distrait: /di-strey/
inattentive because of distracting worries, fears,
how to use in casual conversation:
"i've been so distrait about hearing back from this new job that i've been very unproductive at work this week"
not to be confused with
dire straits
how it makes me feel:
i must confess to liking this word. other than that it makes me feel tired. maybe it's not the words' fault, i've just felt drained all week and i haven't gotten drunk once. i did stay up too late watching the first season of lost, because it's streaming on netflix, but that was only once. the whole rest of the week i went to bed at a reasonable hour like the broken old man i'm turning in to, with my crickity knee and bum lungs forcing me to retire at an early hour. this is a monday word. don't get me wrong, i like it but if i was dictionary.com i would have picked something a little more upbeat to end the week with. something like butterfly, or rainbow or some other happily-dappily shit.
oh no.
i just said 'shit'.
fuck.
a kind note:
everybody have a nice weekend. i'll be celebrating the birth of one pink robot tomorrow night at a dive bar with an overtly racist mural on the wall and the entire closing time album on the jukebox. whoo ho! happy birthday al!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
WORD OFF!
pecuniary: /pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee/
1. of or pertaining to money
2. consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments
3. (of a crime, violation, etc.) involving a money penalty or fine.
vs.
vulnerary: /vol-ne-rer-ē/
used for or useful in healing wounds
last week's word winner:
machination
that wasn't even anything that even closely resembled something that anyone would ever possibly come close to considering a fair fight. machination was the lion, maxixe was the lame gazelle. machination was train, maxixe was the shopping cart. machination was the pitcher, maxixe was the catcher. you get the idea. machination is actually fairly high on my list of favorite words. it's just so damned foreboding.
i saw a thing on tv last night about how much google pays attention to what you do, read and say on the internet and then sells it to people like me who want you to go their site. google is kinda creepy. so if you're using reader to view this don't forget to vote.
pecuniary: /pi-kyoo-nee-er-ee/
1. of or pertaining to money
2. consisting of or given or exacted in money or monetary payments
3. (of a crime, violation, etc.) involving a money penalty or fine.
vs.
vulnerary: /vol-ne-rer-ē/
used for or useful in healing wounds
last week's word winner:
machination
that wasn't even anything that even closely resembled something that anyone would ever possibly come close to considering a fair fight. machination was the lion, maxixe was the lame gazelle. machination was train, maxixe was the shopping cart. machination was the pitcher, maxixe was the catcher. you get the idea. machination is actually fairly high on my list of favorite words. it's just so damned foreboding.
i saw a thing on tv last night about how much google pays attention to what you do, read and say on the internet and then sells it to people like me who want you to go their site. google is kinda creepy. so if you're using reader to view this don't forget to vote.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
aubade: /oh-bahd/
A song or poem greeting the dawn; also, a composition suggestive of morning.
how to use in casual conversation:
"after all the beer we drank last night, it was hard to avoid turning my usual aubade into a 'fuck-you' song"
not to be confused with:
auberge
how it makes me feel:
it's a pretty solid WOTD. it's sorta got the french thing going on, but that's really a personal problem of mine and not something any of you should worry about. it has a pretty specific definition - it isn't just a fancy word for a song or poem, but one specifically to greet the dawn. while this does conjure images of some douchebag standing on a bluff reciting his aubade, (sorry for the gender specific language, i don't know why i went that way) for some reason that doesn't bother me.
*thumbs up*
A song or poem greeting the dawn; also, a composition suggestive of morning.
how to use in casual conversation:
"after all the beer we drank last night, it was hard to avoid turning my usual aubade into a 'fuck-you' song"
not to be confused with:
auberge
how it makes me feel:
it's a pretty solid WOTD. it's sorta got the french thing going on, but that's really a personal problem of mine and not something any of you should worry about. it has a pretty specific definition - it isn't just a fancy word for a song or poem, but one specifically to greet the dawn. while this does conjure images of some douchebag standing on a bluff reciting his aubade, (sorry for the gender specific language, i don't know why i went that way) for some reason that doesn't bother me.
*thumbs up*
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
RATE-A-WORD!
gelid: /jel-id/
very cold; icy
remember when i was all bitter and angry? well, more bitter and angry than i am....this word would have come in handy back then. oh well.
results:
martinet
based on a weighted average of your votes martinet is a:
3
(3.3461538461538461538461538461538 to be precise)
don't forget to vote!
gelid: /jel-id/
very cold; icy
remember when i was all bitter and angry? well, more bitter and angry than i am....this word would have come in handy back then. oh well.
results:
martinet
based on a weighted average of your votes martinet is a:
3
(3.3461538461538461538461538461538 to be precise)
don't forget to vote!
Monday, February 1, 2010
mondegreen: /mon-di-green/
a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard
how to use in casual conversation:
"i learned the hard way that excessive marijuana consumption and a filthy mind lead to hours of laughing at dirty mondegreens"
not to be confused with:
collared greens
how it makes me feel:
i like it! this is a fun word with fun implications across the board. i myself am a big fan of finding things that people say and turning it into a mondegreen. it's pretty entertaining. also, it's good to have a word for those weird little cultural moments where popular, or at least, well known lyrics and/or phrases are misconstrued to mean something else: the most famous of which being jimi hendrix's '' 'scuse me while i kiss this guy" ('scuse me while i kiss the sky). other notable mondegreens:
"thirty theives and the the thunder chief"- AC/DC (dirty deeds done dirt cheep)
"human bean" - my friend from high school (human being)
the list could go on for some time...
something that has nothing to do with anything that i feel i need to share:
so yesterday i went to breakfast in west seattle. on the way home i had to transfer buses downtown. i got off the bus at 3rd and pine and milled around while i checked the schedule. then i started to notice a ruckus between two caucasian males. one, (whom we will henceforth refer to as 'old man') was a clean-cut gentleman in his late 40's to early 50's with a full head of grey hair, wearing shorts. he wasn't a bum or anything but he wasn't an executive type either. the other was probably 20, or early 20's (whom we will henceforth refer to as 'punk ass' or 'the kid'). he had a puffy jacket, baggy jeans, baseball cap, shit-stache - pretty much looked exactly like what your preconceived notion of a white thuggy-tagger looking kid would make you think he looks like.
the old man had caught the punk ass doing something he shouldn't - i don't know exactly what. the part i heard started with the old man saying "i saw what you did, and there's cameras. you see those cameras there, they saw what you did". this caused the kid to fly into a rage. he started by saying "listen old man, you better shut your f__king mouth, you don't want any part of this". the old man then got a look on his face like he had opened up a big old can of worms and started walking away. punk ass kept after him as he walked down pine, intimidating him with check-swings and shit talking. then the kid did squiggly fingers on the old guys neck when the old guy told him not to touch him. the kid pretended to swing a few more times and the old guy kept flinching, obviously scared.
the old man then pushed punk ass, which i figured would be a big mistake for the old man and left me under the impression the old man's day was about to get a lot worse. then, as the kid recovered from the shove and came back at the old man:
BAM!
old man lands a left hook to the kids face! punk ass doubled back and fell to the ground. the old man then proceeded to jump on top of this little son-of-a-bitch and repeatedly punch him in the face before placing his hand over the kids mouth and saying something about him learning to keep his mouth shut. there was a fairly significant crowd as it is a fairly busy bus stop, all of which started laughing at the kid. popular sentiment was overwhelmingly sympathetic to the kid in the end though - as he had just gotten his ass kicked by an old man.
best. transfer. ever.
a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard
how to use in casual conversation:
"i learned the hard way that excessive marijuana consumption and a filthy mind lead to hours of laughing at dirty mondegreens"
not to be confused with:
collared greens
how it makes me feel:
i like it! this is a fun word with fun implications across the board. i myself am a big fan of finding things that people say and turning it into a mondegreen. it's pretty entertaining. also, it's good to have a word for those weird little cultural moments where popular, or at least, well known lyrics and/or phrases are misconstrued to mean something else: the most famous of which being jimi hendrix's '' 'scuse me while i kiss this guy" ('scuse me while i kiss the sky). other notable mondegreens:
"thirty theives and the the thunder chief"- AC/DC (dirty deeds done dirt cheep)
"human bean" - my friend from high school (human being)
the list could go on for some time...
something that has nothing to do with anything that i feel i need to share:
so yesterday i went to breakfast in west seattle. on the way home i had to transfer buses downtown. i got off the bus at 3rd and pine and milled around while i checked the schedule. then i started to notice a ruckus between two caucasian males. one, (whom we will henceforth refer to as 'old man') was a clean-cut gentleman in his late 40's to early 50's with a full head of grey hair, wearing shorts. he wasn't a bum or anything but he wasn't an executive type either. the other was probably 20, or early 20's (whom we will henceforth refer to as 'punk ass' or 'the kid'). he had a puffy jacket, baggy jeans, baseball cap, shit-stache - pretty much looked exactly like what your preconceived notion of a white thuggy-tagger looking kid would make you think he looks like.
the old man had caught the punk ass doing something he shouldn't - i don't know exactly what. the part i heard started with the old man saying "i saw what you did, and there's cameras. you see those cameras there, they saw what you did". this caused the kid to fly into a rage. he started by saying "listen old man, you better shut your f__king mouth, you don't want any part of this". the old man then got a look on his face like he had opened up a big old can of worms and started walking away. punk ass kept after him as he walked down pine, intimidating him with check-swings and shit talking. then the kid did squiggly fingers on the old guys neck when the old guy told him not to touch him. the kid pretended to swing a few more times and the old guy kept flinching, obviously scared.
the old man then pushed punk ass, which i figured would be a big mistake for the old man and left me under the impression the old man's day was about to get a lot worse. then, as the kid recovered from the shove and came back at the old man:
BAM!
old man lands a left hook to the kids face! punk ass doubled back and fell to the ground. the old man then proceeded to jump on top of this little son-of-a-bitch and repeatedly punch him in the face before placing his hand over the kids mouth and saying something about him learning to keep his mouth shut. there was a fairly significant crowd as it is a fairly busy bus stop, all of which started laughing at the kid. popular sentiment was overwhelmingly sympathetic to the kid in the end though - as he had just gotten his ass kicked by an old man.
best. transfer. ever.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
WORD OFF!
machination: /mak-uh-ney-shuhn/
1. The act of plotting.
2. A crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end.
vs.
maxixe: /me-shēsh/
a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin that resembles the two-step
last week's word winner:
bibelot
the thing about bibelot is that i know i've encountered it previous to it being last week's winner. last week dictionary had it up, but i could swear MW had it as a WOTD and i posted on it. i just can't find it. either that or i've gone bitchcakes.
google readers don't forget to vote
machination: /mak-uh-ney-shuhn/
1. The act of plotting.
2. A crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end.
vs.
maxixe: /me-shēsh/
a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin that resembles the two-step
last week's word winner:
bibelot
the thing about bibelot is that i know i've encountered it previous to it being last week's winner. last week dictionary had it up, but i could swear MW had it as a WOTD and i posted on it. i just can't find it. either that or i've gone bitchcakes.
google readers don't forget to vote
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
RATE-A-WORD!
martinet: /mär-te-net/
1: a strict disciplinarian
2: a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
according to MW this word originates from one Jean Martinet, a "17th century french officer". yet another example of how being an asshole will make people remember you forever.
results:
lacuna
based on a weighted average of your votes lacuna is a:
4
(3.8214285714285714285714285714286) to be precise.
don't forget to vote!
martinet: /mär-te-net/
1: a strict disciplinarian
2: a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
according to MW this word originates from one Jean Martinet, a "17th century french officer". yet another example of how being an asshole will make people remember you forever.
results:
lacuna
based on a weighted average of your votes lacuna is a:
4
(3.8214285714285714285714285714286) to be precise.
don't forget to vote!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
evince: /i-vins/
1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest
2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).
how to use in casual conversation:
"she went through great pains to evince the superiority of tom baker to sylvester mccoy"
not be confused with:
wince
how it makes me feel:
meh. i try not to be overly negative about words when i don't need to. if i get all hopped up about a mediocre WOTD, you won't take it seriously when i am legitimately angry about a horrible WOTD. so that being said, this is a mediocre WOTD. i'll admit to not being terribly familiar with the word itself, but based on it's constituent parts and it's definition we know that it is somehow related to other words we are all exceptionally familiar with. i suppose we could scape some value out of a sentiment along the lines of "wow, i've never heard of the word but it makes sense given that evidence is blah blah blah, and then convince is blah blah blah" but i'm not that chipper of a person and quite frankly that kind of hoo-ha just makes me irritated. speaking of being irritated, we lost internet at my house for like 3-whole-days. so not only was my porn spigot turned off, but i also had to resort to watching things from my severely limited DVD collection as netflix was a no-go. so i started watching season one of the west wing. again. but this wasn't the irritating part. actually i wasn't irritated at all. but i was thinking about what a pain in the ass toby zeigler was. internet is back by the way. porn galore!
1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest
2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).
how to use in casual conversation:
"she went through great pains to evince the superiority of tom baker to sylvester mccoy"
not be confused with:
wince
how it makes me feel:
meh. i try not to be overly negative about words when i don't need to. if i get all hopped up about a mediocre WOTD, you won't take it seriously when i am legitimately angry about a horrible WOTD. so that being said, this is a mediocre WOTD. i'll admit to not being terribly familiar with the word itself, but based on it's constituent parts and it's definition we know that it is somehow related to other words we are all exceptionally familiar with. i suppose we could scape some value out of a sentiment along the lines of "wow, i've never heard of the word but it makes sense given that evidence is blah blah blah, and then convince is blah blah blah" but i'm not that chipper of a person and quite frankly that kind of hoo-ha just makes me irritated. speaking of being irritated, we lost internet at my house for like 3-whole-days. so not only was my porn spigot turned off, but i also had to resort to watching things from my severely limited DVD collection as netflix was a no-go. so i started watching season one of the west wing. again. but this wasn't the irritating part. actually i wasn't irritated at all. but i was thinking about what a pain in the ass toby zeigler was. internet is back by the way. porn galore!
Friday, January 22, 2010
mrs. grundy: /MISS-uz-GRUN-dee/
one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct
one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct
how to use in casual conversation:
"stop being a mrs. grundy and take your pants off"
not to be confused with:
how it makes me feel:
it would be kind of funny were it not so sad. lets run with the funny. hahahahaha. it isn't a word. hahahahaha. it's a name. hahahahaha at best a phrase. hahahahahaha. it's an obscure reference to a late 18th century play. hahahahahaha. merriam-webster fails again.
i actually went to dictionary.com to see if they had an entry for this, which they kind of did. but they didn't try to pass off the phrase version. in my opinion this qualifies as guff, guff of an unacceptable sort. i'm actually thinking of organizing a letter writing campaign to m-w out of honest concern for the low quality of their WOTDs. for their sake i hope i get ultra lazy like i do about most things and it just goes down as another really good idea that i didn't do anything about, instead spending my hours watching dr. who spin-offs and smoking pot. oh yeah and knitting. don't forget the knitting.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
WORD OFF!
this week's battle:
bibelot: /bib-loh/
a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.
vs.
colubrine: /col-u-brīn/
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake
2 : of or relating to colubrids
last week's word winner:
i screwed up
yesterday. while cleaning up the gadgets and polls i accidentally erased the wrong poll (torpor vs. suborn). i think it was torpor, but it was a close race. if there is any concern about the integrity of the voting i must apologize for the error but i was rooting for suborn. torpor can be fun but suborning something is always an adventure.
this week's battle:
bibelot: /bib-loh/
a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.
vs.
colubrine: /col-u-brīn/
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake
2 : of or relating to colubrids
last week's word winner:
i screwed up
yesterday. while cleaning up the gadgets and polls i accidentally erased the wrong poll (torpor vs. suborn). i think it was torpor, but it was a close race. if there is any concern about the integrity of the voting i must apologize for the error but i was rooting for suborn. torpor can be fun but suborning something is always an adventure.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
RATE-A-WORD!
lacuna: /luh-kyoo-nuh/
1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2. anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3. botany. an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.
lacuna as you may remember was the name of the medical clinic in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. makes sense now - doesn't it?
results:
triskaidekaphobia/tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
according to a weighted average of your votes triskaidekaphobia is a......
*drumroll*
.......3. (technically speaking it was a 3.0571428571428571428571428571429. sig figs people. sig figs.)
lacuna: /luh-kyoo-nuh/
1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2. anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3. botany. an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.
lacuna as you may remember was the name of the medical clinic in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. makes sense now - doesn't it?
results:
triskaidekaphobia/tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
according to a weighted average of your votes triskaidekaphobia is a......
*drumroll*
.......3. (technically speaking it was a 3.0571428571428571428571428571429. sig figs people. sig figs.)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
perambulate: /per-am-byuh-leyt/
intransitive verb
1. To walk about; to roam; to stroll
transitive verb
1. To walk through or over.
2. To travel over for the purpose of surveying or inspecting.
how to use in casual conversation:
"anybody wanna perambulate?"
not to be confused with:
perameles
how it makes it feel:
it feels pretty good. not like '2 live crew' feeling good, but more like 'otis redding' feeling good. i like the idea of perambulating. my friend chelsea and i used to perambulate quite a bit when we were roommates. we would perambulate around ballard. that was a lot of fun. one time, while perambulating our way to the grocery store, we got into an argument. best. argument. ever.
intransitive verb
1. To walk about; to roam; to stroll
transitive verb
1. To walk through or over.
2. To travel over for the purpose of surveying or inspecting.
how to use in casual conversation:
"anybody wanna perambulate?"
not to be confused with:
perameles
how it makes it feel:
it feels pretty good. not like '2 live crew' feeling good, but more like 'otis redding' feeling good. i like the idea of perambulating. my friend chelsea and i used to perambulate quite a bit when we were roommates. we would perambulate around ballard. that was a lot of fun. one time, while perambulating our way to the grocery store, we got into an argument. best. argument. ever.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
draconian: /drey-koh-nee-uhn/
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws.
2. rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
how to use in casual conversation:
"the nazis i work for are so draconian about internet filtering that they decided to block huffington post"
not to be confused with:
draconic
how it makes me feel:
it's not exactly winning points for being esoteric. it's a fairly common word for anybody above the semi-/pseudo-intellectual level of intelligence. though it does sound kind of cool, probably because of it's ain't far from 'dragon' phonetically. but the real reason i chose draconian over doldrums was that this word is actually derived from the actions of one man - draco, who while being remembered for the historical contribution he made to athenian law will also be remembered as a prick of historical proportions. i mean his name is now synonymous with going way the hell over the top. other pricks of historical proportions who had words derived from their assholism - pompey (pompous) and the marquis de sade (sadistic). i wonder what the word 'ponisitc' will come to eventually represent.
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws.
2. rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
how to use in casual conversation:
"the nazis i work for are so draconian about internet filtering that they decided to block huffington post"
not to be confused with:
draconic
how it makes me feel:
it's not exactly winning points for being esoteric. it's a fairly common word for anybody above the semi-/pseudo-intellectual level of intelligence. though it does sound kind of cool, probably because of it's ain't far from 'dragon' phonetically. but the real reason i chose draconian over doldrums was that this word is actually derived from the actions of one man - draco, who while being remembered for the historical contribution he made to athenian law will also be remembered as a prick of historical proportions. i mean his name is now synonymous with going way the hell over the top. other pricks of historical proportions who had words derived from their assholism - pompey (pompous) and the marquis de sade (sadistic). i wonder what the word 'ponisitc' will come to eventually represent.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
rate-a-word
today im introducing a new feature!
it's pretty simple - i pick a WOTD from dictionary or MW. a word that i'm not too sure about. it will then be your job to rate that word on a scale of 1-5.
so here we go:
triskaidekaphobia: /tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
don't be afraid to hurt the word's feelings
today im introducing a new feature!
it's pretty simple - i pick a WOTD from dictionary or MW. a word that i'm not too sure about. it will then be your job to rate that word on a scale of 1-5.
so here we go:
triskaidekaphobia: /tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
don't be afraid to hurt the word's feelings
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WORD OFF!!!
torpor: /tawr-per/
1. sluggish inactivity or inertia.
2. lethargic indifference; apathy.
3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities.
4. dormancy, as of a hibernating animal.
vs.
suborn: /se-born/
1 : to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing
2 : to induce to commit perjury
don't forget to vote
torpor: /tawr-per/
1. sluggish inactivity or inertia.
2. lethargic indifference; apathy.
3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities.
4. dormancy, as of a hibernating animal.
vs.
suborn: /se-born/
1 : to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing
2 : to induce to commit perjury
don't forget to vote
Monday, January 11, 2010
flagitious: /fluh-jish-uhs/
1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.
2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime; infamous.
how to use in casual conversation:
"there is nothing flagitious about riding public transit without pants."
not to be confused with:
fergalicious
how it makes me feel:
first i'm going to say that i really like this word. phonetically it's nothing terribly exciting. but it is one of those ominously dark words that makes me tingle in my special place*. speaking of ominous, i was scanning the merriam-webster WOTD archive. it's kind of sad. here's a list of the one i find most offensive from december and january:
1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.
2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime; infamous.
how to use in casual conversation:
"there is nothing flagitious about riding public transit without pants."
not to be confused with:
fergalicious
how it makes me feel:
first i'm going to say that i really like this word. phonetically it's nothing terribly exciting. but it is one of those ominously dark words that makes me tingle in my special place*. speaking of ominous, i was scanning the merriam-webster WOTD archive. it's kind of sad. here's a list of the one i find most offensive from december and january:
- ominous
- baptism of fire
- receipt
- pundit
- pied-à-terre
i've been laying off the whole "merriam-webster" sucks, but in the name of not taking any guff i must say that indeed, merriam-webster sucks. and it's not that i am patiently waiting for them to continue sucking - i want them to be better. i want them to shine with all the word power they can muster. like some dorky care-bear cousin that shoots adjectives from it's chest like warren beatty dispenses baby batter. but for some reason their continued insistence on being mediocre means i'm using their site less which means less clicks for them. therefore it behoves them to improve, lest they continue to have their asses kicked almost daily by dictionary.com.
* my brain you perverts.
Friday, January 8, 2010
gesticulate: /je-stik-yuh-leyt/
1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.
2. to express by gesturing.
how to use in casual conversation:
"i couldn't understand what that man was saying, but his gesticulating action in his pocket revealed his true intent."
not to be confused with:
gestation
how it makes me feel:
the word itself isn't terribly sexy. not only is it (as a word) somewhat pedestrian, it also sounds like an adjective you wouldn't want someone to describe you with as it sounds dirty.
a note:
have a nice weekend.
1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.
2. to express by gesturing.
how to use in casual conversation:
"i couldn't understand what that man was saying, but his gesticulating action in his pocket revealed his true intent."
not to be confused with:
gestation
how it makes me feel:
the word itself isn't terribly sexy. not only is it (as a word) somewhat pedestrian, it also sounds like an adjective you wouldn't want someone to describe you with as it sounds dirty.
i'd much rather just refer to myself as being 'animated' and leave it at that.person: "hey pony - i heard you gesticulate quite frequently"
me: "what the hell? are you looking in my window and night or something?"
a note:
have a nice weekend.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
WORD OFF!
this week's battle:
magnanimous: /mag-na-ne-mus/
1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
vs.
quotidian: /kwoh-tid-ee-uhn/
–adjective
1. daily
2. usual or customary; everyday
3. ordinary; commonplace
4. (of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.
–noun
5. something recurring daily.
and to all you gazpacho-monkeys using reader: don't forget to vote
this week's battle:
magnanimous: /mag-na-ne-mus/
1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
vs.
quotidian: /kwoh-tid-ee-uhn/
–adjective
1. daily
2. usual or customary; everyday
3. ordinary; commonplace
4. (of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.
–noun
5. something recurring daily.
and to all you gazpacho-monkeys using reader: don't forget to vote
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
flibbertigibbet: /flib-er-tee-jib-it/
1. a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
2. archaic. a gossip.
how to use in casual conversation:
"that girl is such a flibbertigibbet"
not to be confused with:
turkey giblets
how it makes me feel:
in a word, i'm flabbergasted. this is one of those words where you go "that's a word? huh. no shit." it sounds a lot like some nonsense word someone would try to slip in to scrabble game. it also sounds like some euphemism that your great-grandma would use for referring to a vagina. "don't let any boys be touching your flibbertigibbet" -or- "now don't you be running around chasing flibbertigibbet, find yourself a nice girl". anyway, this is one of those amazing nonsense words that would fit nicely into my new idiolalia of slipping double b's into the center of words i.e. i'vbbe bebben thinbbking abbbout goibbng babbck to schbbool bbbut i habbte makbbing cobbmmitmebbnts.
1. a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
2. archaic. a gossip.
how to use in casual conversation:
"that girl is such a flibbertigibbet"
not to be confused with:
turkey giblets
how it makes me feel:
in a word, i'm flabbergasted. this is one of those words where you go "that's a word? huh. no shit." it sounds a lot like some nonsense word someone would try to slip in to scrabble game. it also sounds like some euphemism that your great-grandma would use for referring to a vagina. "don't let any boys be touching your flibbertigibbet" -or- "now don't you be running around chasing flibbertigibbet, find yourself a nice girl". anyway, this is one of those amazing nonsense words that would fit nicely into my new idiolalia of slipping double b's into the center of words i.e. i'vbbe bebben thinbbking abbbout goibbng babbck to schbbool bbbut i habbte makbbing cobbmmitmebbnts.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
atelier: /at-l-yey/
a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer
how to use in casual conversation:
"i spend so much time in this bar, it's practically become my atelier of drunkenness"
not to be confused with:
ateliosis
how it makes me feel:
happy new year! remember when i said i'd be back on the 4th? yeah. i kinda lied. i didn't want to lie but as it turns out i did. after my forced 12 day vacation from work i decided that the best way to deal with having a job i hate is to actually try to do my job. made the day go by soooo fast. i was busily toiling in my atelier (laboratory), adding chemicals to each other and watching them change color which kept me away from my other atelier (cubicle) where i craft these sweet sweet words you're reading right now. back to new years - here is my list of resolutions:
1. take no guff
i've made it a point to tell everyone, especially people i work with. they're kind of sick of hearing it but i don't care. because my atelier (laboratory) is not my own personal atelier (laboratory) and i am not taking any guff from anybody thinking my atelier (laboratory) is their own personal atelier (laboratory). but either way, 2010 will be guff-less. many have said, "hey pony, doesn't that mean that you should also refrain from guff-giving?" perhaps, but in the process of not taking any guff i will undoubtedly dole some out. it's up to the guffee not the guffer to decide if the guff will be received or refused. kinda like UPS. they bring the guff. you either sign for the guff or you don't. this year i refuse to use the stylus of resignation upon the electronic clipboard of life. (my name is pony. P-O-N-Y.)
a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer
how to use in casual conversation:
"i spend so much time in this bar, it's practically become my atelier of drunkenness"
not to be confused with:
ateliosis
how it makes me feel:
happy new year! remember when i said i'd be back on the 4th? yeah. i kinda lied. i didn't want to lie but as it turns out i did. after my forced 12 day vacation from work i decided that the best way to deal with having a job i hate is to actually try to do my job. made the day go by soooo fast. i was busily toiling in my atelier (laboratory), adding chemicals to each other and watching them change color which kept me away from my other atelier (cubicle) where i craft these sweet sweet words you're reading right now. back to new years - here is my list of resolutions:
1. take no guff
i've made it a point to tell everyone, especially people i work with. they're kind of sick of hearing it but i don't care. because my atelier (laboratory) is not my own personal atelier (laboratory) and i am not taking any guff from anybody thinking my atelier (laboratory) is their own personal atelier (laboratory). but either way, 2010 will be guff-less. many have said, "hey pony, doesn't that mean that you should also refrain from guff-giving?" perhaps, but in the process of not taking any guff i will undoubtedly dole some out. it's up to the guffee not the guffer to decide if the guff will be received or refused. kinda like UPS. they bring the guff. you either sign for the guff or you don't. this year i refuse to use the stylus of resignation upon the electronic clipboard of life. (my name is pony. P-O-N-Y.)
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