I love words, and I suspect everyone else signed up for NaNo does also. I like to learn new words, and I'm particular about finding the perfect word for the situation, particularly in my writing. My everyday vocabulary includes words that many people I know have never heard of, and when I get angry, I tend to lose the filter that reminds me to choose words my audience is likely to understand. My ex-husband used to complain that I was trying to confuse him when we argued, but I was simply too angry to dumb down my language at the time.
Here's the challenge:
I subscribe to a couple of different word-of-the-day emails, and this challenge will be to use the words sent to me each day in a paragraph (or more). Since the words come from two different sources, they will most likely be wildly unrelated. Double points if you can fit them both into a coherent sentence.
I'll give you the word and its definition, and if you accept the challenge, simply post your response here. Once November starts, the challenge will get harder, because you'll need to use those words in your Novel. Until then, the words can be fit into random text, a non-NaNo story your are working on, or perhaps you might want to use them to develop your characters or add to the backstory you will use as the basis for your novel.
I'll post today's words separately, and before the day is out, I'll post my use of those words. Will you join me?
Samantha
Spokane, WA Municipal Liaison
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76,012 / 50,000
Oct 8, 2007 - 12 49
1. gravamen (gra-VAY-muhn) noun [plural gravamens or gravamina (-VAM-uh-nuh)] -- The essence or the most serious part of an accusation. [From Latin gravamen (trouble, grievance), from gravare (to burden or to weigh upon).] http://wordsmith.org/words/gravamen.html
Subscribe to the Wordsmith A Word A Day email at: http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html
2. maladroit (mal-uh-DROYT), adjective -- Lacking adroitness; clumsy; awkward; unskillful; inept. [From French, from mal-, "badly" + adroit, from à droit, "properly," from à, "to" (from Latin ad) + droit, "right," from Latin directus, "straight, direct," past participle of dirigere, "to lead or guide."] http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
To subscribe to Dictionary.com's Word of the Day by email, send a blank message to: join-wordoftheday@lists.lexico.com
Samantha
Spokane, WA Municipal Liaison
312 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2007 - 08 07
Samantha:
It would gravamen me to take up your challenge (maladroitly). Heh heh heh. :-) I will but not until Nano starts. What fun!
----------Nikko Blue
"I was born like this, I had no choice..."--Leonard Cohen :-)
50,264 / 50,000
Oct 17, 2007 - 21 00
She maladroitly placed the gravamen of her complaint in the post script portion of her letter!
Oh, boy, this might be hard in November if I'm doing this badly already!
----------2006 NaNoWriMo Winner - "Even Hippos Can Drown"
50,103 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2007 - 10 56
Jill finished reading the gravamen of the file. The papers tumbled maladroitly from her fingers, landing on the countertop. Heat rushed to her cheeks and her eyes filled with tears. "What am I going to do now?" she wondered.
----------~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are we still doing this? What fun!
~ grae
NaNoWriMo:
2007 - The Flash Pointe Cafe (win!)
2006 - An Advanced State of Shock (win!)
ScriptFrenzy:
2008 - in progress
76,012 / 50,000
Oct 24, 2007 - 11 33
1. lexiphanes (lex-SIF-uh-neez) noun --- One who uses words pretentiously. [From Greek lexiphanes (phrase monger), from lexis (word or phrase) + -phaneia (to show).] http://wordsmith.org/words/lexiphanes.html
2. recidivism \rih-SID-uh-viz-uhm\, noun --- A tendency to lapse into a previous condition or pattern of behavior; especially, a falling back or relapse into prior criminal habits. [From Latin recidivus, "falling back," from recidere, "to fall back," from re-, "back" + cadere, "to fall." One who relapses or who is an incorrigible criminal is a recidivist] http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
50,103 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2007 - 15 32
Her sister snorted in disgust as her head appeared over Jill's shoulder.
----------"He is such a lexiphanes!"
Jill's bewildered face stared at the younger girl.
"It means he's a show off, Sis. Don't worry. We'll take care of his recidivist behavior. Just wait and see!"
~ grae
NaNoWriMo:
2007 - The Flash Pointe Cafe (win!)
2006 - An Advanced State of Shock (win!)
ScriptFrenzy:
2008 - in progress
1,125 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2007 - 01 48
At the top of this page, Dichotomy confessed that when angered, the end result of her recidivism was her transformation into what her argumentative adversaries considered to be a lexiphanes.
----------Saite, Lily~
50,264 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2007 - 12 09
I have been accused of being a lexiphanes simply because I used the work 'irksome' at a party.
The recidivism rate of released inmates continues to be high.
----------2006 NaNoWriMo Winner - "Even Hippos Can Drown"
76,012 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2007 - 10 51
cibarious (si-BAR-ee-uhs) adjective: 1. Relating to food. 2. Edible. [From Latin cibus (food).]
http://wordsmith.org/words/cibarious.html
valetudinarian (val-uh-too-din-AIR-ee-un; -tyoo-), noun: 1. A weak or sickly person, especially one morbidly concerned with his or her health. 2. Sickly; weak; infirm. 3. Morbidly concerned with one's health. [from Latin valetudinarius, "sickly; an invalid," from valetudo, "state of health (good or ill)," from valere, "to be strong or well."]
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/valetudinarian?r=10
76,012 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 15 43
macaronic (mak-ah-RON-ik), adjective: Involving a mixture of languages. [From Latin macaronicus, from Italian dialect maccarone (macaroni), probably alluding to the jumble of macaroni and sauce on a plate.]
http://wordsmith.org/words/macaronic.html
terminus (TUR-muh-nuhs), noun: 1. The finishing point; the end. 2. A boundary; a border; a limit. 3. A post or stone marking a boundary. 4. Either end of a railroad or other transportation line; also, the station house, town, or city at that place. [From the Latin word meaning "limit or boundary." It is related to term, "a limited period of time," and terminate, "to bring to an end."]
http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/
4,312 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2007 - 23 58
Hurray -- I have fit them into my novel!
"The celebration of the newly united clans was quite the macaronic event, with families from all over the region meeting to exchange talk and gifts over a good meal, compare the qualities of the year’s new lambs, and have their young men shyly ask dances from giggling girls who might not understand their words, but understood intentions well enough. And at the terminus, when the fires burned low and the air echoed with high-spirited conversions now passed, the diverse peoples drifted off to sleep as one under the clear night sky."
50,103 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 08 52
Wow, great job!
----------~ grae
NaNoWriMo:
2007 - The Flash Pointe Cafe (win!)
2006 - An Advanced State of Shock (win!)
ScriptFrenzy:
2008 - in progress
76,012 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 11 36
xerophagy (zi-ROF-uh-jee) noun The eating of dry food, especially food that's cooked without oil. [From Latin xero- (dry), from Greek xeros + Latin -phagy (eating), from Greek phagia. In the early Christian Church, xerophagy meant eating food cooked in water and salt during Lent. Xerophagy has also been practiced in prison and in the military as a form of punishment.]
http://wordsmith.org/words/xerophagy.html
myrmidon (MUR-muh-don; -duhn), noun: 1. (Capitalized) A member of a warlike Thessalian people who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy. 2. A loyal follower, especially one who executes orders without question, protest, or pity. [From Greek Myrmidones, a warlike people of ancient Thessaly.]
http://dictionary.reference.com/wordoftheday/
21,025 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2007 - 13 50
We moved from Merrill to Tampa when I was about 2ish and that looks to be about the age of the children frozen in ink and paper. We made that move soon after the Cuban missile crises, I’m still not sure why dad decided to do that. The only thing I could think of was that he may have thought that if we were closer to Cuba the missiles would all over shoot Florida. The stories of the communists from those times, of those in the Siberian gulags being forced into a xerophagy diet just because they wanted to be free thinkers, and so we must defend ourselves from those who would take the right of free thought away from us. And of those Cuban citizens rallying around Castro in myrmidon fashion, to throw off the yokes of oppression of their former leaders. Those were the days and stories in which I lived.
50,054 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2007 - 08 34
There's always sesquipedanalianism. It's the use/love of big words, or, as one online definition puts it: The predilection by particular individuals toward the utilization of elongated vocalizations and terminologies in their interpersonal dialogues.