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
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| 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?
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