! The weather is changing almost by the minute so within the last week we've had snow, rain, and beautiful sunshine. Bet y'all can't guess which I liked best! At any rate, Spring is approaching and this old gal is delighted except that next month I have one of those dreaded birthdays that end in zero. Sigh. Oh well, as someone wiser than I said: "If I'd known I was gonna live this long, I would have taken better care of myself." But I digress from my thoughts for today . . .

Some of you may know that I am a rabid and unrepentant logophile which has been defined as "lover of words" and "slave to words." Both apply to me. The latter because of my love and need to write and the former because I have an unceasing fascination with language and all its many facets so I subscribe to about a half dozen mailing lists that send me a word each day. Each includes the definition and some include the history and etymology, i.e., the roots of the word. Most of the words I receive are pretty mundane but others simply astound me and I scratch my head asking, "Who'd have thunk there was such a word?" and try to figure out how to work it into conversation or writing.

I have also been very interested in the roots of words since I studied linguistics in college and had to write a paper exploring the etymology of five English words on a related subject. Dr. Baxter, our prof, was a rather staid sort despite his being the same age (39 at that time) and era as yours truly, and Spring fever was upon us so we all chose off-the-wall topics. Mine was probably the tamestc: alcoholic beverages. The kids all chose things like swear words or sexual terms. At any rate, I had a ball seeing how the words I chose came into our language and have been hooked on word origins ever since. (Did you know that the word 'whiskey' is derived from the old Celtic word ouisquebaugh? It meant "water of life" and many an Irishman will tell you it's true!) By the way, I got an A which surprised me 'cause Dr. B. was pretty stingy with As.

In the past few weeks, a couple words have really caught my fancy and I wanted to share them with y'all and ruminate a tad on them.

YourDictionary.com recently delivered 'hoghenhine'. It's a English medieval legal term defined as a legal member of one's family or a visitor who stays past the third night in someone else's home. In medieval times it was customary for travelers to spend the night in stranger's homes -- no Holiday Inn or Motel 6 back then. Under English medieval law if a visitor stayed three nights or more, he/she wasn't a stranger and therefore a family member for whose actions the head of household was responsible. Scary thought, huh? One could be beheaded (they weren't wimpy about punishment in those days) if you let some poor schmuck stay an extra night and he insults the king! No wonder Ben Franklin said, "Fish and house guests stink after three days." I'm still trying to figure out how to work it into conversation. The best I can come up with is: The Man is my hoghenhine and I am his. LOL We each have spent more than three nights in each other's homes but somehow I don't think either of wishes to take on the responsibility implied by this word.

A.Word.A.Day left me laughing hysterically when they sent 'omphaloskepsis' which is the art of contemplating one's navel. In fact, I emailed it to various friends who I thought would giggle, too. Go figure -- there's a word for that. Its roots, as y'all probably guessed, are in ancient Greek -- from "omphalos" which means navel and "skepsis" which means enquiry. It results from a group of mystics called omphalopsychics who practiced staring at the navel to spur hyponotic meditation. And that was a news flash to me and leads me to ask those of you who are into meditation to try this and let me know if it works. I mean it.

This one's an oldie. A while back good old Dictionary.com sent me my all-time favorite word: sesquipedalian. It means given to using long words or a very long word. It was used by the ancient Roman poet Horace in his Ars Poetica which may have been the first international bestseller. I love this word. I use it rather frequently. I'm wont -- probably because I read too much -- to use words of multiple syllables and quite often I am berated because I do by those who don't. They ask, "Why do you use such big words?" Now I just shrug and tell them: "I'm sesquipadalian." It works for me and so what if they think I'm nuts?

Hope you enjoyed my words today as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you! I'll be back with some more new pieces soon!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay