Tag: <span>#AtoZChallenge</span>

Tenebrous Thanatopsis and Taphophile

I knew a girl named Tenebrae once. There’s an  Argento movie too.  Well that’s what she called herself. Just as I called myself Pywacket and Mr. J called himself Jaded. Those spooky people names. It was fun. Sometimes I miss it. Pywacket was nice, then mean,then nice again. I threw …

Oh Virtus Sapientiae

 A number of years ago I studied medieval literature. I concentrated on women mystics of the 10th-12th centuries. I particularly enjoyed Hildegard von Bingen, Hroswitha of Gandersheim, Julien of Norwich and Margery Kemp. I spent several years listening to the music constantly–plainsongs, chants–anything to make the learning rounder, more complete. …

Rumfustian, it’s got an egg!

I dare you Rumfustian Drink Recipe recipe Ingredients 1 tsp. Sugar 2 oz. Sherry 1 cup Ale 2 Egg Yolk Lemon Peel Several cloves 2 oz.Gin cinnamon stick ground Nutmeg Instructions Beat egg yolks in a bowl with sugar. In a saucepan, bring ale, gin, sherry, cinnamon, cloves, and lemon …

Quodlibet you haven’t heard this one

Well, it’s kind of hard to title this one and I was getting tired of the Letter than word titles. Argh. So, what’s a quodlibet ? It’s a medley. Kind of. I’m writing a bit earlier tonight, which is good, to get more time to read and comment, and also …

Psychopomps , your tour guide to the land of the dead.

Psychopomp is one of my favorite P words.  A psychopomp is a guide for souls, a sort of escort for the newly deceased. If you saw The Crow (and as a former card carrying goth, of course I did, several times) then you know both the Brandon Lee character and …

Obsequious, Purple and Clairvoyant

Only one of the best songs ever. It sent me running for the dictionary. I can’t hear the word obsequious  without following it in my head, under my breath always, always with purple and clairvoyant. I was a kid when Let’s get Small    came out and I think I fell …

Neologism is the N of today

As someone who is fascinated with words and our ever changing language I not only adore the old (I’d rather use grucche for complain at certain times* it just seems better), but appreciate how the new sometimes gets its foot in the door. And after the foot, can force the …

Misogynic Women

  With the recent flap about just what a working mom is–Hillary Rosen and Ann Romney –or isn’t or what was actually said made me think about my own time working ‘in the home’ and ‘outside of the home.’ I’m not going to go over what did or didn’t happen …

A New Phobia for You: Kainotophobia is K

Kainotophobia~Fear of Change Kainolophobia~Fear of Novelty Kainophobia~ Fear of Anything New   Fear of Change. We like our habits. We like predictability. We like things the way they were, not the way they are now or how they could be. I get it. Change is hard. Personally, as someone who …

Japanophila is that which is J

I haven’t written yet about our Bean, but I want to. No this is not B for Bean or even E for Emily (what we call her when we are not able to call her Bean). This may just be the place. I’m not quite sure how it happened. When …

I is for Inumbrate

http://www.howjsay.com/index.php?word=Inumbrate <–How do you say it? This is a word I think I’m going to bring back Meaning to shade or darken. Here’s a good example:       Oh this word makes me miss my gothgirl days, for THAT would have been a word to be used as a …

H, being Hypodynamia

I am experiencing a loss of strength in several places in my life.  This is a word you can use literally, to mean what is basically the disease of modern life-being sedentary. Or you can use it more metaphorically.       Yep that is happening. It started when I …

G is for Gloaming

I was very young when I saw this on TV one night and then have watched it every time it’s come on since. I’m a sucker for old movies, especially musicals–especially Gene Kelly (who reminds me of my Dad) and Fred Astaire (who is just debonaire) I remember going to …

F is for fardel

; C’mon it’s Friday. You’ve felt it right? Is it the dishes? Is it the trash? Perhaps the laundry?Now you have a word for it, FARDAL. anything cumbersome or irksome. There’s no link for the pronunciation because it sounds a lot like fart with a d instead of T– which …

E is for EEK!

Ok, this is going to be just a bit silly. I had an exceedingly difficult day and then came home and did too many chores. So while I was perusing my list of interesting words I figured something out about E. E reminds me of Halloween and horror movies. Why? …

D is for Dudgeon (and Determination)

Tonight I’m not so terribly inspired to say much. I’m still fighting B for back pain, though it is improving. I’m getting ready to put up an ad on our local craig’s list for a trainer, I think I need one to get me going –and someone who can keep …