Why? Because I like to indulge...
Sesquipedalian feast:
About three weeks ago, I came upon this interesting article in the BBC News Magazine about a man who read all 20 volumes of the Oxford English Dictionary for fun. Afterward, readers of the story were asked to name a few of their own favorite words. 50 best were chosen and I have to say that from the list, I became immediately enamored of the word Tmesis. Pronounced [tuh-mee-sis], it means to break up a word by interpolating another between its parts. For example: dis-bloomin-graceful is a perfect example of a British-y sounding Tmesis. And now, for the very first time, I have a word that describes a phenomenon I'm exceptionally partial to. Isn't that abso-frikin'-lutely wonderful?
Gems? Jams?
Sometime back in April, Ron Davison of Rwrld put up a post titled Inexplicable Fragments of Imagined Lives. In it there was this particular fragment which I simply loved.
Once again, Fred peered into the fridge and wondered, did the woman pay no attention at all? Did she have “buy pickles” on a monthly grocery shopping list? Did she not realize that the pickles were building up in the space behind the leftovers? And didn’t she realize that with his Freudian training this act of passive hostility would take on inescapable meaning? Oh why couldn’t he have studied Jungian psychology instead? It seemed as though it would be so much easier to laugh off her idiosyncratic behaviors if only he’d chosen differently in grad school.
Having discovered since reading that particular passage that I myself must pay no attention either because I have a buy quince jam line perennially engraved in my own grocery list. And that currently I am five jars deep into quince jam inside my pantry, I do wonder what anyone's psychoanalytic training would make of my passive accumulation of jams - quince to be precise. Anyone? Jan?
Listen, I don't care if you are Freudian, Jungian or plain ole crazy yourself. Just tell me, what do you think all that quince means?
A pain in the Royal Coccydynia:
I should know. I have had a fractured coccyx bone and it ain't fun. Took forever to mend and I had to sit on a doughnut like cushion for just about ever. Insulting indeed.
More wonderful words that make for disparaging as well as entertaining fare at Neatorama.
Untranslatable words from around the world
Photo by Joi
The one below means that you must turn the other cheek twice. "2" being the magic number to withstand but, all bets are off after that. Give 'em hell!
Ilunga
From the Tshiluba language spoken in south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, this word has been chosen by numerous translators as the world’s most untranslatable word. Ilunga indicates a person who is ready to forgive any abuse the first time it occurs, to tolerate it the second time, but to neither forgive nor tolerate a third offense.
There are more words that defy translation at Alta Blog.
I love Anagrams - Naive as Glamor
original anagramI wish I could say these came out of my head but alas, I cannot. They came from the kitcar website or from the wackiest biter - take your pick.
****** ******
dormitory..................dirty room
evangelist.................evil's agent
desperation................a rope ends it
the Morse Code.............here come dots
slot machines..............cash lost in 'em
animosity..................is no amity
mother-in-law..............woman Hitler
snooze alarms..............alas! no more Zs
Alec Guinness..............genuine class
Semolina...................is no meal
the public art galleries...large picture halls, I bet
a decimal point............I'm a dot in place
the earthquakes............that queer shake
eleven plus two............twelve plus one
contradiction..............accord not in it
Dying languages. There's a documentary subject if I ever heard one.
La pièce de résistance - It is a REAL place. And of course the name had to be Welsh:
I absolutely dare you to mispronounce it.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrn-
drobwyllllantysiliogogogoch
It is all one word by the way. I had to break it up so that it would fit in here.
.....................
P.S. I'm very sorry I was gone for so long. I hope you forgive the absence. I needed and took some time off.
Milena
Please, Milena, tell me, where in the world do you find quince jam? I know my local markets have no such condiment on the shelves though I do have two white flowering quince bushes in my yard and suppose I could learn to make jam if it's really all that good, so good that you, an otherwise wise and organized woman buys a jar each time she's out. Or is it just the fact that you found a place that sells quince jam that propels you to buy it each time - because you can?
ReplyDeleteCce! I shall tell you where I find it. There is a place here in Houston like no other I have ever seen. Not even in DC. It is like a mega emporium of imported foodstuffs and my favorite shopping place in the city. It is called Phoenecia. What marvelous serendipity you might think that for a post where I attempt to celebrate language, you focus on the one thing I would expect you to (because you are Cce) and in my answer I can name a place where the mother of all our modern alphabets originated. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI see quince jam in your future. I am going to send you two of these pots. Let me go search for your address. I know I have it somewhere. They carry a lovely rose petal one too. Yes, there is rose petal jam in Phoenicia. You want one?
"Serendipity" is my favorite word. I like the way it sounds, and I like what it means. As long as we have serendipity, there's still magic in the world.
ReplyDeleteI blogged a little bit today about the word eunoia. I haven't had a chance to use it in a sentence yet.
I like palindromes better than anagrams, but they're harder to come by.
Thomas: Yes, serendipity is an absolutely gorgeous word and particularly dear to my heart. I owe much to its largesse and timing. Eunoia. Have no clue what it means but let me mosey on over to find out. Something tells me you'd make a mean scrabble opponent. I look forward to a match someday.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Palindromes are just too hard but go to this place and see if it helps:
http://www.jimsabo.com/palindrome.html
How lovely that you needed and then TOOK a break!! Even more wonderful that you put up such a delightful post today. I missed you and would also love to play scrabble with you one of these days...
ReplyDeleteA great post! :-)
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your blog and am thrilled to discover someone who loves language as much as I do. Wonderful blog!
ReplyDeletenice to have you back.
ReplyDeleteNona! Thank you. It was impromptu but I did need it. Glad you liked the post. I liked putting it up and you know what? You are so on for a scrabble game you had better believe it. We can play on Facebook. All we need do is set up an appointment time and I'll meet you there so that you can beat the pants off of me.
ReplyDeleteDori: Thank you. Glad you liked it. I loved reading about your voting adventures too.
S.A. Heart: Welcome! Thank you for taking the time to post a comment. I really appreciate it. And I am ever so glad you liked my blog.
Hello, great post, love the word world! I am finally "connected" back to the world and in Virgina. Thanks for the post about the fabric shop. I will mosey on around and see what fabric lives in my "new" homeland. I'm trying to find furniture and my bearings here; a bit more fast paced than where I came from, BUT I do believe I'm going to like it here! Now to find a local bookstore and good coffee! Take care!
ReplyDeleteMichel: Hi! So glad you made it to Alexandria. There are great stores there and I hope you do end up making your way to G Street Fabrics. I also hope the hunt for furniture works out well for you. Virginia is antiquing country, remember that. You'll have to tell me how it goes. Good look for the moment and I'm so glad for your safe arrival.
ReplyDeleteMichel: Hi! So glad you made it to Alexandria. There are great stores there and I hope you do end up making your way to G Street Fabrics. I also hope the hunt for furniture works out well for you. Virginia is antiquing country, remember that. You'll have to tell me how it goes. Good look for the moment and I'm so glad for your safe arrival.
ReplyDeletehello miles,
ReplyDeletemyself i like that word "urt"
but instead of little bit of leftover i wish it meant -left over anger--
or residual pain.
I am always so late catching up with you M, but about the Jam, you are on serious Quince jam probation. I had that problem one time with Karo Syrup and also with diet coke. I always had it on my list thinking I would need it for something until I realized I had 6 bottle of dark and light Karo and 3 12 packs of DC. Weird, I know.
ReplyDelete