Author Archives: bethoffreshair

\ kon-san(g)-GWIN-ee-us \  , adjective; 1.Of the same blood; related by birth; descended from the same parent or ancestor. Thanksgiving is a great day to enjoy your consanguineous family.  Today’s our first Thanksgiving without Grandma.  Just the slight thought of it makes us emotional.  It’s funny how little things stick out as big gems.  Grandma with her watered down white zinfandel, asking John ‘to get over here and carve this turkey’, andContinue reading “consanguineous.”

\ WEEL \ , noun; 1.Well-being, prosperity, or happiness. 2.A raised mark on the surface of the body produced by a blow. 3.(Obsolete:) the state or body politic. My legs are sore and my hat smells like the campfire.  Both are signs of pure weal from the weekend.  I close my eyes and can see the rolling mountains of the Blue Ridge in view from the peak of Big Hump.  The fresh crisp air of 32 degrees wasContinue reading “weal.”

 \ id-ee-uh-GLOS-ee-uh \  , noun; 1.A private form of speech invented by one child or by children who are in close contact, as twins. 2.A pathological condition in which a person’s speech is so severely distorted that it is unintelligible. I have the most incredible twin brother known to any twin sister or twin brother out there.  Not just because he has the sweetest pumpkin of a dog, or because he leaves the best rambling voicemails, but also because of our idioglossia.  What a lucky girl I am to have him.  IContinue reading “idioglossia.”

\ ih-MEND \ , verb; 1.To free from faults or errors; correct. 2.To edit or change a text. I’d like to emend the misconception of “cafeteria food”.  It’s 2010 and steaks are being grilled.  In a cafeteria near you. I’d love to emend the “you’re 25 and should be dating or close to marriage or having children by now” misconception.  It’s 2010 and people wait til they’ve triedContinue reading “emend.”

\ deb-uh-NAIR \  , adjective; 1.Courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm. 2.Jaunty; carefree; sprightly. The first definition of debonair was not surprising to me.   I like to put both definitions together to imagine it.  A courteous, gracious, sophisticated, charming, jaunty, carefee, and sprightly individual.  I like her/him.  I am picturing him as a man.  I picture this debonair man to have caring green eyes with specksContinue reading “debonair.”

 \ dih-MOT-ik \  , adjective; 1.Of or pertaining to the common people; popular. 2.Of or pertaining to the ordinary, everyday, current form of a language; vernacular. 3.Of, pertaining to, or noting the simplified form of hieratic writing used in ancient Egypt between 700b.c. and a.d. 500. I’ve become smitten with the small town of Marshall, NC.  It’s the town next to Mars Hill.  Which is funny, because there’s only one letter and a space different.  But the differences are actually immense.  Marshall has a hoppin’ downtown.  Live music, pumpkin ale, a river, a train, and great peanutContinue reading “demotic.”

\ UHL-ij \  , noun; 1.The amount by which the contents fall short of filling a container, as a cask or bottle. 2.The quantity of wine, liquor, or the like, remaining in a container that has lost part of its contents byevaporation, leakage, or use. 3.In rocketry, the volume of a loaded tank of liquid propellant in excess of the volume of the propellant;the space provided for thermal expansion of the propellant and the accumulation of gases evolved fromit. Excess ullage is hardly ever a good thing.  Frat Boy.  “Dude, what’s with the wak ullage on my PBR, man?  Hell no to the ullage!” Wealthy Wine Snob.  “Pardon.  Is this ullage necessary?  This merlot must breathe, but let’s not over-oxygenate it, darling.” Latte Lover.  “I’ll have a nonfat triple grandeContinue reading “ullage.”

\MOO\ , noun; 1.A pouting grimace. Any of my followers have a moue these past few days?  No WOTD wonderment?  No sign that I’d ever return?? Glad you all kept your cool.  My computer was experiencing extreme difficulties.  It sounded like a small animal had crawled inside and gnawed on important wires.  I’m not even sure ifContinue reading “moue.”

\ BROO-muhl \ , adjective; 1.Of winter. Gingerbread lattes are back at Starbucks.  The fireplace is lit at WellBred Bakery.  The coffee houses are showing signs of brumal days.  One of my fondest brumal memories consists of snowboarding, a steep Mars Hill hill, wet hair, and a dedicated teacher.  Getting your feet in and out of a snowboard to walkContinue reading “brumal.”

\ THWAWRT \, verb; 1.To oppose successfully; prevent from accomplishing a purpose. adjective: 1.Passing or lying crosswise or across; transverse. No nutritional statistic can thwart my dedication to coffee. No ‘no trespassing’ sign can thwart my desire and ability to climb a tree. No amount of miles can thwart the closeness I feel toward my twin. No frigid temperature can thwart my sledding plans on a snowy day.