Category Archives: Words

\ 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.

\ en-SEYNT \ , adjective; 1.Pregnant; with child noun: 1.A wall or enclosure, as of a fortified place. In my younger days, the days of Fisher Price and OshKoshBeGosh, I imagined myself as an enceinte 22-year-old.  My blue stereo had a microphone and it got a lot of playing time as I sang every Wilson Phillips song I knew, which was all of them, to no one butContinue reading “enceinte.”

\ trep-uh-DAY-shuhn \, noun; 1.[Archaic] An involuntary trembling; quaking; quivering. 2.A state of dread or alarm; nervous agitation; apprehension; fright. Halloween is the frequent cause of trepidation.  It was for me in 4th grade.  I went to a Halloween Party for the Little Ladies Club.  Being the smallest lady in the club, I was named President.  So I attended the party, even though I heard we were going to a haunted house. Continue reading “trepidation.”

\ in-KOH-it \  , adjective; 1.In an initial or early stage; just begun. 2.Imperfectly formed or formulated. My job is still in its inchoate stage.  Not just my experience in the job, but the job position itself.  I’m the marketing director for the Dining Hall.  Keep in mind the inchoate stage…but my thinking thus far is that my marketing angle is opposite of normal business’ marketing angle.  The students purchase theirContinue reading “inchoate.”

 \ SLUHG-uh-bed \ , noun; 1.One who stays in bed until a late hour; a sluggard. I was tempted to take out the part after the semicolon in the definition.  Since a semicolon separates two complete thoughts, I could’ve.  “One who stays in bed until a late hour” makes me sigh and say Mmmm.  This morning, a Monday, a forgotten red bull, and pouring down rain, I could’veContinue reading “slugabed.”