Author Archives: bethoffreshair

\ haw-RIP-uh-leyt \  , verb; 1.To produce a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold, fear, etc.; goose flesh. What can cause one to horripilate? The thought of stepping on a nail and it going through your shoe. Watching Ghost Hunters in the dark. Knowing you can win the card game at your next turn, but the person in front of you goes out, and wins the last brownie in the box.Continue reading “horripilate.”

\ BREY-zuhn \  , adjective; 1.Shameless or impudent. 2.Made of brass. Brazen, Brash, and Unabashed According to Beth: Collecting money for a charity, then spending it on a giant trampoline or a mini iPod. Littering.  Especially when >50 feet from a trash receptacle. Unfolding every shirt of your desired size, then twisting them up, and stuffing them in the middle of the stack. Continue reading “brazen.”

\ GAL-uh-vant \  , verb; 1.To wander about, seeking pleasure or diversion; gad. 2.To go about with members of the opposite sex.    Yesterday was full of gallivanting.  The grocery stores were full of panicked milk and bread buyers anticipating the big snow.  We headed out to Max Patch, 4,616 ft in elevation, to sled down the mountain.  Of course we did not sled down 4,616 ft, but more like 200 ft.  200 painfulContinue reading “gallivant.”

\ FIL-ter \  , noun; 1.A magic potion for any purpose. 2.A potion, charm, or drug supposed to cause the person taking it to fall in love, usually with some specific person. I’m waiting for the big snowstorm and I’m watching Santa Clause 2.  They shouldn’t have kept making the movies because it lessens the magic of the first one.  Except, the first one was so adored by me, that I’d watch Santa Clause 4 if they continued on.  So the makers wereContinue reading “philter.”

\ ES-tuh-veyt \  , verb; 1.To spend the summer, as at a specific place or in a certain activity. 2.In zoology, to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails,insects, and small mammals. We used to estivate in the mountains of Western North Carolina.  I’ll never forget those days.  Here are some of those memories: Some things should never change.  My family should always refer to me as the “Hula Hoop Champ of ’92.”  The Reader’s Digest in the downstairs bathroom at Grandma’s should always readContinue reading “estivate.”

\HAHY-uh-lahyn\ , adjective; 1.Glassy or transparent. noun: 1.In biochemistry, a horny substance found in hydatid cysts, closely resembling chitin. adjective: 1.Of or pertaining to hyaline. noun: 1.In biochemistry, a transparent substance found in cartilage, the eye, etc., resulting from the pathological degeneration of tissue. I am sitting next to a hyaline window at Barnes and Noble.   TheContinue reading “hyaline.”

\ DAHY-vuh-geyt \  , verb; 1.To wander; stray. 2.To digress in speech.    Pirates of the Caribbean is on tv.  Rumor is the Black Pearl was anchored outside of Clearwater not too long ago.  The only kind of boat I’m any good at maneuvering is a canoe, which usually does not need an anchor, but just a rope.  “A rope walked into a bar,Continue reading “divagate.”

\ IM-pi-treyt \  , verb; 1.To entreat; ask for.    Is it too much to impetrate… For a date? A soul mate? To eat donuts and gain no weight? To sleep in but never be late? To believe in serendipitous fate?

 \ lil-i-PYOO-shuhn \  , adjective; 1.Extremely small; tiny; diminutive. 2.Trivial. Today I felt like a lillipute.  (I know this isn’t a word…but I’ve been thinking it all day.  Just de-adjectivized it.) I am now working at UNCA as well as Mars Hill.  Same thing, different days, except they don’t know that I don’t know what I’m doing…yet.  Whispered to the chef todayContinue reading “lilliputian.”

 \ OH-lee-oh \  , noun; 1.A mixture of heterogeneous elements; hodgepodge. 2.A dish of many ingredients. 3.A medley or potpourri, as of musical or literary selections; miscellany. My friend, Jenny, won the olio satchel contest of 2009.  As we were waiting for our turn to dominate the foosball table, the girls had an olio contest to see who had the most random things in their purse.  It came at a very fortunate time, for I hadn’t cleaned outContinue reading “olio.”