Wednesday, October 16, 2019

A WORD ABOUT WORDS


I fell in love with words and reading in Miss Champion’s first grade.  She taught us the sounds of all the letters and how to put them together to spell a word and how to use those sounds to read new words.  It was the most fun I had ever had in my short six years of life😊 and it opened up a whole new world for me.

Today I am an avid reader and a lover of words.  I love coming across a new word and then finding out what it means.  Mr. Webster and I have become quite good friends over the years! 



I thought for this post I would share with you some of the LOVELY WORDS that I have collected over the years.  Some you have probably heard before, some may be new for you; but I think you will agree they roll off the tongue delightfully😊

SERENDIPITY:

I remember learning this word in my 12th grade Literature class.  We had this little yellow book filled with words for which we had to look up the definitions and then make a sentence with them.  I still have that book!!!!

BUMBERSHOOT:
Would you believe...it's an umbrella?
The origin of this word is unknown but seems to be American and in use since the 1800s.  It sounds rather BRITISH to me; I can just hear Mary Poppins now..."I say, ole' chap...I can't find my bloody BUMBERSHOOT!"


 DEMIJOHN:
 "a jug; large bottle with a bulging body and a narrow neck "


This word originated in France in the 1700s.  (Doesn't it sound more fun than "jug"?)



SHENANIGATOR:
I really, really like this one!  It means "a person who instigates shenanigans".  Sounds like a fun person to me!!!  Guess I like it because I'm Irish and we leprechauns do like our shenanigans:)


WANDERLUST : 


Some of you may claim this one.  Maybe it came about because someone had a lust for wandering.  (Don't you just wonder where these words come from?)


CODDIWAMPLE:

 This is one of my latest discoveries and it's soooo much fun to say.  It means "to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination".  I think I would like to partake of some coddiwample...just start out with my suitcase and no particular destination in mind and see where the winds take me.



TELIOSE:


This is another new one that I learned about recently while working on a Sunday School lesson I was to teach.  It comes from the Bible's original Greek and means "spiritual maturity".  I may do a post soon on this since the lesson went really well, and I learned a lot from my study and research.


WOOLGATHERING:
Raise your hand if you have been guilty of this...yes, I see all those hands...including my own:)  This is "indulgence in aimless thought or dreamy imagining".  It's something we probably shouldn't do in a class or church, but sometimes it can be relaxing and just plain fun.  


DEJA VU:
I know you are all familiar with this one, but I just had to include it because it's always been a favorite..."the illusion of having previously experienced something actually being encountered for the first time".  I'd love to hear about your experience with that...definitely a great conversation piece.


INSOUCIANT:
This one just rolls off the tongue so smoothly.  This is an adjective that does NOT describe me, but I'm hoping it will by at least the 22nd Century!!!





MERAKI:
"to do something with soul, creativity, or love; when you leave a piece of yourself in your work"   This one is a brand new one for me; I just learned it today.  And yet, I know it was a part of me for 40 1/2 years.  I was a teacher all those many years.  I loved it, and I loved all the students that I taught.  I can honestly say that I believe know that I left a piece of myself in each and every day that I was privileged to be called an educator.



I have many other WORDS in my collection, but I don't want this to get too WORDY...(pun intended)!!!!  So...do you have any favorite WORDS?  I'd love to hear about them, and maybe even see how smoothly they can roll off my tongue.

WORD  BLANKET

I cover myself with a blanket of words.
I quilted each consonant into this cloth.
Each vowel is keeping me warm.
Words to remember...read, write.
I'm pulling my word blanket up to my chin.
I'm sleeping with words.
Good night.

                                    ---by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater











          







32 comments:

  1. My Mother always said Bumbershoot and shananigans so I got a good chuckle out of this post!! Thanks for bring back some memories!!
    Hugs,
    Deb

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    1. Debbie, I have to say those are two of my very favorites:) Glad I could bring a smile to your face!

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  2. This as such a fun read, Cheri, I too was taught to sound out words and have always enjoyed reading, though now with so much busyness, i find it harder to take the time, to
    read as much as I would like.
    I indeed learned some new words today, thank you for sharing.
    I also read your last post on lessons from a donkey, and enjoyed it so much. Having 8 donkeys here on the farm I certainly agree with these lessons, they have taught me so much about life and how to deal with situations.
    Thank you for your years of service in teaching, a sacrificial and noble calling indeed!
    Blessings,
    Sue

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    1. Sue, thanks for such a nice comment. What fun those 8 donkeys must be!!!! But now some advice...slow down and take some time to enjoy reading again:)

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  3. I saw some I knew, some I did not and some I have loved forever. Words are so important and how we use them are even more so. Nice post.

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    1. Oh, you are so very right! Words can be so powerful...in both positive and negative ways. I talk to my grandchildren all the time about making sure their words lift others up and never tear anyone down. Right now in our country, there seem to be a lot of people (politicians especially) who need to MIND THEIR WORDS!!!

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  4. Isn't is wonderful that there are SO many words to learn. Thanks for sharing these words with us! Have a blessed day dear friend, HUGS!

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    1. I've always liked being a lifelong learner...so much to know, so little time to learn:)

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  5. Well, what an interesting post! I had heard of about 1/2 of these and enjoyed reading about the others. Happy weekend!

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    1. Thanks, Lea. I very much enjoyed your post too. Always fun learning new things about "new friends."

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  6. I am like you- I LOVE words. My father taught English lit- at Penn State-years and years before I was born. I went to school being able to read simple words and write a bit. I have a life long love of learning..especially new worlds. xo Diana

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    1. My high school Enlish/English Lit. teacher really encouraged my writing. I am so thankful to her. I hope to always be a life-long learner and have a good mind that can still absorb new words and new learning!!! Of course, I am not as sharp as I used to be:(

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  7. Learned a few new words today! Some of these I did already know. Jack always calls an umbrella a bumpershoot! So funny! I've had a few occasions where Deja vu was felt. Now with Meraki I think in my work in surgery folks usually leave me with a piece of them! Ha! Although I do love my job and I always pray for the patients before each surgery. I hope that leaves a piece of love from me to them. Thanks for the words today! I hope you a have a lovely Sunday!

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    1. Oh, Yaya! That is so awesome that you pray for your patients. Wish all drs. and nurses would do that. What a blessing that must be for those undergoing the knife!

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  8. Hello there Sweet Tea Sister, so glad to meet you and glad you stopped by and left me a comment! I'm enjoying your blog here especially the post about the Valley Girls. I'm so so sorry for the loss of your sweet friend and I hope the fun memories will bring you some smiles and some comfort. Hope your Fall is going great. It's finally cooling a little here, easier to enjoy Fall. Stop by often, so we can get to know each other, K?

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    1. Oh, thank you so much for stopping by and for your thoughtful comment about the loss of my friend. Sure am missing her.

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  9. Nice post...and yes, I gather a lot of wool. I think it clogs up my brain though! haha...

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    1. You made me laugh out loud!

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    2. Laughter...it is an amazing thing! I love it. It is healing. I make sure that I laugh often, out loud and hard! In reply to your comment on my blog...DO NOT tell hubby that I am the reason for your starting another collection!! haha. I started on the key rings cause they don't take up room when traveling. HOWEVER my mistake was asking people to get me one when they went places I did not think I would ever go! My key ring collection GREW...and fast. The pic I posted is not near what I have!!

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  10. Hello Cheri! I just saw that you visited my blog, "Closed Doors, Open Windows", and I had to come over and meet you and find out more about you! I love that you love words...I do too. I am sure we will discover more things in common as we get better acquainted here. Thank you for visiting...and now you have gained a new "follower". Have a blessed day!

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    1. So glad you came by and that you are a follower:)

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  11. Hi...great post! Happy to hear you are enjoying your whisk - I also have one and love the size. Weather is turning cold in NY (times like this I wish I lived in the south!

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    1. Although I get really, really tired of the high summer temps here, I'm sure I'd be just as unhappy with cold, cold temps!!! Does that mean I'm hard to satisfy..lol???

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  12. What a fun post! I learned a few new words today. They are all fun. I recently learned the word Ekah which is your own declarations of "how" in the context of lamenting...it's complicated but kind of like "How could you....or "how could this happen?" I am still learning it about it from a book I am reading. I really enjoyed reading your post and your blog is so cute!

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    1. I will have to do some research on EKAH:) Thank you for your sweet comment about my blog! Please come back again:)

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  14. I love words, as a writer, as someone who gives speeches and as a storyteller. I relate to words better than I relate to pictures and they stick with me. It doesn't surprise me that you are an avid fan as well!! :)

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    1. I do love pictures too, but words can be so much fun and so interesting:) Thankfully blogging gives me a chance to use both!

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  15. Once we learned to read, there was no stopping us. We lived in a very old house. There was a long and wide hall leading to the bathroom. That's where my mother placed the book case with a set of encyclopedia, a few dictionaries and world atlas. All three of us kids would grab a book on our way to the john and read. My sister passed away 20 years ago, but my brother and I ageed last week that we know a whole bunch of out-of-date, fairly useless stuff.
    Also, I ready by the street light. I was scolded on a weekly basis for it. Last month, my 88 year old mother called to ask if I thought reading by the street light caused my cateract.

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    1. This is such a wonderful story! You should write a post about it:)

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