The university bookstore was selling 2009 calendars for 50% off, so I purchased a daily Big Words calendar. Each day has a new "big" word and its definition. (I purchased this prior to being accused of not using enough "big" words in my blog...). I was actually quite disappointed because I know all the words up through January 29th...
So you, my inveterate logophiles, will now get to relish these words with me! Stay tuned for a new word every day! (Give or take a few days whenever a midterm might peep its ungainly head out of the mountain that is this quarter.)
Today's word?
Lackadaisical (la-kuh-day-zi-kel) - lacking life, spirit, or zest.
"We knew that Summit couldn't get after us with anything stronger than constables and maybe some lackadaisical bloodhounds and a diatribe or two in the Weekly Farmers' Budget. So, it looked good." ~The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
(Why do I always write it as "big" words, with quotation marks? Because what people term as "big words" aren't always big, per se. They are just foreign or complicated words. Examples? "vie" or "ken" or "wan". Big- No. Advanced? Yes.)
And just for fun:
Snaps:I'll eat in the yard - I mean atrium. You know what ''atrium'' means, Ant'ny?
Anthony: No, sir.
Snaps: It's a courtyard oft-times surrounded by columns.
Anthony: Thank you, sir. I didn't know that, sir.
Snaps: I learn a new word every day. You should expand your vocabulary, Ant'ny...and you wouldn't just be a bookkeeper.
Anthony: Accountant.
Snaps: Yea, whatever...My word for today is..."expeditious" - "To be speedy and efficient." All right, Ant'ny. Let's expeditions. What's so important you got me up at 8?
3 days ago
4 comments:
I am so going to netflix right now and renting that movie - what was it called again? I can hear mom saying lackadaisikul, too, or however you spell it.
Ummm...please dont start using lots of huge words in your posts for your readers sakes!
My husband has a very annoying habit of taking two words that sound similar and sticking them together (or sometimes interchanging them). I think this seems to be a Western (or at least Utah) phenomenon, since I hear it from other people too.
One example is his insistence on the words "laxadaisical." *shudder*
He also likes "acrost," and "appease" instead of "appeal" (as in, "That blog seems to appease to you).
The movie was Oscar. I had a link on the name Snaps that would take you to a page to view the movie title...
Lisa, don't worry, I won't start using bigger words on purpose, for the very reason you stated. I will not patronize my readers by dumbing down my talk, but it is important to speak in a way most readers will understand you.
And Ej was just joking about the not using "big words". We have fun sharing our new vocabulary words with each other.
Emily, what your husband does is use "malaprops". There is a newer term I just ran across that is a malaprop but slightly more specific. I will be posting about this new word because I loved it so much (but can't recall it right off the bat! It's sitting in my "In" box at work)
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