I Spy a New Word!

A colleague just shared this fun yet surprisingly useful site with me moments ago.  I LOVE to make up my own words myself (I had a major case of truckitis last night) so I was inspired instantly.   Fortunately for you, GG guests, I am going to practice some friendsourcing today.  There will be no peanut-buttering allowed and if you stick around long enough, you might find yourself in a peep culture.  Confused?  Go to this site to decipher my new words!!

Wordspy

GG challenge:  Use at least 3 new words that you find on this site today in conversation!!

And before you go, be sure to stop by Words of Whimsy to see some of GG’s own creations.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have some chairobics to take part in while watching football players posterize each other.

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Have You Ever Been Cubed??

Shhhhh . . . Keep this a secret . . . Don’t tell a soul about this post . . . Read on only if you are ready to be enlightened, tickled and shocked.  

Begin if you dare! 

WARNING:  For maximum validity, enlightenment, and fun, do NOT read down to the bottom until you have completed the exercise in its entirety!!!

 

 

 

This is the tone you will encounter when you open the book The Cube . . . Keep the Secret.  It is a self-awareness game I play with my students on the day before a holiday.  I’ve been using this book for many years now, and I’ve yet to encounter a class in which the students are not in awe of its accuracy.  When we’re done with the game, I ask the students to write either a one-page analysis of their findings from the game or a descriptive piece illustrating their landscape.  Never is there a complaint for this assignment.  I also have fun with this at family gatherings!!

• Readers are asked to picture a desert landscape.  In the desert landscape are five specific elements:  a cube, a ladder, a horse, a storm and flowers.  The idea is to write down and describe the very first image of each that arrives in your head to achieve the most accurate results.  Each element represents something about the reader – therein lies the secret.  I’ve always been good at keeping secrets so I’m going to make you wait until you have the book itself in your hot little hands to find out what each represents.

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Reasons the Newspaper Won’t Die

 Many newspapers faced their demise this year but I’m hopeful that we can still count on tucking the folded black and white newsprint under our arm as we scurry off, on catching a glimpse of the cover stories as we wait in the dentist’s office, and on spreading out the paper on a leisure Sunday morning.  It would be a great loss if we lost this important form of media. 

Top 10 Reasons for Reading a Newspaper*

1. My newspaper has never crashed, gone down, or flashed animated ads at me.

2. Anywhere I travel, my newspaper goes with me. I don’t need a laptop or a wireless connection or a PDA.

3. I can read my newspaper while standing, while eating, while riding a train, but not while driving my car . . . which is just as well since I should be paying attention to the road.

4. If I read a story I like, I can tear it out and save it, and not have to pay to read it 30 days later.

5. I don’t have to sign in or customize or register or remember passwords to read my newspaper. And I often enjoy articles in my newspaper on topics I wouldn’t normally think I’d be interested in.

6. My newspaper has high-resolution pictures and type on large pages that load almost instantly, making it easy to browse and enjoy.

7. My newspaper is cheap, recycable and easy to replace. If it’s lost or stolen, it’s no big deal.

8. My newspaper is not made of unrecyclable toxic materials.

9. If my newspaper makes a mistake, the correction is posted with an explanation. It’s not sneakily applied to the original story after I’ve read it.

10. I can read my newspaper sitting outside on a nice day in the sun, even if a breeze is blowing, because I know how to fold a newspaper.

11.  My newspaper is never late.  I can always count on it in the early morning hours.

12.  My newspaper has something for everyone:  cover stories, editorials, sports, entertainment, health, etc. 

*Adapted from Kelly Gallagher’s Reading Reasons

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You Don’t Say!

Says is one of those overused words.  The Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary contains full entries for 171,476 words in current use, and 47,156 obsolete words. To this may be added around 9,500 derivative words included as subentries.  With all these words, why do we overuse the general, imprecise ones?

GG note:  Please do no utilize “goes” to replace the verb “says.”

FOR EXAMPLE:  He goes, “I don’t like that anymore.” → I hear this colloquial-type conversation from my high schoolers.   ‘To speak’ is not even a published definition of goes; the closest definition is ‘to utter a sound’ as in The gun goes bang.”  Luckily, I don’t think you’ll have a problem coming up with varied words here.  Enjoy!:

What other imprecise words need replacing?

OVER THREE HUNDRED WAYS TO SAY “SAYS”

A accuses acknowledges acquiesces adds admits admonishes advises affirms agrees alleges allows alludes announces answers apologizes appeases approves argues articulates asks assents asserts assures B babbles bits barks bawls begins begs believes bellows berates beseeches bleats blows up blubbers blurts blusters boasts booms brags breathes breaks in C cackles cajoles calculates calls carols

cautions challenges chants charges chats chatters cheers chides chimes chips in chokes chortles chuckles cites claims coaxes comforts commands comments complains concedes concludes concurs confesses confirms consents consoles contends contests continues contributes coos counters coughs cries criticizes croaks croons cross-examines cures curses cusses D debates decides declaims declares defends demands denies describes

determines dictates discusses drawls drones E echoes elaborates emphasizes entreats enumerates enunciates exaggerates exclaims exhorts explains explodes expostulates extols F falters fears frowns fumes G gags gasps gibbers giggles gloats goads grins groans growls grumbles grunts guesses guffaws gulps gurgles gushes H hastens to say hesitates hints hisses hollers howls

I imitates implies implores informs inquires insinuates insists interjects interposes interprets interrupts interrogates intimidates intones J jeers jests jokes jabbers L laughs lectures laments lies lisps M makes known magnifies maintains marvels mentions mimics moans mocks mourns mumbles murmurs muses mutters N nags nods notes O objects observes offers orders

P pants perceives persists persuades pesters pipes up pleads points ponders pouts praises preaches predicts prevaricates proceeds prods profanes proclaims professes promises prompts proposes protests purrs pursues puts in Q quavers queries questions quibbles quips quotes R rates rails runs on rants raves recalls recites recounts regrets reiterates rejoins remarks remembers reminds remonstrates

renounces repeats replies reports reprehends reprimands requests resolves responds resumes retorts reveals roars rumbles S sings sings out scoffs scolds scorns screams screeches sermonizes shouts shrieks shrills shrugs sighs slurs smiles smolders snaps snarls sneers snickers sniffs snorts sobs soliloquizes sooths specifies spells speaks spurts sputters squawks squeaks squeals stammers starts states storms

stresses struggles stutters submits suggests swears sympathizes T taunts tantalizes tattles teases testifies thinks threatens tells U urges utters V vaunts ventures voices volunteers W wails wants to know warns wavers whispers wonders worries Y yearns yells yelps yowls

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First Lines offer First Impressions

The first lines of books are profound.  Either they provide a foreshadow of the events to ensue, a poignant statement to digest, a comedic crack to grab attention, or a startling statistic or fact to open with.  Go ahead . . . open to the first pages of some of the books you own and you’ll see.  Even the non-fiction reads seem to offer a fun first line.  Here are just a few examples. . . do you have some?

A Few First Lines in Literature

~ “It was a pleasure to burn.“  Fahrenheit 451

~ “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.” Catcher in the Rye

~ “The way I see it, being dead is not terribly far off from being on a cruise ship.” Stiff

~ “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.“  Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

~ “I felt like I was trapped in one of those terrifying nightmares, the one where you have to run, run till your lungs burst, but you can’t make your body move fast enough.” New Moon

~ “It’s hard to be left behind.” The Time Traveler’s Wife (I can hardly wait until the movie adaptation comes out!!!)

~ “A man’s alter ego is nothing more than his favorite image of himself.” Catch Me if You Can

You get the idea . . . I could go on and on.  Each line is so characteristic of each book’s particular theme.  Each line grabs our attention.  Each line makes us think.

In the book I am currently reading, Jodi Picoult’s Handle with Care, not only is the first line compelling  but the first paragraph carries through the plot’s theme in a poetic way.  Here is GG’s mix of Picoult’s words:

Things break all the time.

Glass and dishes and fingernails.

You can break a record, a contract, a dollar.

You can even break the ice.

There are coffee breaks and lunch breaks.

Day breaks, waves break, voices break.

Silence and fever breaks.

Chains can be broken.

Relationships break.

Promises break.

Hearts break.

Things break all the time.

Yes, things do break but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing at all.  When something breaks, we pick up the pieces and create something new! Period.  Looking back at what I typed, I see an ice cream sundae formed by the layout of the words.  Clever that it turned out that way.  That’s what I see.

Stay tuned for a future post in which GG reviews Handle with Care.

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Watermelon Seeds of Wisdom

Before yesterday, when I thought of watermelons I thought of summer picnics.  Well, I was perusing through my mail, anxiously trying to pass the time before I picked my daughter up at the airport when I came across an article on the book  Watermelon Magic: Seeds of Wisdom, Slices of Life by Wally Amos.  The book utilizes the word ‘watermelon’ as an acronym for a guide to life.  As I point out in my Memory Mastery 1 post, acronyms are a great way to remember things.  Thanks to the acronym below, I will never think of watermelons in the same way!  Now when I see those juicy pink slices or pesky black seeds we like to pick away, I will be reminded that we all have the will to live our lives from our highest selves.  My time waiting was well spent!  Now it’s your turn . . . enjoy and get ready for your mouth to water.  I’ve italicized my favorite parts ~

W – Whatever you believe creates your reality.  Believe that life is a positive experience and it will be.

A – Attitude is the magic word.  Your greatest asset is your attitude.  Be positive regardless.

T – Together everyone achieves more.  There are no limits to what we can accomplish together.  I am more than I am but less than we are.

E – Enthusiasm is the wellspring of life.  There is no limit to what can be accomplished with enough enthusiasm.

R – Respect yourself, as well as others.  When you begin to respect yourself, your whole world changes.

M – Make commitments, not excuses.  There is overwhelming power in the words “Yes I will.”

E – Everyday can be a fun day.  Fun is the lubricant that keeps life moving forward.  Laugh a lot.

L – Love is the answer.  Whatever the question, love is the answer.  It’s the greatest force in the Universe.

O – One day at a time.  How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time.  All of life happens in increments of one.

N – Never give up or become a victim.  You are guaranteed to lose if you give up.  Winston Churchill was right.  ”Never, never, never give up.”  It works if you work it.

Grading Girl says this is a FUN reminder to not be overwhelmed by events.  Let ‘watermelon’ remind you that you are larger than events. It’s an awesome feeling to realize that we have the power to create and change events simply by what we believe.

GG’s Bonus Nutrition Tidbit:  Watermelon is composed of 92% water and packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. It is also a key source of lycopene – the cancer fighting oxidant.  Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & potassium.

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What’s really in a name?

Can the sounds within our names actually account for our personality traits?!?  Will everyone with the same name behave the same?  Can we predict the way a person will behave based on his name?  Do we unconsciously (and unfairly) prejudge people based on the sounds of their names – before we even meet them?  Will a person’s behavior change if she decides to use her middle name, all of a sudden, rather than her first name?

This stuff fascinates Grading Girl, and I am convinced there is something to this!  These questions are addressed in the book The Secret Universe of Names – The Dynamic Interplay of Names and Destiny by Roy Feinson.   It is a book that remains on my coffee table and guests pick it up again and again.  Think about it . . . sounds affect our mood – a scream makes us stand alert; or, a shhhh soothes us.  We instinctively choose soft sounds when reassuring our friends.  Conversely, we use loud sounds when we want our presence felt.  Similarly, the sounds in names must affect our perceptions – both of ourselves with our own names, and of others with their names.  Parents looking for a name to mirror their ambitious hopes for their daughter might name her Kate, for instance, which connotes decisiveness.  If they named her Mary, one would be more apt to think of a nurturing, motherly figure.

To further illustrate this, Feinson’s book uses the following example – notice how the hard tone of the following words completely disappears when the belligerent B is replaced by the mild-mannered M:

• bellow – mellow
• belted – melted
• break – make
• blow – flow   . . .

You get the idea.  The second set of words evoke a softer response over the hard, direct first set.

Our psychological responses to sounds result in some letter combinations which cause common meaning.  For instance, sneeze, snort, sniffle, snot, snore, snarl, snuff, snicker, snout all pertain to the human nose.  Coincidence?  Feinson says no!  Take a look at this tongue teaser we used to recite backstage getting ready for a college play:  The slippery slope was slathered in a slick slime. . . all the sl words have a “slimey” influence.

It’s no wonder parents spend so much time looking for names.  We humans seem to have an innate response to sounds.  Here’s a group of names that are perceived “masculine:”   Butch, Buck, Duke, Bill, Kurt, Jake, Kirk, Scott, Troy     Notice all contain the hard consonant letters such as B, T, K, D.  Typical names with “adorable” charm include:  Barbie, Missy, Britney, Kristi.  Hmmm, notice the “eee” sounds at the end of each.  As a teacher, I have to admit that when I scan my student roster at the very beginning of the year, I fall victim to name stereotypes before I even meet my students.  If I see Missy on my roster, I might mistakingly predict she’ll be a less serious student; similarily, if I see the name Jake, I might assume he’s a popular student who may be talkative with his friends.  I have to stop myself and erase my assumptions.

The question remains, can the clustering of sounds in our names also account for the clustering of our personality characteristics?  The book says that in 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau helped to create some theories behind this question by releasing names of 63 million Americans (stripping the names of addresses and phone numbers, of course).  They cross-referenced first letters in the (first) names of people in various areas of business, arts, medicine, politics and professional sports.  Many interesting finds came out of this.  For example, based on the population of millionaires in the population, people whose names began with a J were almost three times more likely to become millionaires than names beginning with N.  Of course, for every rule there is an exception.  These are just the averages found from this study – not the case for every individual.  Still, it’s interesting food for thought.

According to the US Census findings, people whose first names begin with the strong pronounced C, D, J, T, K, etc. proved to be highly successful in professional sports.

In politics, letters of leadership were found to be D, J, T, B, P, G, L.

Maybe parents who want their children to grow up to dominate their peer groups should gravitate toward names featuring the power letters . . . D, A, B, J, K, P, etc. . . . Does this mean they should avoid the softer E, F, H, L, M, O, Y?

Those interested in wealth potential may want to choose A, D, E, F, G, L, J, R, W and stay away from B, C, H, K, M, N, O, T, V.

Those who would like to see their children with lots of friends may want to choose C, E, F, G, H, L, M, O, R, S, U, V.

Those who deem charm important may want to choose C, E, L, O, R, S, V, W.

Wow, no wonder there are so many name books out there.  This places a whole new significance on choosing a name for a child.  We may be revealing more about ourselves when giving our names than we think.

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Your lawyer, David, issues an affidavit

Grading Girl just stumbled upon this list ~ Top 100 Mispronounced Words in the English Language

http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/mispron.html

As WebEnglishTeacher points out, one interesting point is that this list doesn’t allow for regional dialects. For example, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II pronounces the [t] in “often,” though here in the States – and on this list – it is frowned upon. Who would argue with the person referred to in the phrase “the Queen’s English”? Still, there might be fodder for some discussion!

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Timing

Timing is everything.

Time is ours to spend but we can’t keep it.

We can’t see time but we can feel it.

We can feel time but we can’t hold on to it.

Time never stops but keeps going and going.

Time can’t be rushed yet it can’t be slowed down.

Once time is lost, it’s gone forever.

Timing is everything.

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Geekiness

It is the 50th anniversary of a book found in every high school English department in the country, William Strunk’s and E.B. White’s Elements of Style. For a humorous take on Elements rules of writing, click on NPR’s website. Enjoy at your own geekiness!

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