Wondrous Words Wednesday: Tsundoku

Tsundoku:  Japanese for leaving a book unread after acquiring it, usually piled up together with other unread books.

I found this word, and Ella Frances Sanders' wonderful illustration (above), in a fascinating article on Pocket today, Umberto Eco's Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones.  After I discovered this Japanese term, I felt compelled to share it with my fellow book bloggers and readers. It certainly applies to me.  Let me know if you can relate to this, too!

Graciously hosted each week by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a great way to share new words you've encountered while reading.  If you want to play along, find a word (or a few words), grab the button, write a post, and then add your link to the Mr. Linky!

Hygge for Readers (and for Wondrous Words Wednesday)

Hygge

Have you heard of hygge?  Pronounced "hoo-ga", this Danish word can be used as a verb or as a noun. This term has become popular in America over the past year or so.  Although there's no direct translation of the word in English, here's the description of hygge from Wikipedia:

"Hygge is a Danish and Norwegian word which can be described as a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)."    

Wikipedia states that hygge might originate from the word 'hug', and in both Danish and Norwegian, it refers to a form of everyday togetherness.  To me, hygge means something that brings a feeling of warmth, that contributes to "the cozy factor".  If, like me, you're interested in exploring this concept further, there's a book called The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking, author and CEO of the Happiness Research Institute.  It sounds like a book I need to get!

I think dogs contribute to hygge as well.  Dogs are cute, dogs are snuggly, and their charming presence may increase hygge (cats, may, too, though currently we are catless). I've noticed more dogs appearing in ads, especially for home furnishings and decor, over the past year.  One of the places I like to read is on this loveseat.  It's firm yet comfortable, and there's a lamp on the side table, if I need extra light.  My dog, Daisy, has her special corner of the loveseat, unless I join her with a book. Then, she'll usually sit on me.

One of my favorite spots to read

I enjoy decorating, and I look at furniture online sometimes.  Occasionally I even order something for the house, like the loveseat in the photo, which is also a futon.  Recently, I was asked the question: How do I envision the perfect reading nook?  While I thought about this, the term hygge quickly came to mind.  I found some great living room furniture on the Arhaus website that would complement my decor, and add more hygge to the house.  Arhaus has elegant, modern yet "vintage-y" home furnishings that look appealing and well-made.

This wall sconce would provide light and style to a reading area.

Arhaus Wall Sconce

To readers, a cozier-than-thou chair is an invitation to read.

Arhaus Chair and Throws

I like the look and feel of this living room bench, which could "multitask" and come in handy. :)

Arhaus Living Room Bench

Ideally, there are several places for reading in your home.  How do you envision your reading nook, or nooks?  Is hygge important to you?

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Hosted each week by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a wonderful way to celebrate words.  Thanks for reading! Your comments are welcomed.

Fancy Words ~ For Wondrous Words Wednesday

Don't be fancy, just get dancy

Why so serious?

 ~ Raise Your Glass, Pink

We all know the meaning of fancy, a word that's an adjective, noun, and a verb.  I usually think of fancy as an adjective meaning decorative or ornate.  But do you know the meaning of these fancy words?

Fancy meeting you here!
(I am very surprised to see you here!)

Fancy-pants
(Someone or something that's trying to seem too attractive or too clever, in a fake sort of way.)

Footloose and fancy-free
(This is an idiom used to describe someone who's unattached, without many responsibilities, especially romantically.)

Fancy that! 
(That's hard to imagine! Wow!)

To take a fancy to, or to strike someone's fancy
(This means to like someone or something; or you could say that something tickles your fancy; what is a fancy?)

Fancy-schmancy
(As it sounds, this term is used to poke fun at something that's overly fancy.)


Now say the word fancy twenty times in a row, and it will lose all meaning.  Ah, but now I'm acting like a fancy-pants.  Fancy that!

Hosted each week by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a fun celebration of words.  What is your favorite fancy word?

Wondrous Words Wednesday

This year is almost over!  I decided to put my 2014 365 New Words-a-Year calendar to use one more time before its retirement.  (I plan to get a new words calendar for 2015.)  To begin, here is today's word from my dependable desk calendar: 

1. lord of misrule: a master of Christmas revels in England, especially during the 15th and 16th centuries

The lord of misrule was in charge of the Christmas revelries, which included partying and drunkenness.  Wild partying aside, I love this humorous title, and think I'll start using this term, although I'm not sure anyone in my family will understand what it means (unless they happen to stop by here). 

The next word is also from my desk calendar, from November.  Originally, my idea was to collect a few book-related words and present them together in a Wondrous Words Wednesday post, but because the year is almost over, I decided instead to "hurry up" and put the word I've been saving in today's post.  Literature students are most likely familiar with this word:

2. bildungsroman: a novel about the moral and psychological growth of a main character

Bildungsroman is a combination of two German words, bildung, which means education, and roman, which means novel.  There are many bildungsromans, including Jane Erye, David Copperfield, and The Catcher in the Rye (Holden Caulfield).  Do you have a favorite bildungsroman?


The last word is from the novel I'm currently reading, A Matter of Mercy by Lynne Hugo, which I'll review next month during the TLC book tour.

3. cultch: the mass of broken stones, shells, grit, and gravel that forms an oyster bed

Here is the sentence from the book:

"Caroline walked off the grant, cultch crunching under her boots."

I could picture this, and hear the crunch, but I looked cultch up to get a precise definition (and to help me remember how it's spelled--it can also be spelled without the 't', as culch). 

Hosted each week by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a fun celebration of words.  What are your latest word discoveries?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: John, Jane, Joan, and a Librocubicularist

Is there a term for someone who collects words?  I had fun recently collecting a few words for this meme.  It's a favorite of mine, although I haven't featured a Wondrous Words Wednesday post in a long while.

My first word is from my 2014 365 New Words-a-Year desk calendar.

1. John Q. Public: a member of the public or the community, a person or citizen; it can also mean the public or the community personified 

John Q. Public started to appear in print in the late 1930s, about 10 years after John Citizen.  Some think that the Q was inspired by John Quincy Adams.  John Doe had been used since the mid-1600s to represent the anonymous or average man.  Female versions debuted later: Jane Doe (1930s), Joan Citizen (1940s), and Jane Q. Public (1980s).   


I discovered the next one on the Word of the Day feature on She Reads.

2. librocubicularist: a person who reads in bed

Not surprisingly, I'm a librocubicularist (even though I'm still learning how to spell and pronounce this seven-syllable word).  It's a rare word, although there are many of us.  It's truly wunderbar to read in bed, isn't it?  But isn't there a simpler term for someone who reads in bed?  Hmm....







I found my final word on Anna's blog, Diary of an Eccentric.  I could tell what it meant by the context ("a segue into the next installment"), but I admired her use of the word, and since it was new to me, I looked it up online.

3. segue: (verb or noun) to proceed without pause; a transition made without pause or interruption

Segue is often used in music or film to indicate a continuous transition from one piece of music or film scene to another. 

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme for word collectors, hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog.  What new words have you garnered? 

Wondrous Words Wednesday, and a Winner

New words for the new year, from guess where?  I found these in my 2014 365 New Words-a-Year calendar.  My page-a-day calendar is chock-full of wonderful words, and once again, I'm putting it to use.


1. ab initio: from the beginning

Ab initio is a Latin term and is on the first page of this 2014 calendar.  It's a clever opening!


2. gambol: to skip about; frolic

The school children would gambol happily in the park on field trips.

This word may be used as a verb or as a noun, and is used mostly in relation to children or animals.  I should have known this word, which is French in origin, and which originally referred to the spring of a jumping horse. 


3. zillionaire: a person of incalculably great wealth

Yes, it's really a word!  This word is not used in the most formal writing, but it's been used in many serious publications.  According to my calendar, the turn of the century brought with it a turn of fortune, and by the 1940s we needed words to describe this wealth--millionaire, billionaire, and even zillionaire!  How many zeros are in a zillion?  Although it's a real word, it's used as an indefinite, fictitious number, in a comic sense for exaggeration, so there's no set number of zeros in a zillion.

0000000000000000000000000000....  

The winner of my extra 365 New Words-a-Year calendar is Lady in Read from MyRandRSpace.  Congratulations, Lady in Read!  I'm certain you'll enjoy this word-a-day calendar, which is a sensational source of new words!  Perhaps you'll use it as I do, for Wondrous Words Wednesday.  (If you didn't win this desk calendar, you may be able to find a discounted copy somewhere, as calendars go on sale after the start of a new year.)

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme for wordies, created and hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog.  What new words have wowed you recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: Wild Words (from Wild Women)

I've wanted to do this for the longest time.  In addition to my 365 New Words-a-Year calendar, I have a Wild Words from Wild Women calendar, which I keep on my antique desk in the den.  This calendar features quotations (often called "quotes", as language has become more casual) from the "world's most famous and infamous women".  I decided to highlight their words this week for Wondrous Words Wednesday, as Kathy, this meme's lovely and intelligent host, says in her brief directions, "feel free to get creative!".

1. October 30:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."
~ Marianne Williamson, creator of A Course in Miracles

You've probably read this before.  I know I have, numerous times.  But I had forgotten who said this, although when I was first married, I read some of Marianne Willamson's inspirational books.

2. October 31, Halloween:

"A lot of parents are strange; they say, 'Ration the candy.'  I say, "Let them eat as much as they want--they throw up, the rest is mine.'  That's how I handle Halloween."
~ Cory Kahaney, joke jock

Let them eat candy.  A fun quotation for Halloween!

3. November 1:

"Be an arrogant idiot.  You know those guys around the office who share their opinions without thinking, who rally everyone around their big (often unformed) ideas?  Be more like them.  You can afford to move a few inches in that direction."
~Tara Sophia Mohr, leadership coach

I agree that many women hold themselves back, for various reasons.  These words encourage us to have more confidence in our ideas, and to be more outspoken.  Good advice, I think.


Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme, created and hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, where you can share your love of words--and exercise your creativity!  What new words have you discovered recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday

I'm in the midst of reading Room by Emma Donoghue, which is told from the perspective of a young boy, Jack, who turns five years old at the beginning of the novel.  Many of the words in Room are capitalized as if they're proper nouns, such as "Room", "Wardrobe", "Bed", "Skylight", "Lamp", and of course, "Ma", which cleverly signifies their importance as names in the young protagonist's world.  Since I haven't encountered any "hard words" in this book, my words were taken from my handy 365 New Words-a-Year calendar.


1. deus ex machina: a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that suddenly and surprisingly provides a solution to a difficult conflict

Ancient playwright Euripides is often criticized for his frequent use of the deus ex machina.

Euripides, courtesy of Wikipedia

Deus ex machina literally means "a god from a machine". This stems from the practice of using a crane to hold a god (or gods) over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama, to resolve the plot.  In writing, this device is often frowned upon as a gimmicky, contrived, or implausible way to resolve matters.








2. triskaidekaphobia: fear of the number 13

As a child in NY, I noticed that some buildings with elevators did not have a 13th floor, which was due to triskaidekaphobia.

13

Appropriately, this was the calendar's word of the day last Friday, September 13.  The origin of the fear of this number is not clear, although some think it stems from the Last Supper, when Jesus was betrayed afterward by one of the thirteen present. This fear has been prevalent enough to require a word to describe it.  The word was formed by adding the Greek words for thirteen, treiskaideka (minus the first e), to phobia. 


3. toothsome: agreeable, attractive; of palatable flavor, delicious

At noon, Tatiana gave the new boy a toothsome muffin from her lunch, and hoped he'd find her toothsome in her red dress.  (I try not to use the same adjective twice in a sentence, but I'm illustrating the two different meanings of the word here.)

Although I can never seem to remember its meaning correctly, I've come across this word before, and associate it with teeth, for obvious reasons, and more specifically with the word "toothy", which means having or showing many or large teeth (as in  "a toothy smile").

Interestingly, the next word in my calendar, for Thursday, September 19,  is "meme", which is defined as an idea, behavior, or usage that spreads from person to person.  For information about memes for book bloggers, please visit my Memes page.


Hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a meme that motivates us to learn about words.  What new words have you discovered recently? 

Wondrous Words Wednesday: 'D' Words

It ain't brain surgery.

But it does give your brain a little workout.  I'm talking about Wondrous Words Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog.

Today's words are brought to you by the letter 'D', and hail from my trusty 365 New Words-a-Year calendar.  Without further ado, here are my 'D' words.

1. declivity: downward inclination; descending slope

Debbie was afraid to ride her bike down the steep declivity; she feared that riding over a pebble or rock would cause her to lose her balance.

This word has the Latin word clivus in it, which means slope or hill.  Other words that contain clivus include acclivity, which means an upward slope, and proclivity, which means leaning or toward, and refers to a personal inclination or predisposition.  (I knew proclivity, but not declivity or acclivity.)


2. doch-an-dorris: a parting drink; stirrup cup

Desmond declined the doch-an-dorris because he was the designated driver.

Doch-an-dorris quite literally means "drink of the door", in Scottish Gaelic (deoch an doruis) and Irish (deoch an dorais).  The English version is stirrup cup.  I Googled "stirrup cup" and learned that it's a parting drink given to guests, especially when they are leaving on horseback (with their feet in stirrups).  It's also a drink--like port or sherry--served before a traditional foxhunt.  This term can also mean the cup that such a drink is served in.


3. dundrearies: long, flowing sideburns

Dundrearies were quite fashionable for English and American men between 1840 and 1870.

Often capitalized, this term comes from the name of Lord Dundreary, a character who wore long sideburns (called "Piccadilly weepers" in England) in the play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor.  According to Wikipedia, Lord Dundreary is "the personification of a good-natured, brainless aristocrat".

Ed Sothern as Lord Dundreary, courtesy of Wikipedia

What new words have you recently discovered?

Dubliners Double Duty (for Irish Short Story Month, and Wondrous Words Wednesday)

Who's afraid of James Joyce?  I am, or was.  I can say that now, although I'm not promising to read his novels.  I opened Dubliners with some degree of trepidation.  Was it the fact that this book, edited by Robert Scholes and A. Walton Litz, from my college days, has sections devoted to scholarly criticism and notes?  James Joyce.  The author's name alone is intimidating.  More pointedly, James Joyce wrote Finnegans Wake, a novel of comic prose noted for its avant-garde, experimental style, which has been called one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language (according to Wikipedia).

James Joyce, courtesy of Wikipedia

Irish novelist and poet James Joyce (1882-1941) is considered to be one of the most influential writers of the early 20th century.  He's well known for his novel Ulysses (1922), a lengthy book that establishes a series of parallels between its characters and events and those in Homer's Odyssey.  In addition to three books of poetry, a play, and published letters, other works by James Joyce are his short story collection, Dubliners (1914), and his novels, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939).  I decided to revisit Dubliners, an older book I've had on my shelves since my college days, for Mel's third annual Irish Short Story Month, a special event on The Reading Life.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I did not retain any of my school notes on the stories in Dubliners, and it felt as if I were reading these stories for the first time, although I did feel an inkling of familiarity, and I did not think, thankfully, that these stories were too difficult to understand.

Dubliners, a collection of 15 short stories by James Joyce, was first published in 1914, when Irish nationalism was at its peak.  I read several of the stories, in order (for the most part), starting with the opening story, The Sisters, which is a good introduction to this collection of stories, and to the work of James Joyce in a larger sense, in terms of the setting and the themes (Dublin, and religious issues, such as guilt).  Apparently, many of the characters in Dubliners reappear later in small roles in his novel, Ulysses.  The first few stories in Dubliners are narrated (in the first person) by young (child) protagonists, while subsequent stories focus on the lives of (progressively) older people, in accordance with James Joyce's tripartite division of development, from childhood to adolescence to maturity.  His stories often feature epiphanies, moments when main characters experience self-understanding or illumination.

My comments are general, as I read many stories in this collection, including The Sisters, An Encounter, Araby, and Eveline.  (I'll read more of the stories, including what has been called his best story, The Dead, which is also the last story in this collection.)  I was relieved to learn that James Joyce wrote exclusively (or almost exclusively) about Dublin, Ireland.  Since his work is focused on Dublin, I was able to remain in Dublin, rather than travel all over (there's a measure of comfort in going to a new place and staying there for a while).

Map of Dublin inside of the book

"For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world.  In the particular is contained the universal."
~James Joyce

James Joyce's Irish experiences were essential to his writing and stories, which are set in Dublin.  In addition to being the setting, Dublin is also a "character" in these stories, and there are numerous descriptions of the streets of Dublin (as in the third story, Araby, which begins with a description of quiet North Richmond Street).  

Religion was a fixture in Dublin and is a strong theme in this collection of short fiction. In the first story, The Sisters, the narrator, a young boy, Jack, has just learned that his older friend, Father Flynn, has died of "paralysis".  In the second story, An Encounter, two poor boys throw rocks at the narrator and his friend, Mahony, and mistake them for Protestants (the tension between Catholics and Protestants is alluded to throughout the stories in Dubliners).  In the third story, Araby, the narrator, an unnamed boy, recalls the priest who died in the back drawing-room of the house before his family moved in.  Religion is heavily featured in these stories, which depict Irish middle class life in the early years of the 20th century. 


While reading, not surprisingly, I came across a few words to highlight for Wondrous Words Wednesday, a wonderful weekly wordie meme hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog.  Each of these words is from the first story in the book, The Sisters, and two of the words are related to religion.

Breviary, courtesy of Wikipedia

1. breviary: A breviary (from the Latin word brevis, meaning short or brief) is a book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons.

"Whenever I'd bring in his soup to him there, I'd find him with his breviary fallen to the floor, lying back in his chair with his mouth open."
~The Sisters, James Joyce

The word can also refer to a collection of Christian orders of prayers and readings, from Anglican or Lutheran resources. It may be used to refer to an abridged version of any text or a brief summary of some subject, but is usually used to refer to the Catholic liturgical book.


2. simoniac: a person who practices simony, which is the buying or selling of church offices or powers. 

"But then I remembered that it had died of paralysis and I felt that I too was smiling feebly as if to absolve the simoniac of his sin." ~The Sisters, James Joyce

This word stems from Simon Magus (Acts 8:18), who tried to buy the power of conferring the gifts of the Holy Spirit from the Apostles.  Simony was said to have become widespread in Europe in the 10th –11th century, as promotions to the priesthood or episcopate were bestowed by monarchs and nobles, often in exchange for oaths of loyalty.  More widely, it's any contract of this kind forbidden by divine or ecclesiastical law.


3. truculent: eager or quick to argue or fight; aggressively defiant; savage

"His face was very truculent, grey and massive, with black cavernous nostrils and circled by a scanty white fur."
~The Sisters, James Joyce

I'm glad I looked this word up because I thought it meant thin or transparent (referring to facial skin), or something of that nature. The sentence above is the boy's description of the priest who has just died, Father James Flynn.

Have you read Dubliners, or other works by James Joyce?  As always, I welcome your comments.

Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is the quintessential meme for logophiles and lexicologists.  It's also a lot of fun!  This week, I didn't list my words in alphabetical order because I wanted to feature a word from an actual book first. :)  I was determined to find a word from the book I'm currently reading, Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans by Joanne DeMaio.  I did find one, although many of you probably already know what it means.  I thought I did, too, but when I looked it up, I realized I was mistaken. 

1. insouciance: indifference; lack of care or concern; a lighthearted attitude

"Later we went to the beach, and I don't know; it just happened she'd continued, her breathing ragged, her face wet, her insouciance drowned out by a clear reality now."

~Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans, Joanne DeMaio

I thought it meant having a kind of saucy or impudent attitude.

The next word's from my lovely 365 New Words-a-Year calendar. :)

2. fanfaronade: empty boasting; bluster

Tired of all the fanfaronade at the frat house, Tyler decided to move back to the dorm.  

This word derives from fanfarrón, a Spanish word for a braggart or boaster, and may be related to the word 'fanfare' as well. 

My last word was featured yesterday as the word of the day on Dictionary.com.  (For those interested, I took a screen shot with my phone, then cropped it in iPhoto.)

3. zakuska: an hors d'oeuvre or appetizer; Russian tasting plate

Zakuski, courtesy of Wikipedia

The Russian Tea Room Cookbook includes a bounty of zakuska recipes.

Zakuska means "little bite" in Russian, and is often served before a meal at a party or special occasion, accompanied by champagne or vodka.  Examples of zakuska would be caviar with buttered bread, pickled herring, or marinated vegetables.  The plural form of the word is zakuski.


Each week Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog hosts Wondrous Words Wednesday.  What new words have you discovered recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: 4, 5, 6

Today's words are brought to you by--you guessed it--my trusty 365 New Words-a-Year calendar. Usually I list my words in alphabetical order, but today they're in numerical order.

1. malinger: to pretend or exaggerate sickness or injury, in order to avoid duty or work

Whenever there was work to be done, Sally's tendency to malinger became more pronounced, much to our dismay.

This is an excellent word that describes the action of someone who feigns or exaggerates illness when work needs to be done. The verb "malinger" comes from the French word malingre, which means sickly.  In the 19th century, malinger often referred to a soldier or sailor who pretended to be sick or insane to shirk duty.  This word was later adopted by psychologists as a clinical term to describe the feigning of illness to avoid work, or for personal gain.  Today, malinger is used in just about any context in which sickness or injury is feigned in order to avoid some sort of work.

Waterloo CD, courtesy of Wikipedia

2. waterloo: a final defeat; setback

The Republican candidate feared that his lack of support from labor unions would turn out to be his waterloo.

As I encountered this word, I heard the hit song Waterloo by the Swedish pop band, ABBA, in my head.  I also thought of the Battle of Waterloo, which is the source of this word as meaning final defeat.  The Battle of Waterloo occurred on June 18, 1815, ending Napoleon's military career, as well as 23 years of recurrent conflict between France and the rest of Europe.


3. swivet: a state of extreme agitation

Before the show, the actor was in quite a swivet, but once the play started, he turned his nervous energy into a brilliant performance.

This word appeared in print by the 1890s, in a collection of "Peculiar Words and Usages" of Kentucky published by the American Dialect Society.  Although its origin is not known, the use of the word spread, and by the 1950s "swivet" appeared regularly in magazines such as Time and The New Yorker.  


Hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a wonderful meme for those who enjoy delving into the world of words.  What new words have you discovered recently as a result of your reading, or from your own word-a-day calendar?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: Brave New Words

Word up!  I'm having too much fun.  I enjoy the time I spend with words, playing Words with Friends, doing the jumble in the newspaper, thinking about words.  Sometimes, my love of words actually shortens my reading time.  At nighttime, I might elect to play a few rounds of Words with Friends (I have about 15 games going right now), and before I know it, it's too late to pick up my current book--that happened to me last night.  Consequently, once again, my words this week are not from books, but from my 365 New Words-a-Year calendar, a steady source of brave new words.


1. balneology: the science of the therapeutic use of baths

At the end of the season, the girls' cross-country team took a field trip to the spa that uses balneology to treat sore and injured muscles.

Gellért pool, courtesy of Wikipedia

Doesn't this look inviting?  Pictured is the effervescent pool in the "Spa City" of Budapest, Hungary.  The Gellért Spa and Baths complex there features thermal baths, small pools of water from local mineral hot springs.  I've enjoyed visiting hot springs in the U.S. as well as Mexico.  Although the word "balneology" has existed for only about 130 years, the healing powers of mineral baths have been touted since ancient times.



2. mahatma: a person revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness; a person of great prestige in a field or profession

The gentle teacher was seen as a mahatma, who inspired students to strive for excellence and to love learning.

Gandhi, courtesy of Wikipedia

I'll remember how to spell this word through syllabification: ma-hat-ma.  This word is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word mahatman, which means great-souled. As an uncapitalized English noun, "mahatma" can refer to any great person.  In India, it's meant as a title of love and respect.  When the word is capitalized, it refers to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the venerated leader who helped guide India to independence in 1947.  He's known as "Mahatma Gandhi" or just "the Mahatma", but not surprisingly, Gandhi was humble and didn't refer to himself in this manner.




3. sub rosa: in confidence; secretly

In Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, the girls often met sub rosa because they were not supposed to read and discuss books.

Sub rosa simply means "under the rose" in New Latin.  Since ancient times, the rose has been associated with secrecy and confidentiality.  In Greek mythology, Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from speaking about Venus' indiscretions.  Another example of this association is that roses have often been placed over confessionals, intended as symbols that indicate confidentiality.  However, should you receive a bouquet of roses from a romantic partner, do not assume that the roses mean that your relationship is to be kept secret; more likely, your sweetie doesn't know about the connection between roses and secrets. ;)


Hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme that caters to those who enjoy discovering words.  What new words have you encountered recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: New Words for a New Year

It was tough to start the new year without my daily fix of new words!  I was happy to receive the new 365 New Words-a-Year calendar that I'd ordered from Amazon.  I can always rely on finding a few good words from the calendar to feature in Wondrous Words Wednesday.  Below (alow?) are three words from the beginning of my 2013 calendar.






1. alow: below

Jay went alow to see if he could find more drinks for the hard-working crew. 

A nautical term, "alow" means "in or to a lower part of the vessel",  indicating the deck or the area of the rigging closest to the deck.  The opposite of "alow" is the more frequently used word, "aloft", used to refer to a higher part of the ship.

"Someone's turned the chest out alow and aloft."
~ Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson

The expression "alow and aloft" refers to the upper and lower parts of a ship, but can also be used in a more general sense to mean completely or thoroughly.



2. ekphrasis: a literary description of or commentary on a visual work of art

The art history student was required to write an ekphrasis on Picasso's painting Guernica, which depicts the tragedies of war and the tremendous suffering it causes.

Guernica, courtesy of Wikipedia

I encountered a variation of this word before, when I read and reviewed an arresting collection of flash fiction inspired by various works of art, We Bury the Landscape by Kristine Ong Muslim.  I featured the word here in order to employ this term, and to make it more permanent in my memory.



3. WYSIWYG:  a display generated by word-processing or desktop publishing software that exactly reflects the appearance of the printed document; acronym for "what you see is what you get"

We made the pamphlet using a simple WYSIWYG program.

Originally used by advertisers to indicate that a deal was honest and straightforward, today computer users use this term to describe software that accurately reflects the appearance of the finished product. This is obviously very helpful.  Sometimes I wish previews of my blog posts were more identical to the actual posts, especially in regards to spacing issues.


Hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is one of my favorite memes.  What new words have you discovered recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: Last Words for 2012

A new word a day keeps the boredom at bay!  Once again, the words featured here are from my 365 New Words-a-Year calendar (which I need to replace soon).


1. sirenian:  an aquatic mammal (such as a manatee) with large forelimbs, no hind limbs, and a flat tail

Mrs. Fisher's third grade class was fascinated by the oddly shaped sirenians at the aquarium.

Manatee photo courtesy of Wikipedia

I wouldn't have guessed that sirenian is a noun--it sounds more like an adjective to me because of the "ian".  Wikipedia lists this word as 'sirenia', and then states that 'sirenian' is also used.  These sea creatures are considered to be the basis of the myth of mermaids.  Sirenian traces back via Latin to the Greek seiren, although modern sirenians differ from sirens, and don't resemble the half bird, half woman creatures who lured sailors to their doom with their irresistibly sweet singing. 

2. mansuetude:  the quality or state of being gentle; meekness or tameness

The mansuetude of the large basketball player surprised us all at the dinner party; he was a gentle giant.   

I'm still a bit surprised at the definition (you could have some fun using this word incorrectly).  But the word derives from the Latin verb mansuescere, which means "to tame", so the definition makes sense.


3. annus mirabilis: wonderful year

This is the final word for 2012 in my calendar.  I hope the past year has been an annus mirabilis, overall, for my readers.

The "year of wonders" to British poet John Dryden was 1666, due to the British naval victory over the Dutch and the great London fire, and he titled his 1667 poetic review of 1666 "Annus Mirabilis".


Hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, Wondrous Words Wednesday is the superlative meme for word sleuths and wordsmiths.  What new words have you discovered recently?

Wondrous Words Wednesday: More Daily Words

If you want to give your brain a mini workout, Wondrous Words Wednesday, hosted by Kathy from BermudaOnion's Weblog, is a marvelous meme to participate in.  It leads you to all kinds of word discoveries, and makes you think about words in a more profound way.

I haven't had as much time to enjoy books lately because of the holidays.  Consequently, the first two words I've selected to highlight today are from my 365 New Words-a-Year calendar, and the third is from a new-to-me word site.

1. niveous:  of or relating to snow; resembling snow (as in whiteness); snowy

This word isn't used much today, except in spelling bees or word games, but I hope you'll enjoy these niveous photos from a few years ago.

Jenny

In loving memory of Jenny

Cuyamaca snow scene

2. shank's mare:  one's own legs

I jumped ahead in my calendar a few days for this word, because I think it's a great expression to know--and put into practice.  It dates back to the days before the invention of the automobile, when horses were the preferred mode of transportation.  The "shank" part of the expression refers to the lower leg.

The next time I want to take a walk, I may surprise my companion and suggest that we travel by shank's mare to our destination.



3. kiasu:  (adjective) afraid to lose; (noun) a fear of losing used to describe a person who's overly competitive

Sometimes I suspect that some of the people I play Words with Friends with are kiasu, and will do anything to win.

This word is the word-of-the-day from Wordnik, a wonderful word site I've recently discovered.



Wondrous Words Wednesday is the perfect meme for wordies or wordsmiths.  What new word discoveries have you made recently?