Pam Webb

Word Nerds: Jest for the sound

As much as I am a fan of the new year because it provides a fresh start, I am not a fan of the cold weather January brings. Most of the first days have been in temperatures of single digits and in minus increments. And then there was those two four days of snow. Going outside has become a matter of great consideration and since cold weather is keeping me more inside than outside I’m looking for day brighteners. Words are often my go to happy place. There are some words that when I hear them bring a smile because of the way they sound, and sometimes their meaning is amusing:

hobbledehoy: an ungainly youth—I had a few of these in class

sklent: any slanting surface, such as a slope—noted, when it freezes after a snowstorm

feirie: healthy, strong—are fairies feirie?

cakeage: a few a restaurant charge for bringing in an outside cake—you can have your cake and eat it too, as long as you pay for it

kvetch: to chronically complain—the extra snow has me doing plenty of this

tintinnabulation: the ringing of bells—which gets tinnitus riled up

yestreen: during yesterday evening

elsewhither: in another direction; toward a different place or goal—I travel here often

nibling: a child of one’s sibling—a solution to gender identification?

quiddity: the essential nature of a thing—snowy days create this feeling that winter is essentially cold and annoying

pulchritudnious: physically beautiful—this one is baffling in that it is an unlovely sounding word to describe loveliness

skookum: large; powerful—can’t wait to try this one out

mountweazel: a decoy word used in a dictionary or encyclopedia to catch publishers who might try to copy the content—like paper towns

cromulent: acceptable or legitimate—reminds me of crumpets

And an appropriate word to end with is:

jollify: to make merry—when the snow fades and spring begins to be a reality