Category Archives: Words

\KIZ-met; -mit\ , noun; 1.Destiny; fate. I remember trying to memorize this word for AP English.  “They kissed when they met…it was kismet.”  This is unrealistic, unless it is on Jersey Shore, then it is not fate, but a display of having a dysfunctional relationship with parents at a young age and searching for “love” in allContinue reading “kismet.”

\ CHOR-tl \  , transitive and intransitive verb; 1.To utter, or express with, a snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle. noun: 1.A snorting, exultant laugh or chuckle. A simple chortle can help one fall in love or stay out of love for a while.  Some chortles are so endearingly contagious, you long to be around them.  Others may make you realize you could not spend the rest of your life paying a mortgage with a chortle like that. Continue reading “chortle.”

\ BAY-luh-wik \  , noun; 1.A person’s specific area of knowledge, authority, interest, skill, or work. 2.The office or district of a bailiff. My bailiwicks: Font Chooser French Presser Children’s Book Critiquer Commercial Analyzer Peanut Butter Spreader Hula Hooper Not sure where these will get me in life.

\ INK-horn \  , adjective; 1.Affectedly or ostentatiously learned; pedantic. noun: 1.A small bottle of horn or other material formerly used for holding ink. My buddy, Dirk, and I had a long running competition on who could use the Word of the Day in conversation the most.  “Inkhorn” was the word years back.  That evening, I was schmoozing with folks at the Refuge, and I heard Dirk from across the room, “well the other dayContinue reading “inkhorn.”

\ loo-kyoo-BRAY-shun; loo-kuh- \  , noun; 1. The act of studying by candlelight; nocturnal study; meditation. 2. That which is composed by night; that which is produced by meditation in retirement; hence (loosely) any literary composition. I spent the weekend with two dear friends from college.  Now that I’m working on my college campus, I reminisce often, but being with them makes the memories come back in large doses.  I have a handful of lucubration memories.  But most are of avoiding the lucubration.  They’re about blowing out theContinue reading “lucubration.”

\ in-VAY-guhl; -VEE- \  , transitive verb; 1.To persuade by ingenuity or flattery; to entice. 2.To obtain by ingenuity or flattery. I was blinded by your beauty so I’m going to need your name and number for insurance reasons. If I received a nickel for every time I saw someone as beautiful as you, I’d only have five cents. If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put ‘U’ and ‘I’ together. Let’sContinue reading “inveigle.”

\ FIL-uh-math \  , noun; 1.A lover of learning; a scholar. 12:45-1:00 Little Waddler is napping and his dad goes to pick up the little Philomath from school.  So for now it’s me, my hot decaf soy latte that serves as lunch, and the book Madeline.  I put Madeline’s adventures on hold so I can pick up 10 toys, with hopes that maybe theContinue reading “philomath.”

\ ey-KLAH \  , noun; 1.Brilliance of success, reputation, etc. 2.Showy or elaborate display. 3.Acclamation; acclaim. Maya Angelou brought her eclat to the ‘jewel of the Blue Ridge,’ Madison County.  She was not showy, but a stunning sort of brilliant.  Her reputation brought a reverent silence over the auditorium.  She spoke, we listened.  She joked, we laugh.  She was honest, we cried.  I feel honored to haveContinue reading “eclat.”

 \ GUHNG-HO \  , adjective; 1.Wholeheartedly enthusiastic and loyal; eager; zealous. 2.In a successful manner. I was watching the cute lil waddler yesterday.  At age one, he is completely gung-ho about bouncy balls, tennis balls, wiffle balls, etc.  We were rolling the tennis ball around, once we got it from the dog, who is also gung-ho about them, and we lost it under the dresser.  I grabbedContinue reading “gung-ho.”

 \ HOM-uh-graf \  , noun; 1.A word of the same written form as another but of different meaning, whether pronounced the same way or not. I approached the Outback Steakhouse entrance before close.  I was under the entrance of the Chocolate Thunder From Down Under.  I was so close, they barely sat me at a table.  In fact, the hostess said I might’ve set a record, and she wrote it down to record it.  I practically doveContinue reading “homograph.”