Category Archives: Words

\ KLAHCH \  , noun; 1.A casual gathering of people, esp. for refreshments and informal conversation. There has not been a word of the day that is so near and dear to my heart as this.  My sweet grandmother, Doris Elizabeth, introduced me to the world of coffee at a very young age.  We’d go to her house and have “coffee clutch” and gamble our pennies in a gameContinue reading “klatsch.”

dith-uh-RAM-bik\ , adjective; 1. Wildly enthusiastic. 2. Wildly irregular in form. 3. Of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a dithyramb. Origin: Dithyrambic  is ultimately from dithyrambos , a word of unknown origin but associated with Greek, meaning “a wild choric hymn, originally in honor of Dionysus.” Hey!!!!!!  Hope you’re all doing as wellContinue reading “dithyrambic.”

\EN-gram\ , noun; 1. The supposed physical basis of an individual memory in the brain. 2. A presumed encoding in neural tissue that provides a physical basis for the persistence of memory; a memory trace. I’m going to have a real hard time remembering this one.

\ ZEE-nith \  , noun; 1. A highest point or state; culmination. 2. The point on the celestial sphere vertically above a given position or observer. Opposite of nadir.   Each Christmas Eve, we attend a party held by our dear friend, a former Toronto Blue Jay manager. Coaches, announcers, and players fill the room. The same World Series ring shimmers in the light at each table as finger food is eaten.  These folks have reached the zenith of Major LeagueContinue reading “zenith.”

\ LAN-yap \  , noun; 1.A small gift given with a purchase to a customer, for good measure. 2.A gratuity or tip. 3.An unexpected or indirect benefit. I wish I would’ve known this word for my days in retail and we included something with their purchase.  I would’ve had a blast saying to customers, “Hey there.  Credit or Debit?  Thanks for coming in today, here’s your lagniappe!”  Some customers weren’t even happy with a free gift.  Downtown AshevilleContinue reading “lagniappe.”

\ kuh-LIJ-uh-nuhs \  , adjective; 1.Misty; dim; dark. Happy Winter, kind folks.  Last night was the first time since 1638 that the winter solstice happened along with a total lunar eclipse.  Mindy and I are now expressing our excitement in a situation by saying, “that’s so totally lunar!!” It was a beautiful caliginous night.  We crawled out on the roof justContinue reading “caliginous.”

\ 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.”