The word of the day this week is kind of gross. It’s SPITCHCOCK. What the heck do you think that means?
It means an eel that has been split and grilled or that has been fried. I shudder to think of eating eel anyway- and yeah, I know there are some sushi lovers out there but I can’t get past the texture myself.
Check out this awesome picture my spouse made on a hiking trip he and my son made last month. What a shot!
This week’s word is MIASMA. I’m in the process of polishing a novel I wrote last November during NaNoWriMo and part of the story takes place in a bar. I used the word miasma in one of the scenes. I love this word.
It means a highly unpleasant smell or vapor. If you’ve ever been to New Orleans and down Bourbon Street, the miasma that floats over that are is the smell of stale beer and vomit.
Today’s word is EQUALITY.
The reason I picked it is because today is the 50th anniversary of the “I Have a Dream” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. Equality means being the same. In reference to Dr. King’s speech, it relates to the same in status, rights and opportunities. I also have this dream for people of the world. Someday, maybe it will happen.
interesting tidbit- the town where Dr. King gave this speech is between Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama and in 2002, it changed its name to Equality, Alabama. How cool is that?
Today’s word is a doozy. It means a period of five years and it’s fun to day it three times fast. I dare you to do it and not giggle a little. It comes from two root words- Latin for five is quinque and for year is annus. What is the word? It’s QUINQUENNIUM.
How fun is that?
Today’s word is PACEMAKER. My father had to have one put in yesterday as the quadruple bypass he had didn’t solve all of his problems. His heart was still not up to the power level the doctor would like to see and was also not working in sync. I’m glad that pacemakers exist so that people can survive longer than in the past.
A pacemaker is an artificial device to regulate the heart and its contractions. I’m thankful to whomever invented this device.
Today’s word is HEIFER. A heifer is a young female cow who has not borne a calf. Here in the south, we use this word as a pejorative when we’re trying our best not to call someone a bad word. I’m kind of sorry for the poor cows but I use the word all the time. Sadly, my most prevalent use lately has been in reference to an old, hateful woman as opposed to a young cow. I have a feeling she was just as bad as a young one, too.
I read this book in one afternoon. It was a great little story about a young Victorian era girl who believes that Sherlock Holmes is her father. She travels to London with her cousin to hire him when the cousin’s secret letters are stolen and she becomes the victim of an extortion scheme.
Upon arrival, the heroine is shocked to learn that Mr. Holmes has died in the Rickenbach Falls adventure. She meets his former apprentice and the adventure begins. She goes in disguise to an estate in the country in order to find the culprit and also gets involved in a missing person case.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was atmospheric and well written. I did figure out whodunit before the protagonists but I usually do in these kinds of books. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment though.
I recommend this as a fun, quick read.
An INSELBERG is an isolated hill or mountain rising from a plain. It comes from the German words for island and mountain. Insel is island and berg is mountain so it seems that the word is perfect for that large uprising in the ground that seems to come from nowhere.
I’m reminded a bit of the mesa that was in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Are you?
Today’s word is EXHAUSTED . I think we all know what that one means. In case you don’t, here are some synonyms:
spent
pooped
weary
dead-tired
tired
drained
done in
kaput
frazzled
wiped out
depleted
done
fatigued
dogged out
Anyway, you get the idea, right? Just call me Mrs. Roget like my paralegal does. Have synonym, will travel.
Ramblings of a Writer 