Pam Webb

Word Nerd: Sprightly Choices

It’s summer, which means I am in the reading zone, that being primarily outside and, in my hammock, as much as possible.

Summer is also one of my favorite seasons (although when it is hitting the 80+ zone I look more forward to fall) and with all those sunny days and blue skies my endorphins are up and light-hearted is my general outlook.

This month’s Word Nerd complication reflects my sprightly way of feeling:

bibliotaph: a book lover who hoards books. Though not a true bibliotaph, I do have an entire bookshelf dedicated to Shakespeare.

winkle: to pry something out of a tight place, which usually involves patience—derived from removing periwinkle snails from their shell (to eat—be sure to cook with butter and garlic).

gudgeon: a gullible person; someone easily fooled—derived from the fish of the same name which is easily caught.

brummagem: an eye-catching object that later proves shoddy in quality—derived from the town of Birmingham, England once known for producing imitation goods based on expensive counterparts.

spezzatura: having effortless style or grace—sounds like another word for panache (my nod to Cyrano de Bergerac).

pother: a commotion or a fuss over something insignificant—reminds me of Winnie the Pooh. He would calmly say “Oh, bother” when confronted with a troublesome situation. Whereas “pother” fits Rabbit who would stomp around loudly vexed over some triviality.

whilom: an attribution to the past—a dated word, yet worthy to trot out to add some flourish to one’s sentence as in “I have fond memories of my whilom flip phone, as it was as less complicated than my iPhone.”

blatherskite: a Scottish word describing someone who speaks rapidly and profusely, yet offers little in substance.

tiffin: a light midday meal. Yes, I especially practice tiffing in the summer when it’s too hot to cook.

birr: to move with a whirring sound. Not to be confused with “burr” or “brr.” Think of helicopters or drones.

operose: describing a great deal of labor as in undertaking planting 100 bulbs last fall to enjoy their blooms in spring and summer.

appetence: a strong desire or craving. This does sound like appetite, doesn’t it? They are no doubt related. I have an appetence for light after our longish winter days of gloom.

quiescent: a momentary state of inactivity, but not total absence—like how the backyard birds disappear in the afternoon when the temps reach sweltering.

expiscate: to uncover information through thorough, careful inquiry. I wonder if my IMdB trivia dives into movies and shows qualifies?

Though chosen because they fit my light-hearted, summery feeling, most if not all work well throughout the year. I run into blatherskites when attempting a tiffin at a favorite eatery and have to withhold my pother, attempting some spezzatura as I winkle out my meal.

Until the next round of Word Nerds…