Wordy Wednesday

The week has whizzed by and it’s Wednesday again. What is your word of the day today? I’d love to hear from you.

As I was thinking about my word for this week, I recalled a word I often heard my dad say. Bunkum – what a great word that can be said with feeling. It’s a 19th century word and its origin is Buncombe, a county in North Carolina USA. Apparently Felix Walker, Buncombe’s Congressional Representative, made a particularly inane speech around 1820 and so bunkum was born. When said, it means you think something is untrue or very stupid/ inane.

I wonder, as I write this, where my dad first heard the word and why he liked it so much.

Sum up Sunday

How has your week been and can you sum it up in 25 words or less? I’d love to hear from you.

This has been my week:

Tête-a-tête burst with yellow joy

A host of donations at the charity shop

Amid meets, greets and appointments

I hold onto Spring

Wordy Wednesday

I came across Craven in my Dictionary of English Place Names (Oxford University Press 1991). Craven, a district of North Yorkshire, is thought to be an old Celtic name meaning garlic place. This led me to ponder the meaning of craven as a word, which is very cowardly; not at all brave. It is thought to be an adaptation of the Old French cravent meaning defeated or beaten.

Language never fails to fascinate me. If you want to share a word, I’d be delighted to hear from you.

Words, words, words

Wordy Wednesday

On a Tuesday morning, my partner volunteers in one of our local charity shops and often messages me to come and buy a few things. I never know what they might be but tea towels are a regular favourite – she’s a collector extraordinaire. This time, there were three items; a tea towel in a tin, a tin with teapots on it and a jigsaw.

When I got home, I studied the jigsaw and became fascinated by the word ‘Hygge’ on the front. As well as some information on the box, I headed to the visit Denmark website. Here it describes the fullness of its meaning. Hygge – pronounced hoo-gah – is about creating a warm atmosphere, enjoying the best of life with other people. They give some examples, such as the cosy glow of candlelight.

If you enjoy doing jigsaws, you probably get a sense of Hygge and the design on this one demonstrates that sense perfectly too. I think we all need more Hygge in our lives. Thank you Denmark.

We all need more Hygge

Wordy Wednesday

It’s Wordy Wednesday again and, today, I bring you a word whose origin lies in Scotland. It’s been used in proverbs and poems, including by the famous Scottish bard, Robert Burns. It’s also, I believe, one of those words that sounds like its meaning somehow.

Crabbit – out of humour or in a bad temper. It’s a word, given my Scottish heritage, that I often heard during our many visits to Scotland when I was a child.

She’s awfy crabbit the day!

Wordy Wednesday

Having previously shared some words from the 16th and 18th century, today I bring a much more modern word. It is a blend of two words and became popular from around 2019.

Have you ever found yourself accidentally eating more snacks than you intended? Maybe you were anxious or simply distracted, only to find you’d eaten a large bag of crisps, or rather more biscuits than you meant to. If you have, then you’ve had a snaccident. What a brilliant word.

Look out for my next word on Wordy Wednesday and please do send me any of your favourite or discovered words.

Oops, another snaccident

Sum up Sunday

I’ve set myself the challenge of summing up my week in 25 words or less. If you’d like to have a go too, I’d be pleased to see your ‘sum ups’.

Here goes:

I volunteer

And I write

Rain, rain, more rain

And more

Hospital appointments x 2

See family

And relax –

With the cats.