Thank You to April for this awesome piece of homework humor. I'm not sure how to spell isosceles triangle either.
Showing posts with label Oh My Word. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oh My Word. Show all posts
Friday, February 3, 2017
I saw SLEEZE triangles and other 4th grade geometry
Thank You to April for this awesome piece of homework humor. I'm not sure how to spell isosceles triangle either.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Friday, May 31, 2013
My mom strikes again.
My sister, Lynn, posted this on her facebook. So amusing, must share.
___________________________________________________________
My mother, the "misspelled-words-on-public-si
________________________________________________________
Back when we were in school she would correct and return notes, fliers, and other information sent home by our teachers. As she's gotten older she has apparently progressed to the alteration of private property in public places. I hope the grocery store people appreciate her work.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Expeditiously vs. Exhibitiously
I was helping with the younger children at a rehearsal for a dance recital coming up and one of the teachers came into the waiting area and announced "If you're in the next number get into the studio expeditiously!" I was thinking to myself, 'great use of a big word' when one of the teens standing next to me asked her friend, "What does 'exhibitiously' mean?"
Mwahaha! (but I only laughed way down deep inside)
I turned to the two confused teens to explain 'expeditiously' means to hurry and go into the room quickly. 'Exhibitiously' is an entirely different matter. It's not exactly a word but if it is taken in the context of doing things as an exhibitionist would then you would go into the room nude or flash the people in the room. The two girls seemed satisfied with this answer. I thought about it a bit more and decided 'exhibitiously' could also possibly be understood as to make an exhibit of yourself as you enter the room which would be easy for the teens as they're all about attention most of the time anyway.
Yeah, so they hurried into the room.
Mwahaha! (but I only laughed way down deep inside)
I turned to the two confused teens to explain 'expeditiously' means to hurry and go into the room quickly. 'Exhibitiously' is an entirely different matter. It's not exactly a word but if it is taken in the context of doing things as an exhibitionist would then you would go into the room nude or flash the people in the room. The two girls seemed satisfied with this answer. I thought about it a bit more and decided 'exhibitiously' could also possibly be understood as to make an exhibit of yourself as you enter the room which would be easy for the teens as they're all about attention most of the time anyway.
Yeah, so they hurried into the room.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Kerfuffle
def. - distubance, fuss
Someone I know recently told me about a couple I know who are having some issues. WHO ISN'T? This person was witness to a certain kerfuffle. They called me and then proceeded to trash one of the people involved in this kerfuffle. *sigh* I've never figured out the perfect definition of gossip but if it isn't nice and there's not a thing I can do about it then it's probably not worth passing on. Right? ugh.
I'm bothered by those times when there really is a way someone like me could help resolve the kerfuffle and we just don't know what to do or how to go about it. I don't know what it is about me that makes it so hard to escape my "Born To Be Mild" issues. Sometimes I complain, just a little, but mostly quietly, and I get so worried about getting involved I just don't do anything. I guess what I'm saying is I'm pretty much useless in a kerfuffle.
Someone I know recently told me about a couple I know who are having some issues. WHO ISN'T? This person was witness to a certain kerfuffle. They called me and then proceeded to trash one of the people involved in this kerfuffle. *sigh* I've never figured out the perfect definition of gossip but if it isn't nice and there's not a thing I can do about it then it's probably not worth passing on. Right? ugh.
I'm bothered by those times when there really is a way someone like me could help resolve the kerfuffle and we just don't know what to do or how to go about it. I don't know what it is about me that makes it so hard to escape my "Born To Be Mild" issues. Sometimes I complain, just a little, but mostly quietly, and I get so worried about getting involved I just don't do anything. I guess what I'm saying is I'm pretty much useless in a kerfuffle.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Linguistic Humor by Jack Winter
Linguistic humor, How I met my wife
Source: Jack Winter. 1994. How I met my wife. New Yorker, July 25.
It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts
to appear gruntled and consolate.
I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner.
She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing
shevelled, [or should that be hevelled?—BES] and she moved in a gainly way.
I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones about it, since I was
travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess, whom I could see both hide and hair of, was
very proper, so it would be skin off my nose if anything bad happened. And even though I had
only swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward and heard-of
behavior would do.
Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause was evitable. There
were two ways about it, but the chances that someone as flappable as I would be ept enough to
become persona grata or a sung hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at,
someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion.
So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent reason, she looked in my
direction and smiled in a way that I could make heads or tails of.
I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it nerved me that she
was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen. Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being
corrigible, I felt capacitated—as if there were something I was great shakes at—and forgot that
I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number of times. So, after a terminable delay,
I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.
Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to prepare a promptu speech, I
was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for remarks, I started talking about the hors
d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few
myths about myself.
She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savory character who was up to
some good. She told me who she was. "What a perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The
conversation became more and more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was
defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to come with me. To my
delight, she was committal. We left the party together and have been together ever since. I have
given her my love, and she has requited it.
Source: Jack Winter. 1994. How I met my wife. New Yorker, July 25.
It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very chalant, despite my efforts
to appear gruntled and consolate.
I was furling my wieldy umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner.
She was a descript person, a woman in a state of total array. Her hair was kempt, her clothing
shevelled, [or should that be hevelled?—BES] and she moved in a gainly way.
I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to make bones about it, since I was
travelling cognito. Beknownst to me, the hostess, whom I could see both hide and hair of, was
very proper, so it would be skin off my nose if anything bad happened. And even though I had
only swerving loyalty to her, my manners couldn't be peccable. Only toward and heard-of
behavior would do.
Fortunately, the embarrassment that my maculate appearance might cause was evitable. There
were two ways about it, but the chances that someone as flappable as I would be ept enough to
become persona grata or a sung hero were slim. I was, after all, something to sneeze at,
someone you could easily hold a candle to, someone who usually aroused bridled passion.
So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for some apparent reason, she looked in my
direction and smiled in a way that I could make heads or tails of.
I was plussed. It was concerting to see that she was communicado, and it nerved me that she
was interested in a pareil like me, sight seen. Normally, I had a domitable spirit, but, being
corrigible, I felt capacitated—as if there were something I was great shakes at—and forgot that
I had succeeded in situations like this only a told number of times. So, after a terminable delay,
I acted with mitigated gall and made my way through the ruly crowd with strong givings.
Nevertheless, since this was all new hat to me and I had no time to prepare a promptu speech, I
was petuous. Wanting to make only called-for remarks, I started talking about the hors
d'oeuvres, trying to abuse her of the notion that I was sipid, and perhaps even bunk a few
myths about myself.
She responded well, and I was mayed that she considered me a savory character who was up to
some good. She told me who she was. "What a perfect nomer," I said, advertently. The
conversation became more and more choate, and we spoke at length to much avail. But I was
defatigable, so I had to leave at a godly hour. I asked if she wanted to come with me. To my
delight, she was committal. We left the party together and have been together ever since. I have
given her my love, and she has requited it.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Thursday Already!
We interrupt this blog to bring you TAX SEASON.
Yeah, I have no time to do much of anything, my farmville hasn't been farmed in almost 2 weeks and my house looks like my kids are running it; mostly because my kids are running it. I get as much done every day as I can and just try and take it as it comes. Jared leaves by 8am and comes home around 7pm but goes quickly down to his office to work. People show up at random hours to hand me envelopes or files or shoe boxes full of financial "stuff" to pass on to my husband. The other day a guy was here until close to midnight working on his taxes with my husband. The kids are all desperate for daddy's attention but he is so busy and distracted they just don't get to see him much.
I've only made it through 30 pages of my latest book in the last two weeks. I need my book time to stay sane but like everything else around here it has to be sacrificed until April 15th when we all breathe a collective sigh of relief and drive over to the post office to get a free donut at the expense of the people still trying to file on the last day. When I was a kid it was a yearly ritual on April 15th to go to the post office next door to our apartment complex and watch the line of cars reach epic proportions. Funny stuff.
So, for Monday I will just say the baby has picked a terrific time to start crawling. Now she's a menace and a hazard and I'm having to watch the 2 and 3 year old like a hawk to make sure they don't scatter small toys (today it was Hungry Hippo marbles) all over the floor where the baby is playing. I swear it's like passive aggressive attempts to kill their little sister sometimes.
Tuesday can be covered by my attempt to make Hawaiian Haystacks. My kids have eaten these at a friend's house and they are served at the school for lunch occasionally. I think I've eaten them once or twice in my life. Krista wanted to have them for dinner so I took a shot at it. They tasted really good and everyone ate them but I was informed I didn't get the sauce/gravy right. I just used cream of chicken soup so it must need something else as well. Topped them with baked chicken bits, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, diced celery, grilled mushrooms, and ... those onion things ... my mind is drawing a blank, the dried onion things for the top of green bean casserole at Thanksgiving? They come in a can... I like the cheese flavor.... FRENCH'S! , that's right, those things deserve a posting of their own. Maybe I'll look up recipes for the sauce but I could have sworn it was just soup without enough water added so it's kinda thick.
Wednesday's word is meatatarian, my kids were using it before the funny Wendy's commercial. They use it to mean omnivore (eats both meat and vegetables) as opposed to carnivore (eats meat) or herbivore (eats plants). The commercial uses it to mean carnivore but the guy is holding a hamburger with a bun. T-Rex never used a bun.
Today I have been thinking about how I didn't get my blog entries written and since the baby is asleep and April and Andrew are both zoning in front of the TV for a few minutes I'm using my precious "free time" to blog. I've been doing a bunch of yard work at my house and at Mom's so I need to take a few pictures... SHOOT! Now I think of before and after pictures! Well, there are still some spots in the before stage but I'll have to just post afters for the rest. My tulips are up but not blooming. I've spent a few hours trying to kill the grapevine again this year. Bane of my existence type plant that doesn't grow grapes and takes over the entire east side of the house. It covers the fence, heads out into the lawn, and climbs the pine tree, pulling the branches down in the process. It does turn a pretty color for a week or two in the fall before the leaves all fall off, but the rest of the year my neighbor across the fence and I fight it with my special gardening tools; the gardening hacksaw, the gardening hatchet, and the gardening prybar. Did I mention it is rooted under a very large, very sturdy double fence that neither my neighbor or I want to take out to get rid of the grapevine because it would be a ton of work and expense? Yeah, so there's all these vines up between the two sides of the fence slats, under the fence, and all over the place and it's like some B Movie with Attack of the Killer Vines going on every year as the vines grow like a foot a week. At least I can take out some of my tax season frustration on plant-killing. Some fight back, ha ha, I completely landed on my back in the road today after pulling out one of my "spikey bushes" (maybe a reader can help me with a name for this thing, I'll get a picture) that was overgrown across the sidewalk. I was pulling really hard and when the piece gave way suddenly I completely biffed it onto my backside. I don't think any of the neighbors saw my momentary lack of gardening dignity, thank goodness. Flat on my back in the road holding my prize and laughing at what would have been a great AFV moment.
If my sister sends me the pictures I took with Mom's camera I'll post tomorrow. Otherwise I'll see what I can do next week.
Yeah, I have no time to do much of anything, my farmville hasn't been farmed in almost 2 weeks and my house looks like my kids are running it; mostly because my kids are running it. I get as much done every day as I can and just try and take it as it comes. Jared leaves by 8am and comes home around 7pm but goes quickly down to his office to work. People show up at random hours to hand me envelopes or files or shoe boxes full of financial "stuff" to pass on to my husband. The other day a guy was here until close to midnight working on his taxes with my husband. The kids are all desperate for daddy's attention but he is so busy and distracted they just don't get to see him much.
I've only made it through 30 pages of my latest book in the last two weeks. I need my book time to stay sane but like everything else around here it has to be sacrificed until April 15th when we all breathe a collective sigh of relief and drive over to the post office to get a free donut at the expense of the people still trying to file on the last day. When I was a kid it was a yearly ritual on April 15th to go to the post office next door to our apartment complex and watch the line of cars reach epic proportions. Funny stuff.
So, for Monday I will just say the baby has picked a terrific time to start crawling. Now she's a menace and a hazard and I'm having to watch the 2 and 3 year old like a hawk to make sure they don't scatter small toys (today it was Hungry Hippo marbles) all over the floor where the baby is playing. I swear it's like passive aggressive attempts to kill their little sister sometimes.
Tuesday can be covered by my attempt to make Hawaiian Haystacks. My kids have eaten these at a friend's house and they are served at the school for lunch occasionally. I think I've eaten them once or twice in my life. Krista wanted to have them for dinner so I took a shot at it. They tasted really good and everyone ate them but I was informed I didn't get the sauce/gravy right. I just used cream of chicken soup so it must need something else as well. Topped them with baked chicken bits, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, diced celery, grilled mushrooms, and ... those onion things ... my mind is drawing a blank, the dried onion things for the top of green bean casserole at Thanksgiving? They come in a can... I like the cheese flavor.... FRENCH'S! , that's right, those things deserve a posting of their own. Maybe I'll look up recipes for the sauce but I could have sworn it was just soup without enough water added so it's kinda thick.
Wednesday's word is meatatarian, my kids were using it before the funny Wendy's commercial. They use it to mean omnivore (eats both meat and vegetables) as opposed to carnivore (eats meat) or herbivore (eats plants). The commercial uses it to mean carnivore but the guy is holding a hamburger with a bun. T-Rex never used a bun.
Today I have been thinking about how I didn't get my blog entries written and since the baby is asleep and April and Andrew are both zoning in front of the TV for a few minutes I'm using my precious "free time" to blog. I've been doing a bunch of yard work at my house and at Mom's so I need to take a few pictures... SHOOT! Now I think of before and after pictures! Well, there are still some spots in the before stage but I'll have to just post afters for the rest. My tulips are up but not blooming. I've spent a few hours trying to kill the grapevine again this year. Bane of my existence type plant that doesn't grow grapes and takes over the entire east side of the house. It covers the fence, heads out into the lawn, and climbs the pine tree, pulling the branches down in the process. It does turn a pretty color for a week or two in the fall before the leaves all fall off, but the rest of the year my neighbor across the fence and I fight it with my special gardening tools; the gardening hacksaw, the gardening hatchet, and the gardening prybar. Did I mention it is rooted under a very large, very sturdy double fence that neither my neighbor or I want to take out to get rid of the grapevine because it would be a ton of work and expense? Yeah, so there's all these vines up between the two sides of the fence slats, under the fence, and all over the place and it's like some B Movie with Attack of the Killer Vines going on every year as the vines grow like a foot a week. At least I can take out some of my tax season frustration on plant-killing. Some fight back, ha ha, I completely landed on my back in the road today after pulling out one of my "spikey bushes" (maybe a reader can help me with a name for this thing, I'll get a picture) that was overgrown across the sidewalk. I was pulling really hard and when the piece gave way suddenly I completely biffed it onto my backside. I don't think any of the neighbors saw my momentary lack of gardening dignity, thank goodness. Flat on my back in the road holding my prize and laughing at what would have been a great AFV moment.
If my sister sends me the pictures I took with Mom's camera I'll post tomorrow. Otherwise I'll see what I can do next week.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Fugacious
Just because it's a word doesn't mean you should use it. Had to look this one up.
fugacious\ fyoo-GAY-shuhs \ , adjective;
1. Lasting but a short time; fleeting
fugacious\ fyoo-GAY-shuhs \ , adjective;
1. Lasting but a short time; fleeting
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Funny Words of Wednesday
This arrived in my inbox on a Wednesday, it was fate, so I'm posting it here. I have no idea if it's really from the Washington Post, I just think it's funny.
The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing of one letter, and supply a new definition.
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
The Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing of one letter, and supply a new definition.
1. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.
2. Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.
3. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.
4. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
5. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.
6. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.
7. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.
8. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
9. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.
10. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.
11. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)
12. Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.
13. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.
14. Glibido: All talk and no action.
15. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.
16. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.
Word of Wednesday - Minion
I just love the two movies that have taught my kids the word minion; Despicable Me and Mega Mind are both funny and clever. The minions in Despicable Me are very funny and you have to watch closely to see some of the creative things they are up to in the movie, Minion, the fish in Mega Mind, is a great character and I though he was very well done. I've been calling my kids my 'little minions' (using the evil scientist voice) but then I found out you have to be called an evil minion to be an evil minion, minions are otherwise a good thing, check out the definition, ha ha, jokes on me. I'm not sure how to use #5 in a sentence but I'm all for being that kind of minion.
1. a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.
2. a favored or highly regarded person.
3. a minor official.
4. Printing . a 7-point type.
–adjective
5. dainty; elegant; trim; pretty
1. a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.
2. a favored or highly regarded person.
3. a minor official.
4. Printing . a 7-point type.
–adjective
5. dainty; elegant; trim; pretty
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Word of Wednesday - c-r-a-p
My husband says crap is a bad word. I think it's not exactly polite but can be used to express a particularly bad mood without crossing the line into actual profanity. I choose not to swear, so if I do say 'crap' it's gotten to a serious level for me. My husband says it's offensive when I say 'crap' but chooses to go into his office and shut the door rather than deal with the actual crap going on... I did refrain from repeatedly yelling 'crap' at the top of my lungs so I'm just gonna say I won that one.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Spelling DOES Matter
If you've seen the message about how we don't really read all the letters in a word and spelling is therefore irrelevant this is the answer to that argument.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNStNUizxhE
And of course, always remember : BAD SPELLERS OF THE WORLD UNTIE!
I may not be perfect at spelling but I'm constantly striving for improvement.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNStNUizxhE
And of course, always remember : BAD SPELLERS OF THE WORLD UNTIE!
I may not be perfect at spelling but I'm constantly striving for improvement.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Besom and Espadrille
Both of my words today have to do with the world of fashion, a world I rarely visit.
While looking online for pants for my father I came across some that might fit him and read the details of the description which included 'besom pockets'. Now a besom is a broom so I thought this was possibly some kind of cross between bosom pockets and the behind/seat of the pants. I looked it up and came to find that a besom is indeed a broom, but a besom pocket is a kind of flat pocket with a seam around the slit. So you can't keep a broom in your pocket.
My next dilemma came in the form of some wedge shoes with that rope stuff stuck to the outside of the wedge. What is the name of the rope stuff? I am not sure of the answer but I did learn a bit about espadrilles while looking into it. Espadrilles are flat with a rope sole and canvas type top and have a history of being the shoe of necessity in poor areas. So these wedges have an espadrille association but I still don't know what that stuff is called; probably just 'rope'.
While looking online for pants for my father I came across some that might fit him and read the details of the description which included 'besom pockets'. Now a besom is a broom so I thought this was possibly some kind of cross between bosom pockets and the behind/seat of the pants. I looked it up and came to find that a besom is indeed a broom, but a besom pocket is a kind of flat pocket with a seam around the slit. So you can't keep a broom in your pocket.
My next dilemma came in the form of some wedge shoes with that rope stuff stuck to the outside of the wedge. What is the name of the rope stuff? I am not sure of the answer but I did learn a bit about espadrilles while looking into it. Espadrilles are flat with a rope sole and canvas type top and have a history of being the shoe of necessity in poor areas. So these wedges have an espadrille association but I still don't know what that stuff is called; probably just 'rope'.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Syncline, Anticline, Scarp
Yesterday I spent an hour helping my fifth grader do some worksheets on mountain formation. There were a couple of words we had to look up. Apparently I've forgotten a lot of information since fifth grade.
Synclines and anticlines are the downs and ups of folded mountain formations (think wrinkles in a tablecloth). Here is a diagram showing syncline and anticline.
Scarps are the rock faces/cliffs produced when an earthquake cracks the ground leaving one side higher than the other. Steep mountain faces created by movement of the earths crust are scarps. Fault block mountains have scarps. Fold mountains do not. Dome mountains are made by magma pushing up a "pimple" of earth then draining away without blowing up. Volcanoes are dome mountains with a more self-destructive bent.
My spell-check does not know the word syncline but I do, this makes me feel rather superior.
Synclines and anticlines are the downs and ups of folded mountain formations (think wrinkles in a tablecloth). Here is a diagram showing syncline and anticline.
Scarps are the rock faces/cliffs produced when an earthquake cracks the ground leaving one side higher than the other. Steep mountain faces created by movement of the earths crust are scarps. Fault block mountains have scarps. Fold mountains do not. Dome mountains are made by magma pushing up a "pimple" of earth then draining away without blowing up. Volcanoes are dome mountains with a more self-destructive bent.
My spell-check does not know the word syncline but I do, this makes me feel rather superior.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Erudite
Yesterday while looking at a brochure my mom turned to me and asked, "What does erudite mean?" I knew it was an adjective and had a positive meaning but otherwise I was stumped. I guessed it had something to do with Eros/love but I wasn't sure. My sister was at the computer so we had her look it up. It's a synonym for knowledgeable. So the brochure listing erudite speakers at a conference was letting us know they hadn't hired just any idiot to present the lectures. Good to know.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Paradisaical
Can't spell it, not sure how to pronounce it, makes for a great word of the week.
Paradisaical means so lovely it's like paradise.
Paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical. Does typing a word five times work the same as writing it five times to stick the spelling in your head? I'm getting there.
The dictionary says you say it par-uh-di-sahy-uh-kuh
l. Yeah, have to work on that one. Paradisaical - did I spell it right that time? I didn't look while I typed...
Paradisaical means so lovely it's like paradise.
Paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical, paradisaical. Does typing a word five times work the same as writing it five times to stick the spelling in your head? I'm getting there.
The dictionary says you say it par-uh-di-sahy-uh-kuh
l. Yeah, have to work on that one. Paradisaical - did I spell it right that time? I didn't look while I typed...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Pangaea and News of Gnus
Pangaea, you say it like pan-gee-uh, it's what the continents were before they broke apart and became the globe as we know it. Also, the subject of my daughter's fifth grade science report. I knew what it meant for some random reason, my husband did not. I don't think many people do. It doesn't come up in a lot of conversations.
Something that did come up in a conversation this week, what is the plural of gnu and do you say the g? If you can find more than one you have gnus and it's pronounced like new so more than one gnu around would be news.
Something that did come up in a conversation this week, what is the plural of gnu and do you say the g? If you can find more than one you have gnus and it's pronounced like new so more than one gnu around would be news.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Word of Wednesday - Villagent, Denouement, Sneakret
I love words. I read them a lot.
I'm not as good with correct English as I am with knowing a lot of words and how to spell most of them.
I find word usage very funny sometimes, for example, when someone "uses that word a lot but I do not think they know what it means" to paraphrase the Princess Bride. A couple of weeks ago during a lesson in church the speaker used the word "villagent" a few times when they were going for diligent or vigilant but it actually works out into a cool combo-word. It might have even been on purpose to try and start a new word. My sister is promoting the combo-word "sneakret" for being sneaky in secret, I think it might be a bit redundant but it could catch on.
I laugh at myself when I hear words that I have read and know the meaning of but never learned to pronounce, the other day my theater major sister used the word denouement (said = day-new-mah) and I asked her what it meant, when she told me I had to laugh because I've always read it den-you-meant but I know what it is (dictionary = the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel).
I'm not as good with correct English as I am with knowing a lot of words and how to spell most of them.
I find word usage very funny sometimes, for example, when someone "uses that word a lot but I do not think they know what it means" to paraphrase the Princess Bride. A couple of weeks ago during a lesson in church the speaker used the word "villagent" a few times when they were going for diligent or vigilant but it actually works out into a cool combo-word. It might have even been on purpose to try and start a new word. My sister is promoting the combo-word "sneakret" for being sneaky in secret, I think it might be a bit redundant but it could catch on.
I laugh at myself when I hear words that I have read and know the meaning of but never learned to pronounce, the other day my theater major sister used the word denouement (said = day-new-mah) and I asked her what it meant, when she told me I had to laugh because I've always read it den-you-meant but I know what it is (dictionary = the final resolution of the intricacies of a plot, as of a drama or novel).
Monday, January 3, 2011
Writers Block
I want to try to do a post every weekday this year. What to write about though...
I am reading The Happiness Project and it gives me all these brilliant ideas for things I could post in my blog but then I forget to write them down and by the time I am sitting in front of the computer I am drawing a blank.
I love the bit about finding your passion by seeing what your mind wanders to when you are sitting on the toilet. I need to put a notepad in the bathroom and see what I come up with.
Catch phrases for each day sound right to me... a friend of mine does fashion Friday and I think that's a great idea so now I just need to match my interests with days of the week.
I took a break and gave it some thought while feeding the baby, here's what I came up with:
Mommy Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Word of Wednesday
Thursday Thoughts
Photo Friday
All are things I'm interested in matched to a weekday so I'm guessing I could come up with something to write about. I'm hoping that by writing about things that interest me I will help myself become a better writer.
I am reading The Happiness Project and it gives me all these brilliant ideas for things I could post in my blog but then I forget to write them down and by the time I am sitting in front of the computer I am drawing a blank.
I love the bit about finding your passion by seeing what your mind wanders to when you are sitting on the toilet. I need to put a notepad in the bathroom and see what I come up with.
Catch phrases for each day sound right to me... a friend of mine does fashion Friday and I think that's a great idea so now I just need to match my interests with days of the week.
I took a break and gave it some thought while feeding the baby, here's what I came up with:
Mommy Monday
Tasty Tuesday
Word of Wednesday
Thursday Thoughts
Photo Friday
All are things I'm interested in matched to a weekday so I'm guessing I could come up with something to write about. I'm hoping that by writing about things that interest me I will help myself become a better writer.
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