SOMETIMES, WE ATTAIN IMMORTALITY BY becoming part of the language: e.g., “boycott,” “pasteurize,” “guillotine.” And to these noble eponyms I would like to append … “wheeler.” – Definition: v. To unconsciously, persistently and innocently pocket other people’s stuff.
Tag: writers
A breed apart from ordinary humans, and responsible for much of their culture. Some would call them the salvation of humanity; others wouldn’t call them a cab.
Words to Bring Back: “Ambit”
– Definition: n. A space surrounding a house, castle, town, etc. A precinct. – Used in a sentence: It is my ambition to diligently guard my ambit against encroachment. – Why: Where I live in semi-rural Northern California, such things…
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’”
― Isaac Asimov
Words to Bring Back: “Desuetude”
– Definition: n.; pronounced “DES-wuh-tude” or “de-SUE-uh-tude.” A condition of disuse. – Used in a sentence: Unless we act to protect them, our Constitutionally guaranteed rights are apt to fall into desuetude. – Why: It rolls nicely off the tongue.…
Words To Bring Back: “Terrible”
– Definition: adj. Of a nature to excite terror; appaling – Used in a sentence: “That’s the most terrible Hallowe’en costume I’ve ever seen.” – Why: The current connotation of “terrible” as slipshod, sub-par, etc. really grinds my gears. Time…
Obligatory Notice
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Words to Bring Back: “Artless”
– Definition: adj. 1. Lacking craft or deceit; guileless; naive. 2. Natural; simple – Used in a sentence: Her whole manner, from clothes to attitude, was perfectly artless. – Why: A useful antidote to the snarky, cynical-chic times in which…
Words to Bring Back: “Rejoice”
– Definition: v.i. To feel joyful; be glad. – Used in a sentence: Richard rejoiced when the Red Sox won the World Series. – Why: It’s little used outside translations of the Bible, but addresses a HUGE part of life…
Words to Bring Back: “Amateur”
– Definition: n one who engages in a pursuit, study, science, or sport as a pastime rather than as a profession – Used in a sentence: “He is a true amateur of cooking.” – Why: What I would like to…
Why I Love: Writing
IT’S THE SCARINESS OF THE blank screen. It’s the focused attention. It’s the mental sensation of assembling Tinker-Toy pieces into a coherent structure. It’s the way the hours fly by. It’s the nothing-else-like-it buzz (thank you, Stephen King). It’s the…
Words to Bring Back: “Illicitator”
– Definition: n. An auctioneer’s shill – Used in a sentence: “Some of these political rallies seem to reek of illicitators.” – Why: It’s obscure, yes, but how many illicitators have YOU spotted recently?
Words to Bring Back: “Civics”
– Definition: n. pl. (construed as sing.) The division of political science dealing with citizenship and civic affairs. – Used in a sentence: “My old high school stopped teaching civics years ago.” – Why: It’s needed. Boy, is it needed.