Lexical Vexations ferment v. to create carbon dioxide and alcohol from carbohydrate-rich substances via an enzymatic process. foment v. to promote or encourage; to incite. Words in the Wild: Zach, after trying to climb up on the porch roof, set to fomenting discord between his two older sisters before falling asleep at the dinner table. […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Querimo’nious, a. complaining. Word in the Wild: By shutting himself in his basement office every morning to write querimonious letters to the editor, Gregor purged himself of invective and was able to spend his afternoons playing sunnily with his grandchildren. You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries […]
Lexical Vexations hoarse adj. rough sounding. horse n. a hoofed, herbivorous quadruped mammal. Words in the Wild: No, I said I was hoarse after last weekend’s party, not a horse. Reminder: Unless you’re a horse whisperer you should not be speaking in a horse whisper. Just sayin’. The contributor of the photo of the Icelandic horse […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Paucil’oquy, n. fewness of words. Word in the Wild: He might never been known for pauciloquy like Cicero, Hemingway, or Pingu, but maybe Michael could make the most of his loquaciousness. His mom had told him time and again that he could filibuster in Washington if he put his mind to it. And his […]
Recommended Read Crystal, David. Txtng: The gr8 db8. Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2008. [ISBN-13: 978-0-19-957133-8] One of the most notable things about texting is the impressive furor that has accompanied its meteoric rise in popularity over the past ten years or so. David Crystal recounts some of the many dire warnings texting has occassioned, quoting […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Orismol’ogy, n. an explanation of technical terms. Word in the Wild: Listening to Eliana expound on the relative merits of the various video gaming platforms and their specifications, Hazel decided she’d soon need a book of orismology to understand her granddaughter at all. You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and […]
Lexical Vexations picaresque adj. having roguish qualities; a type of fiction featuring the exploits of a roguish character. picturesque adj. beautiful, as pleasing as a painted image, idyllic. Words in the Wild: The picturesque park around the corner from Veronika’s house had been an oasis of calm for her…until the day those picaresque kids arrived […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Nefand’ous, a. not to be named; abominable. Word in the Wild: Ewa knew it was just a subpoena and not some nefandous evil, but she couldn’t help the shiver that ran up her spine as she read the summons. This word hails from Latin and combines ne, meaning not, and fandus, meaning to […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Mal’apert, a. saucy; quick and forward. Word in the Wild: “Get that malapert mutt away from my prizewinning show dog this instant!” I roared. The nerve! Letting that hound run about unchecked like that… This word combines mal, meaning bad, and apert, meaning open or frank. It sounds as if a malapert person has […]
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary Centu’plation, n. multiplication a hundred-fold. Word in the Wild: Welcome to the Word Blog’s one hundredth post—who’d have thought the centuplation of blog entries could have happened this quickly? I hope you’re having as much fun as I am with all these words! I’m looking forward to writing hundreds more entries and, as always, […]