Flummox

The word I want to share with you this week is flummox [fluhm-uh ks], a verb that means "to bewilder; confound; confuse". I like how the word sounds -- and it is fun to say! Here are a few sentences I came up with using this week's word:

She quickly rattled off the directions to her house, 

leaving me completely flummoxed.

Said the magician to his assistant, 

"This trick will really flummox the audience!"

Please don't use all that jargon that I'm not familiar with -- 

it will only flummox me.

How would you use the word flummox? I'd love to read your sentences! Please feel free to share them with me. :)

Powerful things.

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     But Peter's word lists were not just scribbles. Words, Peter learned, were powerful things. And when he put them in long, neat rows, he felt as if the world itself clicked into order.

~ from The Right Word: 

Roget and His Thesaurus,

written by Jen Bryant

Words are very powerful things indeed. Can you think of words -- something you've heard or read or even said -- that have made a difference in your life or the world around you?

Algid and Gelid

This week seems like an appropriate time to share two words -- two synonyms -- that I learned recently. The first is algid [al-jid], an adjective that means "cold, chilly". The second is gelid [jel-id], another adjective that means "very cold, icy, or frosty". I've written a few sample sentences using these words:

It has been positively algid 

here this week. (True story!)

Penguins would love this gelid weather.

I love snow, but I don't like 

the algid temperatures that accompany it.

I'd much rather drink a mug of hot cocoa today

 than a gelid glass of water.

Do you like it when it's algid and gelid outside? How would you use these two words?

Binturong

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Have you ever heard of a binturong [bin-too r-awng]? A binturong is an animal, a kind of civet that lives in the trees of South and Southeast Asia and has a long, prehensile tail. My family and I love to watch the binturongs at our zoo, especially my son, Nick. It's Nick's 17th birthday today, and in honor of that, binturong is our word of the week. I wrote a few sentences using the word:

Binturongs are also called bearcats.

Binturongs smell like popcorn. 

(Really, they do!)

The binturong walked across the log 

like an acrobat on a tightrope.

How would you use the word binturong? Are there any unusual animals that you like to watch at the zoo?

Reminisce

This week's word is reminisce [rem-uh-nis], a verb meaning "to recall past experiences, events, etc." Here are a few examples I wrote, using the word of the week:

I love to reminisce about good times

 in my past. (True story.)

New Year's Eve is the perfect time to reminisce 

about the last twelve months.

When I get together with old friends, 

we often reminisce about things we did years ago.

Do you like to reminisce? How would you use the word in a sentence?

All Aboard for Christmas Tales!

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I love Christmas stories -- all kinds -- and have a large collection of them. I've shared most of my collection in previous posts. (See the links at the bottom of this post.) This year I went looking for Christmas books at our local library. Here are a few of the tales that I really enjoyed and wanted to share with you:

Picture books:

It's Christmas,

written and illustrated by Tina Burke, 2006

It's that time of year again. Burke describes (and illustrates) some of the joys of the holiday season in this sweet little book.

***

A Star So Bright:

A Christmas Tale,

written by M. Christina Butler

and illustrated by Caroline Pedler, 2007

On each page of this book, different animals see a bright star in the sky. The star (shown through a cut-out in the paper) grows larger with every page turn, and we, the readers, get closer to the manger highlighted by the star. Butler's rhyming text is enhanced by Pedlar's charming illustrations.

***

Christmas Wombat,

written by Jackie French

and illustrated by Bruce Whatley, 2011

A very silly carrot-loving wombat hitches a ride on Santa's sleigh and discovers that there are many, many carrots in the world. This story kept me laughing out loud with each turn of a page. When I finished reading it, I immediately handed it off to my boys (almost 17 and 10), who were equally amused! I just might need to buy this one to add to my collection. :)

***

Christmas is Coming,

written by Anne Bowen

and illustrated by Tomek Bogacki, 2007

Throughout the holiday season, Anna tells her baby brother about the various signs that Christmas is coming -- the first snow, the lights, the tree, and more.  On Christmas Day she is very excited by the gifts that Santa has brought, but looking at her baby brother she suddenly realizes that he is the very best Christmas present of all.

***

One Snowy Night, 

written by M. Christina Butler

and illustrated by Tina Macnaughton, 2004

Father Christmas gives Little Hedgehog a red wooly hat to keep him warm. The hat ends up warming the hearts of all of Little Hedgehog's friends -- and turns out to be the perfect gift. This cute "Touch-and-Feel Book" allows readers to feel the soft red hat.

***

Snowed Under

and Other Christmas Confusions,

written and illustrated by Serge Bloch, 2011

This book is filled with idioms, Christmas-related and otherwise, along with humorous illustrations that interpret those idioms literally. Bloch uses phrases like "deck the halls", "tied up in knots", and "red-handed" to tell his tale of a family getting ready for Christmas.

***

The Little Fir Tree,

written by Margaret Wise Brown

and illustrated by Jim Lamarche, 1954 (text),
2005 (illustrations)

Although this has the same title as Hans Christian Andersen's famous tale, Brown's The Little Fir Tree is a completely different story -- one that is heartwarming, not depressing like Andersen's. A little fir tree grows alone in a field, wishing he could be part of the forest... or at least part of something. One winter day a man finds the tree. He digs the tree up and brings him to share with a special boy and to be part of a great Celebration.

***

Lighthouse Christmas,

written by Toni Buzzeo

and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, 2011

Frances, Peter, and Papa recently moved to a lighthouse island off the coast of Maine and Frances is feeling lonely. Now a big storm is keeping even the supply boats away. Will it keep Santa away as well?

This engaging story is inspired by a true Christmas tradition, the Flying Santa Service.

***

December,

written by Eve Bunting

and illustrated by David Diaz, 1997

Simon and his mother are celebrating Christmas Eve in their cardboard house. They have a tiny tree and not much else, but when they meet an elderly woman with even less, they invite her in and offer to share what they have.

I love this book's vibrant illustrations and inspiring message.

***

Young adult fiction:

Let It Snow:

Three Holiday Romances,

written by John Green, Maureen Johnson,

and Lauren Myracle, 2008

This book is made up of three interconnected (and often hilarious) tales of teenage love and romance. A Christmas Eve snowstorm stops a train and transforms Gracetown into a winter wonderland. Strangers meet, old friends look at each other in a new way, and, in the midst of it all is a tiny teacup pig named Gabriel.

***

For more Christmas books, please check out my posts from previous years:

The Stories of Christmas

The Night Before

Merry Little Christmas Books

Have you read any of the books shown above? If so, what did you think of them? 

What are your favorite Christmas stories?

Logophile

This week's word is logophile [law-guh-fahyl], a noun which means "a lover of words". I only recently learned this word, but it is most definitely one I will be using from now on!

I admit this proudly: I am a logophile!

Are you?

Wassail

You may have heard the old Christmas carol, The Gloucestershire Wassail, with the chorus that goes like this:

Wassail! wassail! all over the town,

Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown;

Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;

With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee.

This week's word is wassail [wo-seyl], a noun meaning "a salutation wishing health to a person" or the name of a drink at festivities, especially spiced ale. In addition, wassailing is another word for caroling house to house.

Our local high school choir performs a Madrigal Celebration every December. At one point during the show, all of the guests are given a cup of warm wassail (not ale, but rather a mixture of apple cider and orange juice) to toast to the king and queen while the choir students sing The Gloucestershire Wassail. It's always a fun part of the holiday season for me! :)

Here are some examples I came up with, using this week's word:

When I was younger, 

I loved wassailing with my friends 

at Christmastime! (True story.)

Please pass the wassail.

Wassail to you!

Have you ever tasted wassail or gone wassailing? How would you use the word in a sentence?

Convivial

The word I want to share with you this week is convivial [kuh n-viv-ee-uh l], an adjective that means "friendly", "agreeable" and also  "merry company" or "festive". I think it is an appropriate word for the holiday season. :) 

Here are a few examples I came up with using the word:

She is so convivial, it's contagious!

Lights, decorations, gifts, fun movies, delicious food... 

the holidays always make me feel convivial.

With his twinkling eyes, big smile, distinctive laugh, 

and heart of gold, Santa Claus is the 

epitome of a convivial soul.

What ways can you think of to use the word convivial?

Myriad

The word I want to share with you this week is myriad [mir-ee-uh d], a noun meaning "a countless or extremely great number of persons or things". (It can also specifically mean "ten thousand", a fact I didn't know before looking up the definition for this post!) Here are some sample sentences I wrote using the word:

I am thankful for a myriad of blessings.

I love to lie on the ground at night, 

gazing up at the myriad of stars shining above me.

My yard is covered with a myriad of colorful leaves.

How would you use myriad in a sentence?

Otiose

This week's word is otiose [oh-shee-ohs]. This is a new word for me. I just happened to spot it on the Dictionary.com
website earlier this month. I had never seen or heard the word before and had no idea what it meant, so I decided to look it up and learn about it. It turns out that otiose is an adjective which means "being at leisure; idle". It can also mean "lazy" or "serving no practical purpose". Here are some sentences I came up with using the word:

My daughter is so busy with classes 

and work right now. She is longing for the otiose days 

of vacation and can't wait for Thanksgiving Break 

to hurry up and get here!

I love those times when I can stay in my pajamas, 

lounge on the couch with a good book, 

and just be otiose all day long.

I guess it would be otiose to ask you 

what you thought of that book, 

since you haven't even opened it yet!

Have you heard the word "otiose" before? How would you use it in a sentence?

Etymology

The word I want to talk about this week is etymology [et-uh-mol-uh-jee]. According to Wikipedia, this noun means "the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time".

Additionally, if I say "the etymology of _____" (and then fill in the blank with any word),  I'm referring to the origin of whatever word I used to fill in the blank. Here are a few examples using this week's word:

I love words and have always 

been interested in etymology.

Have you ever heard the etymology 

of the word "hippopotamus"? 

The Ancient Greek word "hippos" means "horse" 

and "potamus" means "river"... 

so "hippopotamus" means "river horse"!

Have you ever been curious about the etymology of the words you see and hear around you every day? How would you use the word of the week?

Mystery and magic...

Image courtesy of
PublicDomainPictures.net

An excerpt:

     Well-chosen words surprise readers and invite them into a poem’s “secret world”. Words can be full of mystery and magic every time you say them. They are full of beauty, meaning, and sound, and they can reveal new things about the world around you. Poets write to make these new discoveries, but they also write because of their love for words. Written on paper and shared with others, words have the power to stir our emotions and transport us to different places and times.

~ from Understanding Poetry: 

Puns, Allusions, and Other Word Secrets,

written by Jennifer Fandel

Why do I love words and poetry so much? I could take each one of the sentences from this excerpt and use it as my answer. I love the beauty of words, their sounds, the way they can surprise us or stir our emotions. I love how words are filled with mystery and magic. Do you like words, too? What do you like about them?

Mellifluous

This week's word is mellifluous [muh-lif-loo-uh s], an adjective that means sweet-sounding or "sweetly or smoothly flowing". I like to say and hear the word and think that it is, itself, mellifluous. :)

Here are a few examples I wrote, using it in a sentence:

The mellifluous tones of the handbell choir 

echoed throughout the church.

She enchanted me with her mellifluous voice.

I loved the mellifluous feel of 

the author's words in his poems.

How would you use the word mellifluous? What are some words that you like to say or hear?

Phantasm

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

I wanted to share a Halloween-related word this week, and finally decided on phantasm [fan-taz-uh m], a noun that means "an apparition or spectre". That is to say, it is a fancy word for "ghost".

Here are a couple of examples I came up with, using the word:

I think I will paint my face white, 

wrap myself up in a sheet, 

and go to the costume party as a phantasm.

Suddenly, the room turned very cold. 

I could even see my breath. The hairs 

stood up on my arms as I slowly turned around.

I stood face to face with a phantasm.

Shrieking, the phantasm flew through the 

doorway and out into the night.

How would you use the word phantasm?

Malapropism

The word for this week is malapropism [mal-uh-prop-iz-uh m]. According to Your Dictionary, the word is a noun meaning "the act of using an incorrect word in place of one that is similar in pronunciation". These mistakes often result in amusing sentences, like the following:

I'm an eternal optometrist.

Instead of: I'm an eternal optimist.

For all intensive porpoises, this is a silly sentence.

Instead of: For all intents and purposes, 

this is a silly sentence.

I resemble that remark!

Instead of: I resent that remark!

Don't take me for granite.

Instead of: Don't take me for granted.

Have you ever heard or said a malapropism that made you laugh? I'd love for you to share it here!

Galumph

This week's word is galumph [guh-luhmf], a verb that means to move along clumsily and heavily. It comes from Lewis Carroll's poem Jabberwocky (in Through the Looking Glass). Carroll made up the word, a portmanteau, by combining the words "gallop" and "triumph". Whenever I hear the word galumph, I think of Jabberwocky, especially this version of it by the Muppets ("Galumph, galumph, galumph!"):

Here are some examples I came up with using this week's word:

Whenever it rains, I like to put on my big rubber boots 

and go galumphing through the puddles on the sidewalk.

The black bear galumphed through the bushes, 

pausing every now and then to munch a few berries.

When I run, it is really more of a galumph.

How would you use galumph in a sentence?

What separates each one of us...

Photo courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net

What separates each one of us
from all the beasts and bugs and birds?
Well they have feathers, fur and wings
but we have words,
and words,
and words.

~ Karla Kuskin

I love how Ms. Kuskin says so much in just a few short lines. Reading this poem makes me smile and  feel thankful for words. :) What do you feel when you read it?

Ochre

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This week I'd like to talk about the word ochre [oh-ker], which can also be spelled ocher. (But I prefer the first spelling.) Used as a noun, ochre means "any of a class of natural earths, mixtures of hydrated oxide of iron with various earthy materials", according to Dictionary.com. I want to focus on the word as an adjective, however, and in this case it means the color of ochre -- which ranges from a pale yellow to an orangish or reddish yellow. To me, ochre seems like the quintessential color of autumn. Here are a few examples of this word in a sentence:

I love walking through the woods in the fall, 

under a blazing canopy of crimson and ochre leaves.

The field was filled with pumpkins of all sizes, 

some a deep orange, some ochre, and a few with still 

a tinge of green.

Anna pulled the bulky, ochre-colored sweater 

out of her closet. "This will be perfect for a 

chilly autumn morning," she thought.

Can you think of other things that are the color of ochre? How would you use this word?

Literally and Figuratively

This week, I have TWO words I want to talk about: literally [lit-er-uh-lee] and figuratively [fig-yer-uh-tiv-lee]. Both words are adverbs. Literally means "actually; without exaggeration or inaccuracy".

The house was literally destroyed.

If I heard the sentence above, I would assume that there had been some disaster, a fire or a tornado or something similar, and that there was little to nothing left of the house.

Figuratively means the opposite: "not literally". When you are speaking figuratively, you are using a figure of speech, usually a metaphor.

Figuratively speaking, the house was destroyed.

In this sentence, I know that the house is still standing. Perhaps the children living there played baseball in the living room, knocking over lamps and furniture and accidentally smashing a window with a home run ball. Perhaps the family members were very messy and never put anything away after using it. Whatever the case, the sentence is an exaggeration. The house wasn't actually destroyed.

The house was destroyed.

With this sentence, a reader would have to look to surrounding sentences to find out if its author meant it literally or figuratively.