Bloomin' Brilliant

A redbud in bloom.

I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in Lincoln, Spring has arrived with gusto. It's usually too early for most of these flowers, but none of them show the slightest fear of a late frost. Wispy forsythia stand guard at walks. Redbuds arch over front doors. The scent of a Magnolia spreads entire blocks from its origin. The flowering almonds lining the streets transport you to a neoclassical garden in France. They pull you along the street under their carefully sculpted boughs.

How many ways can you say the flowers are blooming? Hmmm...

Pullulate - to sprout, to teem. As in: The variegated vinca is pullulating and the little white moths have taken notice.

Effloresce - to bloom. As in: the daffodils have effloresced; Spring is here.

Fructify - to bear fruit, or to make fruitful. As in: The crab apple is in blossom now and will fructify soon.

Interestinly, the Crab Apple, like all apple trees, is
a Self-Sterile plant, meaning, it requires pollen
from a different tree to fructify.

For my Honey Bee Activist friends, here's BONUS WORD for you!

Bombilate - to buzz like a bee.

On the Road

I found a typo on p194, but I didn't take
a picture of it. If you find this edition,
you'll know where to look.

In an effort to educate myself in both American history and literary movements, I've been reading On the Road by Jack Kerouac. I'm not all the way through it, but I've got some great words for you.

Kerouac was part of the post-war beat culture. From what I can tell this was a society of restless men who sought enlightenment not through established institutions but through drugs, women and jazz. They couldn't stay put or keep a job because life was for living, not for conforming. They wanted to experience everything, and did.

The beat poets emphasized the rhythm of language, treating their craft like jazz. I'm not sure I understood the way this translated into prose. I think I was expecting a more purple style. But now I know what the beats were about.

There are more than a handful of other great words from this book, I just can't put them all in one post. Check them out for yourself.

stultify - to make yourself or someone else appear foolish. This can be used as a legal term.

lugubrious - mournful, dismal. Kerouac uses this word like salt.

huaraches - a sandal made of woven leather. (The picture explains it better.)

from wikipedia

tenorman - one who plays the tenor saxophone. You'll meet several in the book.

The Queen Of Mystery

There was a time when the only books I read were by Agatha Christie--and of hers, only mysteries featuring Hercule Poirot.

I've only ever figured out a couple of her gems: The Mousetrap (everyone saw that one coming. Especially when the lights turned on, right Ben?) and The Murder of Rodger Ackroyd (it was the only logical conclusion). 

This one fooled me. The Secret Adversary is Christie's first mystery featuring the sleuthing pair, Tommy and Tuppence. The duo are swept up in an inadvertent adventure trying to save Britain from anarchy by finding a girl with some very important papers before the mysterious Mr. Brown can get to her first. 

Before we can save Britain and the girl, we must learn some new words. 

gamin - street urchin.

gimlet - a tool with a drill bit head and a cross-pieced handle used for boring holes. Most often gimlet is used metaphorically when referring to a piercing look, as in so-and-so giving someone the "gimlet eye."

tantalus - a glass-fronted, locked liquor cabinet. It comes from the Greek myth of Tantalus who was forced to stand chin-deep in water under branches of fruit trees, but unable to eat any fruit or drink any water, thus eternally tantalized, much like someone who can see the liquor in the tantalus but who cannot obtain it without the key. 

salver - a serving tray.

The Finder Library

I know your estimation of me will undoubtedly be lowered when you find out that I read graphic novels, but there it is. I read graphic novels. The latest one in my hands was The Finder Library, Volume 1, a compilation of three story arcs from a series about a man named Jaeger, who lives on the fringes of a futuristic society where cities are built under crumbling domes and (some) animals can talk like people. More interesting to me than the word choices (and she did manage to sneak in a few goodies) were the cultural choices and references that McNeil used to build her world, borrowing from Native American, East Asian, and Classical Antiquity.

Palaver - can mean both a conference/discussion of high occasion and importance; or idle talk. McNeil uses the former.

Sough - a sighing sound. as in "the soughing wind."

Habiliment - clothes for an occasion, event, occupation, etc. McNeil draws several characters in "Holo-Habiliments" which change to suit their surroundings.

Harry Potter and the Grown-Up Words

Thanks Mom, for taking this pic!

It was asked of me recently where I find words for this blog. I confess, it comes from reading. And though I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that the last two books I read were by J. K. Rowling, (I'm way behind the times), I did manage to glean a handful of succulence to share.

Apoplectic - describing someone near to, or in the midst of a stroke, as when describing the captain of the Quidditch team: "he was apoplectic with rage," which to me is almost redundant, but we'll let it slide this time, Joanna.

Arrant - utter, extremely. As in "arrant nonsense."

Balaclava - a covering for the head and neck which looks to me like part ski mask, part ninja costume.

Slipstream - the wake of a moving vehicle, as in the Hogwart's Express.

Having read Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban back to back, I cannot tell you which word comes from which book. But I did take a picture of a typo in Chamber of Secrets. Did anyone else catch it? Check out the picture after the jump.

Colors

Though sometimes I can’t tell the difference between brown and black (I blame the bad lighting), it’s fun to imagine I might spot these colors when I’m out and about.

Cerise - cherry-red

Pavonine - the color of a peacock’s feathers; iridescent.

Festucine - the color of straw when it is between green and yellow.

Cupid Strikes Again

"Psyche revived by the kiss of Love"
Antonio Canova

Happy Valentine’s Day! Here’s a list of words inspired by the Olympian.

Billet-doux - love letter, from the French.

Gaffle - the lever used to cock a crossbow

Fletching - the attachment of materials (such as feathers) which provides aerodynamics and stabilization to the flight of an arrow.