Words

I love words.  They can be simple, such as "stuff."  I think that's a great word.  They can sound wonderful, like "prestidigitation" and "discombobulation," which I always pronounce "dis-cum-boob-u-la-tion."  They can evoke precise meanings like no other word or combination of words; think "obstreperous." They can lead us to wonder how they ever became pronounced they way they are pronounced, such as "colonel."  (And why is "colonial" pronounced so differently?)

Consider these "ough" words and say them slowly:  "thought," "cough," "rough," "though," "through," and "bough."  And there are "book," "boor," "blood," and "broom." Great!  How about "air," "err," and "heir" as well as "eight," "ait," and "ate?"

And what about c as in "chivalry," e as in "euonymus," g as in "gnaw," h as in "heir," j as in "jalapeno," k as in "knife," m as in "mnemonic," p as in "psychology," t as in "tsetse," w as in "write," and x as in "xylophone?"  There are many more, too.

One of my favorites is "sycophant."  When I pulled that one out, actually using it in a coherent sentence, Karen and Carrie made fun of it (or was it me?) and tied it to "elephant."  Karen likes "oxymoron," often using "good" and "man" as an example.

In a review of a biography, I once used the word "hagiography."  My editor sent me a note saying that, at first, he hesitated to use it.  Upon further reflection, he opted to leave it.  The other day for my column I used the words "harrowing" and "penultimate."  I wonder if my editor will keep "penultimate."  I know it sounds "officious" (another cool word), but I really wanted to use it.

How about these Hangman possibilities:  "syzygy?"  "onyx?"

That said, I was writing the other day and found myself reluctant to use several words that might have, at one time, fit nicely in my piece.  One was "incredible" and another was "awesome."  They, and others, seem to have become too trite for my tastes, overused to the point of losing their pizzazz.  Haven't "classic" and "icon" (not the computer/keyboard "icon")also become overused and trite, too? And I know it's become common, but I won't use "impact" as a verb, not the way most are now using it.  Instead, I will say/write "has an impact," "influenced," etc.

I guess I'm a word snob.  I cringe when I hear people misusing or mispronouncing words, although I often mispronounce words on purpose.  And to see words misspelled in print? Oh, boy......

I subscribe to a "Word of the Day" e-mail list.  Each day I receive a new word.  Some are really cool, such as "peripatetic."  Others seem very made-up.  But they are fun.

And, of course, what does "ghoti" spell??????