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<\/a><\/p>\nHere are\u00a0a few\u00a0that\u00a0blow my hair back: LUCIDITY (as in a profound\u00a0“AHA” moment), VOLUMINOUS (hair which I have not)\u00a0and\u00a0SAGACITY (wisdom \/ good judgment) \u2013 which my\u00a0thinning pate\u00a0proclaims to\u00a0celebrate.<\/p>\n
One of my favourite verbs is GLEAN \u2013 it sounds like such a clean, purposeful process of assimilating, sorting, digesting and extruding useful information\u00a0i.e. grasping\u00a0the\u00a0PITH of “what matters most” from among the DROSS of communication. GLIB is another expressive verb \u2013 being relatively articulate but insincere… as in the inconsequential froth of gutter journalism.<\/p>\n
Then there are expressive loan words from other cultures that delight. Like the\u00a0Yiddish\u00a0SHLEP, from the German “to drag” (e.g. “It’s such a schlep standing in queues”) or GLITCH, originally from the German “to slip” \u2013\u00a0which\u00a0also has a satisfyingly\u00a0onomatopoeic quality about it. Almost like the sound when you step on an insect inadvertently. Proofreaders are paid to pick up and rectify errors and omissions… glitches in the works. And it’s far\u00a0more polite\u00a0to use\u00a0a euphemism\u00a0like “having found\u00a0a few\u00a0GREMLINS” than saying “I discovered\u00a0some glaring mistakes”.<\/p>\n
LOQUACIOUS\u00a0 is “pleasantly talkative”, though hopefully not MAGNILOQUENT, which is\u00a0“verbally profuse”. That would then\u00a0border on the BOMBASTIC (“high sounding language with little meaning”, from the Old French “bombace” = “cotton wool used as padding”\u00a0or\u00a0the Latin “bombyx” = “silkworm”) and might invite TRUCULENCE (an argumentative mode).<\/p>\n
The subtlest word of all is SUBTLE.\u00a0 Latin teacher extraordinaire, Mr Quinn, at the International School of Geneva, once elucidated the etymology or origin of the word. It’s simply a powerful combination of “sub” (under) and\u00a0“tela” (the web). Try touching a spider’s web from beneath, with\u00a0your index\u00a0finger, ever so gently, to understand the supremely delicate stickiness that informs the subtle act. This insight\u00a0alone,\u00a0to the word’s significance,\u00a0still continues to enthrall me.<\/p>\n
UNCTUOUS, as in\u00a0“rich”,\u00a0is used positively\u00a0these days, although its Latin origin (from “anointing” \u2013 in the ecclesiastical sense) suggests exaggeration, affectedness or insincerity due to its “showiness”. CLOYING takes\u00a0such insincerity a sticky step further to one of ingratiation (from the medieval “accloy”, to “stop up” or “choke”).<\/p>\n
Its interesting how the underbelly of social behaviour tends to engender the most expressive repertoire of words, such as LURID, LOUCHE and LASCIVIOUS.<\/p>\n
SCINTILLATING, whose very letters seems to glint, from the Latin “scintilla”,\u00a0“a spark”, is itself a brilliantly captivating word.\u00a0“Brilliant” has been superseded by “awesome” \u2013 a word, by dint of American cultural imperialism\u00a0(tongue firmly in cheek), and overuse, now meets with derision.\u00a0The medieval\u00a0 expression “awful”\u00a0 originally meant “full of awe”, hence “inspiring”. I too,\u00a0find “awesome” completely awful, in the modern sense.<\/p>\n
But let’s not end on a LUGUBRIOUS (dismal) note. That’s the fun of language. When a word or expression has outlived its faddishness\u00a0or reached its sell by date, it will either be discarded or evolve through popular momentum. Neologisms\u00a0are born.\u00a0I’ve coined the word\u00a0HECTICITY\u00a0 to describe the\u00a0relentless buzz of\u00a0life in the digital age. Hecticity is certainly\u00a0the mother of creativity.\u00a0I do hope\u00a0this post has elicited a moment of metanoia\u00a0 (i.e. a profound awakening \u2013 the opposite of paranoia )\u00a0with respect to\u00a0the\u00a0magic of words.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Everyone has their stable of favourite words. Which\u00a0of yours\u00a0hit\u00a0the sweet spot of delight? Here are\u00a0a few\u00a0that\u00a0blow my hair back: LUCIDITY (as in a profound\u00a0“AHA” moment), VOLUMINOUS (hair which I have not)\u00a0and\u00a0SAGACITY (wisdom \/ good judgment) \u2013 which my\u00a0thinning pate\u00a0proclaims to\u00a0celebrate. … Continue reading