A Word (and a Book) for Wednesday

 


ynecdoche: (pronounced si-nek-duh-kee) a part of speech in which a part is used for the whole, or the whole for a part

As in: Author of Poser: my life in twenty-three yoga poses, Claire Dederer, describing her escape from the house to practice yoga: "I left them food as though it were a piece of me. Synecdoche: a part representing the whole.  A sail representing a fleet.  A crown representing a king.  A chicken representing a mother."

I recently found this book while searching for books on yoga.  I quite enjoyed it, as evidenced by my reading it in 2 days.  Very poignant for a mother of babes just starting out in the world of yoga.

My 2014 goals include attending as many yoga classes as I can fit into my schedule.  I just feel too damn good afterwards to not.  While practicing yoga, I want to also learn more of its history and teachings.

Any yogic-friends have recommendations that aren't too incredibly heady?  I'm thinking maybe this or this.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday: Ethos

thos: the fundamental character or spirit of a culture


As in: (from Denby's review of new movie, American Hustle): "Like “Goodfellas,” this movie uses voice-over to swing us into the action, offering first Irving’s view of the world, then Sydney’s, then the two in alternation, as the characters expound on their up-from-the-bottom ethos of survival."

This review of American Hustle by David Denby of The New Yorker gets me more than a little excited to experience this film.  I am already a little swoony over Jennifer Lawrence these days, after her impeccable performance in Catching Fire.  And really, I've loved her since witnessing her humility and humor at this year's Oscars.

Can't wait to see this:

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


lake: to allay (thirst) by satisfying

via here

As in: "We slake our thirst, let the warm water pour over our itching bodies."  I read this line in Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, last night, and was struck by the word.  I'd never heard it before.

The hubs and I are going on a 5-year-anniversary-date this Saturday evening.  First stop, the early showing of Catching Fire, the movie, then on to Cellar on Greene for drinks and dinner. I was a bit slow to the Hunger Games party, but I am hooked now and can't wait to see this!

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.
Definition via dictionary.com.

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A Word for Wednesday

orosity:  the state or quality of being porous.

As in: "I love the rain. I love when we haven't seen a drop in weeks and then it arrives with fury. The porosity of the soil can't keep pace.  I love existing in it."  This is a quote from this post by this amazing blogger, whom I love reading.  Her writing is exquisite.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

Definition via here.

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A Word for Wednesday (makes a comeback!)

Just checked, and it's been over a year since I did one of these posts...here goes:


 


indie: indie music for kids


As in: Lunch Money is definitely my favorite kindie band.  It's kid-music for people who hate kid-music. 

my family's favorite Lunch Money album, Spicy Kid

By the way, Lunch Money is doing this really cool puppet-musical thing called Planet Hopping at the Harbison Theatre at Midlands Technical College in Columbia on November 15th and 16th.  Sounds pretty rad.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.
Definition via Urban Dictionary.

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A Word for Wednesday

ealty: fidelity to a lord; faithfulness


I heard this word while watching Season 4 of True Blood last night.  It's out on Netflix now, and as reluctant as I was to start watching this series, I have to admit that I am so excited to be back in the midst of some crazy/sexy vampire drama!  Truly a guilty pleasure.

image via here

I think this season, my fealty may be to Eric Northman.  Sigh.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.
Definition via here.

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A Word for Wednesday

chadenfreude: satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune
(The word's origin is German; it's a combination of the German words for harm + joy).

Never in my life had I heard this word until last Friday night while watching Avenue Q, off-Broadway in New York City.  Pretty funny show, by the way.  There is an entire song about schadenfreude: (warning--it's not exactly a very kind or child-friendly song, but funny).

image via here

Then, not 2 days later, I read the word in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.  Here's the NY Times review of the award-winning book--I quite like it so far.

Has that ever happened to you?  You hear or read a word for the first time, then promptly hear or read it again and again?  I kind of love that phenomenon...and try to read some deeper meaning in it...I'm kinda romantic/superstitious like that...

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


ejune: lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed

As in: a line from the NY Times' review of Joan Didion's A Year of Magical Thinking: "Hard sweet wisdom.  That 'hard sweet wisdom'-the literary critical phrase that once seemed strong- after experience feels jejune."

Read the entire book review here.  If you haven't read the book, you should.  It is an emotional and very visceral account of the grief the author feels following her husband's sudden death.  Not an overly sad or sentimental book, just a very real account of grief by a very smart and sad woman.

image via here

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

isyphean: a task or labor that is unavailing; endless; (of or pertaining to Sisyphus)


In Greek mythology, Sisyphus, was a hubristic (another great word) king whose ultimate punishment was having to roll an immense boulder up a hill, only to have it roll back down before reaching the top and to repeat this throughout eternity.

As heard in this Bright Eyes song, Shell Games-one I have been listening to of late:


Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

definition via here

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A Word (kinda) for Wednesday

 


xford comma: "The 'Oxford comma' is an optional comma before the word 'and' at the end of a list:

We sell books, videos, and magazines.

It's known as the Oxford comma because it was traditionally used by printers, readers, and editors at Oxford University Press.  Not all writers and publishers use it, but it can clarify the meaning of a sentence when the items in a list are not single words:

These items are available in black and white, red and yellow, and blue and green."

definition via here

So, it's not so much a word, but an actual thing...something I personally believe in and use implicitly. 

their eponymous first album, image via here

Oxford Comma is also the name of a song by Vampire Weekend, a band that has been around for a hot minute, but to whom I just started listening.  I am really loving their sound, especially the song Horchata, from their new album, Contra--it has been stuck in my head for days.



So, do you use the Oxford comma?  Do you like Vampire Weekend?
XO, Happy Wednesday!

Daily Drop Cap by Darren Booth, for Jessica Hische

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A Word for Wednesday

etulant: moved to impatient irritation over a trifling annoyance


As in: Bill Compton's description of his newly-made vampire, Jessica: "She's petulant, dangerous, and scared."

image via here

I heard this word last night while watching our newest Netflix guilty pleasure, True Blood.  James is a long-time sci-fi/vampire/zombie- lover, but I started watching this show very reluctantly...and now I'm hooked.  It's addictively funny and clever. 

Biding our time until the final season of Entourage is released, and the next season of Californication--my other two Netflix guilty pleasures.  What shows do you watch--any recommendations?


Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


audlin: overly emotional; foolishly sentimental

As in: Grey, damp Fall weather makes me want to listen to music that's a bit maudlin.  Ryan Adams, Adele, Ray LaMontagne, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes are all on my Pandora Radio this week.

image via here

The amazingly maudlin Ryan Adams has a new album coming out next month, Ashes & Fire.  Love him.

Do you have any other suggestions for maudlin, grey-skies music?

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


entient: conscious; having the power of perception by the senses; understanding, cognizant

image via here

Sentient was an answer on Jeopardy College Week last night.  Don't you just LOVE College Week on Jeopardy?  Ok, for sure, it's not as easy as High School Week, but the categories are typically more playful and college-age-driven...

Update--I can now watch Jeopardy again!  Joy.  On the recommendation from many of you, James and I now have a TV converter, (rabbit ears and all), and we get all local channels, plus the Weather channel, and CW for free :)

Definition via dictionary.com
Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


nit: an agitated or irritated state

I discovered this word by trying it in a game of Words With Friends last night, and it worked!  I wasn't entirely sure of what it meant, but I had an idea. 

It makes me think of the word "twit," and when used to describe how someone looks, as in "she looks as if she's in a snit," then it makes me think of the mean step-sisters in Cinderella.

image via here

And there, my friends, is the strange free-association that goes on in my brain sometimes.  You're welcome.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.
Definition via dictionary.com.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


aner: one who works with cane; especially in canework for chairs

Never heard this word before, but it was just used against me in a game of Words With Friends on my phone (Droid).  (Well played, Matt).

image via here

Have you played this yet?  It's like Scrabble. Just downloaded it last night and I am addicted.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday- (and a Plan)

 


alaise: lethargy

I heard this word spoken by a SportsSouth commentator last night while watching the USC baseball game vs.UNC Asheville.  Basically, the commentator said "there is no malaise among the USC players due to the fact that they have such a wide breadth of talent on the team; they are constantly jockeying for position."
USC won that game and are currently ranked #3 in the nation.  Here's to another World Series run :)

As for the aforementioned plans...I am going out tonight!  My sister, a friend, and I are going to eat Mexican food at our local Eric's San Jose and then go to the movies, (which I haven't done since before the baby was born), to see Something Borrowed.



Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


ilious: irritable; cranky; extremely unpleasant or distasteful  (of or pertaining to bile)

What a descriptive word, right?  And one I was not familiar with...I came across this word when reading Girls of Riyadh by Rajaa al-Sanea.

image via here

My cousin, who is majoring in Middle Eastern Studies at USC, recommended the book after reading it for a class.  I have only read a chapter so far, but it's interesting so far.

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische
Definition by dictionary.com

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A Word for Wednesday

ecund: producing or capable of producing offspring, fruit, vegetation, etc., in abundance


I watched The Kids Are All Right last night and loved it.  Julianne Moore's character, Jules, uses the word fecund to describe her landscape plan: "overgrown and lush, untamed; fecund."  




Love Julianne Moore and love this word.


Definition via dictionary.com
Daily Drop Cap by Friends of Type via here.

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A Word for Wednesday

 

isillusion: to free from or deprive of belief or idealism



As in: I am feeling extremely disillusioned with SC politics and our state's constituency today.  Sheheen ran a great race in this red state of ours.  At best I feel Haley will be ineffective and nothing will change; at worst, I fear she will cut basic services to the bone and education, social services, environment, the working poor, you name it will suffer terribly...

I am also super-sad about the Penny Tax not being passed- I dearly hope another way is found to keep our bus system running- even if you don't depend on the buses, there are plenty of working poor people that do.

Brad Warthen, SC political pundit and blogger, summed up thoughts on the SC election eloquently here.

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A Word for Wednesday

 


erisive: contemptuous or mocking; characterized by or expressing derision

As in: I am so tired of hearing the derisive remarks that the political candidates are making about each other--thanks goodness election day is less than a week away!

**This Word for Wednesday is for my cousin, Justin--we heard this word used while watching an episode of Parenthood, and agreed it was a good word, but couldn't quite put our fingers on the definition...

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische.
Definition from here.

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