There’s A Word For That

I’m trying to quit Facebook & Instagram but IG keeps shoving word porn at me. 

Happy Sunday. 

Whoosh! 💋

Halloween Memories & Beware Araskavedekatriaphobia

 At work, we have an October filled with competitive events where we team up in a "House". The Houses are given opportunities to earn points, for no real end-game except bragging rights. For as small as this company is, there are some fierce competitors. One of the points-earning opportunities this year includes bringing in a picture of yourself as a kid dressed in a Halloween costume. Team members can earn five points just by participating. There will be additional points awarded to the team who has a member who guess the most amount of employees correct as it correlates to their childhood picture.

I've been looking for pictures of me dressed up as Wonder Woman (the kind with the spooky masks that have the cut-out eyes , nostrils & mouth hole in the elastic laced suffocation device shown below) or a ghost or a witch. 

Nope.

No photos. 

Not a one.

I texted my brother to ask if he remembers seeing any pictures of us as kids dressed in our trick-or-treating regalia and he replied, "oddly....no". 

My brother is a huge KISS fan, so I'm 99% sure he dressed up as Gene or Paul one year...makeup and all. But I don't have any *clear* memories of HIM dressing up either!

Now I'm wondering if I even went trick-or-treating! 

Is this because I'm getting older? Or is it a result of moving around as a little kid? I've said before that I don't really remember too many things about childhood, but the food addict in me would feel so guilty if I didn't remember scoring all that candy once a year!

Man, I'm sad now. And I can't even earn five points for my House -- OF WHICH I AM THE HEAD! I'm the head of Team Blue October! 

*kicks dirt*

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Also: Happy Friday the 13th.

~WHOOSH

Favorite Word: Julebukker

In a clever combination of what, as an American, I would describe as a mash-up between Halloween and Christmas, the Scandinavian folk sort of trick-or-treat while singing Christmas carols.

This celebration has made way to the U.S., and in those Scandinavian pockets of our country, it is alive & well! (ALASKA!)

Yes, there are treats.
Yes, there are costumes & disguises.
Yes, there's mythology.
Yes, there's Christianity.
Yes, there's a goat.

Yes, grandma gets run over by a reindeer....everywhere.

Wikipedia Page

God Jul!

Favorite Words: Calumnious

Adjective:

        of, involving, or using calumny; slanderous; defamatory

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Funny how life is. Funny how words are. Funny how words change in life and how life changes words (context?).

I haven't posted a "favorite word" recently, let alone regularly. I went back at some old "Favorite Word" posts to see how I formatted the blog entry only to discover I had forgotten something. I forgot I used to post a weekly word. The title read, "Weekly Word of the Weak". Huh. Totally forgot. Totally.

Then somewhere along the way the W3, as it were, morphed in the very lazy title "Favorite Words:". 

I think I have commitment issues as evidence by my inability to keep posting awesome vocabulary weekly. That was a pretty witty title, I must say (humbly)! Why'd I ever stop doing that??

Oh yeah. Life. And ....stuff. Lifestuff. 

I want to go back and start doing it because there is some beautiful, rarely unspoken language out there -- in my case, English language.  The abundance of words to describe, to read, to write, is endless! I LOVE LANGUAGE!

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Back to this entry's word: calumnious.

I read it here for the first time. I love me some Bishop Farrell. The dude is SMART. I'd nominate him for Pope after Francis if I was a Cardinal in the College.  

By posting the link to Bishop Farrell's blog entry about freedom, is by no means my attempt to convert you politically or religiously. It's merely a point of context and the origin of where I learned this very interesting word.

It's a word that doesn't just apply to faith and religion. It could be in your professional and personal worlds too. In fact, sometimes, I feel like I've been experiencing a personal trial that involves a person being negative toward me, and I relate my story to my therapist or a friend, I'm being calumnious.

But that's changing. There's a way to be honest about something, someONE and not be calumnious. It's been hard to learn this lesson, and I hope I can continue to see that when I'm being authentic to someone, about someone, that my truth is based in compassion, good intention and respect. 

~Whoosh!

 

Favorite Words: Kenosis

I heard this word during Mass and I didn't even know what it meant, but I knew once I learned the meaning, it would become a favorite word. And it has.  And it is.


n., the doctrine that Christ relinquished His divine attributes so as to experience human suffering.

I don't think there's much more I really need to - or can - add.

Well, I could add this: The google image search of this word is a fun rabbit hole into which to wander.

Labyrinth

Firstly, the word "labyrinth" is a favorite word of mine. It's an odd combination of letters, which is befitting for what it actually is. 

1. an intricate combination of paths or passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit. 


2. a maze of paths bordered by high hedges, as in a park or garden, for the amusement of those who search for a way out.

Secondly, I want to go to France to see the Chartres Cathedral.  My church has a labyrinth encircled by a columbarium, which is modeled after the Chartres labyrinth.  It's a serene meditative tool, one of my favorite places to exist, to be, so surrender myself, to feel love inflowing and outflowing.

Third and lastly, what exquisite, complicated, yet fluid and inviting pieces of art!

To see other elaborate, breathtaking and thought provoking labyrinths, click here.

Favorite Words: Petrichor

Thanks to Mental Floss, I learned that special word for the pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.


It's called PETRICHOR.

(PET-ri-kuhr)

It's a noun, of Greek origin.

I had no idea there was a name for that! Did you? No you didn't!

Coincidentally, the rain has just begun to fall at my house. The windows and doors are open.  Petrichor. :)

Favorite Words: KEF

Per dictionary dot com:

kef: a state of drowsy contentment

Language never fails to make me smile.  I am absolutely in love with the fact that a word exists in the English language to describe so succinctly one of my favorite states of being.
 
BONUS: I will use this word on Words With Friends. If played right, it can be a decent scorer.
 
~Whoosh!

Favorite Words: Synechdoche

"Simultaneous understanding"

See the etymology here.

It's more commonly known in literary circles as a means of describing something using as part to refer to a whole.

Now, use your head and fix your eyes on the prize!

~Whoosh!

Favorite Words: Cenacle

A word was spoken at the Latin Mass I attended the other day:  cenacle.

I immediately wrote it in my notes with a reminder to look up its meaning.

According to dictionary dot com:

— n


1. a supper room, esp one on an upper floor

2. ( capital ) the room in which the Last Supper took place

I love learning new words!
~Whoosh (a.k.a. Word Nerd)

Favorite Words: Twitterpated

Long before Twitter, there was twitterpated...

'Tis that time of year....

Tweet!

Favorite Words: Lascivious

Say it out loud. G'head. Do it.

Lahhh
Ssssivvvv
eeeee
US

La-sciv-i-ous.

Lascivious.

mmmmmm la-la-lascivious

It's seductive.
It's sexy.
It's music.
It's temptation.
It's....*lip bite*

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adjective

1.

inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd

2.

arousing sexual desire

3.

indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness

Favorite Words: Apodyopsis

The act of mentally undressing someone

Ssssssscandalous!

I couldn't find it at dictionary (dot) com, which is my usual reference for the Favorite Words series, but it IS in the Urban Dictionary (so it MUST be a real and true word, right?!).

It's a nice thought, anyway.

(Thanks goes to one of my high school friends, Yak, who posted it on Facebook.)

Favorite Words: Wonky

I first heard this term by watching some YouTube videos of Pixiwoo/FashionFaceTV.  Two sisters who are makeup artists (who are quite hot.  I admit to having a girl crush on both of them....).  I loved hearing how they used the word and since I have a desire to live in Europe and BE European (or a black girl...either would be cool.), I quickly adopted it into my own Jackiebonics. 

–adjective, -ki·er, -ki·est.

1.British Slang .

      a.shaky, groggy, or unsteady.

      b.unreliable; not trustworthy.

2.Slang . stupid; boring; unattractive.

 

If you're lucky, I'll even say it in my best British accent.

~whoosh

Favorite Words: Vellicate

From dictionary dot come: 

vellicate\ VEL-i-keyt \ , verb;

•  To touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements.
• To irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear.
• To move with spasmodic convulsions.

How FUN is this word?!  Who even knew there was one single word for this action?!  Wowee!  I'm in love with it!   (And if you already knew it, hats off!  I'm in love with you now, too!  *laughing*)

Favorite Words: Reciprocate/Reciprocity

I'm going to take this one and go kinda wonky with it.  You've been warned.   

 

Reciprocate

–verb (used with object)

1. to give, feel, etc., in return.

2. to give and receive reciprocally; interchange: to reciprocate favors.

3. to cause to move alternately backward and forward.

 

–verb (used without object)

4. to make a return, as for something given.

5. to make interchange.

6. to be correspondent.

7. to move alternately backward and forward.

I also like 'reciprocity' (um...NOT the movie...*laughing*). 

Reciprocity

–noun

1. a reciprocal state or relation.

2. reciprocation; mutual exchange.

3. the relation or policy in commercial dealings between countries by which corresponding advantages or privileges are granted by each country to the citizens of the other.

 

There's something about giving back what you've been given, no?

I wouldn't say it's karma or the boomerang theory.  No.  Not at all.

I like the suggestion of equality in the definitions.  So much of my life, including now, I  have felt or sometimes feel somewhat squelched, behind, underrated, incredible, berated, overlooked, undermined, less equal than, invisible.  (Self-esteem issues, much?)  But by engaging in reciprocity, I have value.  I give value.  There's quality added to a relationship or function.  There's substance.  There's matter. 

I matter. 

I have substance. 

I am valuable. 

I exist. 

Now, it's my responsibility AND DESIRE, to make you feel the same way, too.

YOU matter (to me).

YOU have substance (to everyone).

YOU are valuable (to all the world).

YOU EXIST, TOO.

(SEE!  I told you I was gonna go all wonky with it!)

Yoshi Is A Friend of Mine

...and he's going to give me shit about using 'Yoshi' because I've already told him in no uncertain terms that I don't like his nickname.  But, to preserve some confidentiality, I'm resorting to using it in my blog. 

A few days ago, he asked what my favorite word is. 

*blink*blink*
*think*think* 

Uhhhhhh.

*deer in the headlights look*

Yeah.  I couldn't answer it.  I don't think it's because I drew a blank.  I think it's because I've never been asked that before nor had I ever pondered it.  It was a great question and I left it unanswered.

Until today.

I then remembered I had a tag set up on here of "Favorite Words". 

So, I dug around a bit, read through the blogs and finalized my decision.  I followed up with an email to Yoshi notifying him of my current favorite all time word (until I learn new ones that might change my current favorite word).  I shared with him a few notions I have about words, why I'm attracted to them, and thanked him for prompting such thought.  The email didn't seem enough, so here I am, on The Big Blog, thanking Yoshi up and down and all around for a good question, being interested and resurrecting the Favorite Word series. 

I'll post one soon....  In the meantime, click the tag below if you're interested in reading the rest of the favorite words.

~Whoosh!

Reappearance of the Favorite Word: Anthropodermic Bibliopegy

Thanks to HRH KP, I learned this very unusual phrase today. I just had to share it! It's one of those phrases that describes something that one can't not help but look -- kind of like when you rubberneck at car accidents. Is there blood? Dead bodies? Scraping of skin from the center median?

It went down like this: This ayem, I received an email from HRH KP with the subject line reading: um, gross. Contained in the body of the email is an online article link about skin with the command "Check out #19".

So, of course, I clicked on the link, read the title and jumped to #19, which read: The Cleveland Public Library, Harvard Law School and Brown University all have books clad in skin stripped from executed criminals or from the poor.

Okay. So let's think about this for a second or two.

*tap, tap, tap*

Done yet?

*tap, tap, tap*

Now you're done. Discuss.

What the F?! Did the poor get money in exchange for having their skin ripped or filleted from their bodies? Huh? I don't get that AT ALL. I understand the executed criminal thing, but I don't understand the poor thing. AT ALL!

Personally, I think the concept is kind of cool, these skin bound books. It's the macabrejackie who digs it, just like I dig reading books about serial killers and sexual predators.

Since I am a curious kitty, I googled "skin bound books" or something like that. It returned several results, one being Infocult's blog where the author has coined, or at least cited, this wickedfancy term: Antropodermic Bibliopegy. That wickedfancy term somehow takes the oogieness out of the notion of books bound in human skin, huh? It's all technical and sort of medical, extremely scientific.

I found a definition of it on Wikipedia. Take it for what's it worth. If I ever get to see one of those books IRL, you will be THE FIRST to know! Wanna see a picture of one? Click here.

Weekly Word of the Weak: Perspicacious

That's a twenty dollar word if I ever heard one!

–adjective
1. having keen mental perception and understanding; discerning

I read that in a Facebook status message of all things. And it was part of the definition of a True Hispanic.

Couldn't it apply to *anyone* being a True {insert your own thingie here} Blogger (ahem).

Weekly Word of the Weak: Salacious

I've been re-connecting with many high school friends via Facebook lately. It's been FUN! The Ghost Hunter and I didn't know each other much in high school but we at least had known OF each other. So, now we're Facebook buddies and we've had lots of thought-provoking conversation. He was talking about a show in Showtime called "The L Word". I've never heard of this show. He began describing it and emphasized that it wasn't "salacious".

WOW

What a HOT word that is, huh? The very push of breath out of your mouth while pronouncing it is erotic. But, good erotic it is not. "Salacious" is beguiling. It sounds romantic, but is quite the opposite:

sa⋅la⋅cious 
 /səˈleɪʃəs/ Pronunciation [suh-ley-shuhs]

–adjective
1. lustful or lecherous.
2. (of writings, pictures, etc.) obscene; grossly indecent.

Thanks, Ghost Hunter, for the good word that's this week's Word of the Weak.

Happy Hunting, my friend!