Wordy Wednesday

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 3 Comments

We are all familiar with the use of a ‘smith’ meaning a craftsperson, for example a blacksmith or silversmith. My word for today is wordsmith, simply meaning ‘a skilled user of words’ (New Oxford English Dictionary of English).

It is a very timely word, my debut children’s book, The Clocker, having been published yesterday. I like the idea of being a wordsmith. It is a craft shared by many around the world, in different languages, styles and genres. Where would we be without wordsmiths?

A special shoutout to all my fellow bloggers and to the Let’s Write group at The Writers Bureau.

https://www.writersbureaucourse.com/courses/let-us-write

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 5 Comments

To pootle or to poodle, that is the question. It’s been an ongoing debate between my partner and myself for some time now, whose family used to go for a poodle in the car at the weekend. My family, however, went for a pootle, definitely not a poodle.

I finally decided to settle this friendly feud and looked it up. What I discovered is that pootle is a variant of poodle, although, of course, poodle also refers to a breed of dog. To pootle, or poodle, means to travel or go around in a relaxed manner, as in, “I think I’ll have a pootle round the shops”.

Debate settled, now we’ll have to find another word to disagree on.

Just having a pootle, or a poodle, round the local shops

Do you poodle or pootle, or do you have an entirely different word for a leisurely stroll or run out in the car?

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 4 Comments

It’s Wordy Wednesday again and I have a Dutch word for you today. Last week I went to Bruges for five days, also hopping over the border to Sluis in The Netherlands. While perusing the menu in the windmill restaurant, a word caught my attention.

Slagroom?

I guessed this menu option was something sweet, knowing what a madeleine is; also guessing ‘met een’ was likely to be ‘with’. But what did ‘slagroom’ mean? This is what I find so fascinating about words and language. On looking it up, I was right about the madeleines and with; the sentence translated into English means “madeleines with a dollop of whipped cream”. Slagroom means cream in English. It is, of course, not pronounced slag room, more slaackroam.

What a great word. Do you have an unusual, quirky or favourite word to share? I’d love to hear from you.

Cream!

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 2 Comments

I really enjoy reading a book series and have especially liked the gentle flow of Harriet Steel’s Inspector de Silva stories. Set in Sri Lanka in the 1930s, and in the imaginary town of Nuala, Inspector de Silva (often with his wife, Jane’s, help) solves the many murders and mysteries.

It was exciting to discover a new book in the series: A Curse in Nuala. I was happily reading when I came upon a word that was new to me. In describing a room, we’re told; “the colour was echoed in the drugget carpet …”

I quickly looked up ‘drugget’ and discovered that it’s a word from the 16th century. It comes from the French, ‘droguet’ meaning poor quality article.

To discover the wonderful book series visit https://harrietsteel.comhttps://harrietsteel.com

Do you enjoy reading books in a series? What’s your favourite?

Wordy Wednesday

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I came across the word ‘bimble’ in an Instagram post from sconepalnatalie and was keen to find out more about its meaning and origin.

Its meaning is to walk or stroll at a leisurely pace, possibly coming from the word, ‘bumble’. I love the idea of going for a morning bimble along the beach or through the park. That’s my kind of pace.

Please share any words you’ve come across; I’d love to hear from you in the comments box.

I’m off for my morning bimble through the park

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 8 Comments

It’s Wordy Wednesday and I have a great word for you today.

According to Collins English Dictionary, Gubbins refers to an object of little value; a small gadget; odds and ends, or a silly person. It goes back as far as the 16th century and is derived from the obsolete word, gobbon – likely related to gobbet, meaning a small piece of food.

It’s an excellent word for describing all manner of bits and pieces there’s no other suitable word for. An example might be, “All the computer gubbins is in the drawer”.

I invite you to share your favourite, obsolete, funny or otherwise entertaining words with me.

Please share your own words in comments

Wordy Wednesday

~ my word (s) ~ 2 Comments

Last Wordy Wednesday, I recalled my Dad using the word ‘bunkum’. This got me thinking about other words from my childhood and I remembered using the word ‘ninny’. “You ninny,” “What a ninny” – it seems such a tame word now. There’s an innocence to it, somehow, which is interesting because it means silly or foolish and probably originated from ‘an innocent’. It has been in use since the 16th century.

Do you have a word you remember from childhood? Please share it.

I look a right ninny on the dance floor!

Wordy Wednesday

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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.

Wordy Wednesday

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It’s Wordy Wednesday again and today’s word might give you the jitters.

Collywobbles can mean an upset stomach, or an intense sense of unease/ nervousness as in, “it gives me the collywobbles”.

In terms of British English usage, the word is thought to date back to the 19th century. Its origin is likely from the disease cholera.

I’d love to know if you have any favourite, intriguing or unusual words. Please post them in comments below.

It gave me the collywobbles going into the forest at night

Wordy Wednesday

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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