A Week's Worth of Words

Weird indeed, Billy.

I've always been a bit of a stickler when it comes to grammar, spelling and punctuation (the BMWs can attest to this), and this week's words from the Wordsmith are affirmation of my abnormality, particularly when it comes to apostrophes.

The Wordsmith sayeth: "Sometimes we are not sure whether an apostrophe is needed, so we simply add one, as if considering pillars to support a roof. 'Well, let's add one here; it may not be needed, but it's there if necessary, and in any case it's not hurting anything.' This week we feature terms that use apostrophes, terms that do need them. These selections answer: Whose What? And remember, it's not: Who's What?"

Preach on, brother.

deadman's hand \DED-manz hand\ (noun) - In a game of poker, a hand containing two aces and two eights. [After Wild Bill Hickok, nickname of James Butler Hickok (1837-1876). Hickok was a legendary figure in the American Wild West who worked variously as an army scout, lawman, and professional gambler. He was shot dead while playing poker, holding a hand that had two aces and two eights.]

yeoman's service \YO-muhnz SUHR-vis\ (noun) - Efficient, useful, or loyal service. [From yeoman (servant or assistant), probably a blend of young + man, or from ga (region) + man.]

bum's rush \bumz rush\ (noun) - A forcible ejection from a place. [From the allusion to a bum being swiftly kicked out of a place.]

devil's advocate \DEV-uhlz AD-vuh-kayt\ (noun) - One who argues against something for the sake of argument, for example, to provoke discussion and subject a plan to thorough examination. [From Latin advocatus diaboli (devil's advocate). The Roman Catholic Church used to have a person appointed as a devil's advocate to argue against elevating someone to sainthood. The person arguing for the proposition was known as God's advocate (Latin advocatus dei).]

widow's walk \WID-oz wok\ (noun) - A railed platform atop a roof, typically on a coastal house, that was used to look out for returning ships. [In the 18th and 19th centuries sailors' wives used such platforms to look for signs of their husbands returning home.]

Sigh. Ah, bliss.

Now, the ones from ArcaMax don't have quite the same effect on me, but they're still worth enjoying. Another sigh. I love words.

satiety \suh-TY-uh-tee\ (noun) - The state of being full or gratified to or beyond the point of satisfaction. [From Latin satietas, from satis, "enough."]

punctilio \punk-TIL-ee-oh\ (noun) - 1 : A fine point of exactness in conduct, ceremony, or procedure. 2 : Strictness or exactness in the observance of formalities; as, "the punctilios of a public ceremony." [From Obsolete Italian punctiglio, from Spanish puntillo, diminutive of punto, "point," from Latin punctum, from pungere, "to prick."]

compunction \kuhm-PUHNK-shuhn\ (noun) - 1 : Anxiety or deep unease proceeding from a sense of guilt or consciousness of causing pain. 2 : A sting of conscience or a twinge of uneasiness; a qualm; a scruple. [From Late Latin compunctio, compunction-, "sting or pricking of conscience," from the past participle of compungere, "to prick severely," from com-, intensive prefix + pungere, "to prick."]

Hogmanay \hog-muh-NAY; HOG-muh-nay\ (noun) - The name, in Scotland, for New Year's Eve, on which children go about singing and asking for gifts; also, a gift, cake, or treat given on New Year's Eve. [The origin of the word Hogmanay is unknown.]

sporadic \spuh-RAD-ik\ (adjective) - Occurring singly, or occasionally, or in scattered instances. [From Medieval Latin sporadicus, scattered, from Greek sporadikos, from sporas, sporad-, scattered like seed.]

Today I'm off for parts south to spend the day with some friends at the Blackberry Festival in Pulaski, Tennessee. The WGH says if I don't bring home some blackberries and make him a cobbler, I might as well not come home (okay, no, he didn't really say that, but I have been promising him a blackberry cobbler and he would very much like it if I brought some blackberries home today).

Aside from the mandate to return bearing berries, my plan for the day is to enjoy the company of several friends I haven't seen in a while ... the GP among them. The rest of them don't know she's coming with me, so it's going to be a bit of a surprise for them (unless they read this ahead of time, of course - but what are the odds?). All in all it should be a fun day. Unless the storms come through early, in which case we may be abandoning the berries and seeking shelter at the house of the friend who lives there.

What are you doing with your stormy Saturday? Might I suggest you, oh, I don't know ... read a book? ;)

=) JB

Something else that's good for you: Laughter. (from ArcaMax Trivia) "Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day." Sigh. What's wrong with this picture? Life has a lot of things to laugh about. Go find one and do something good for you today. Considering which friends I'll be spending my day with, I can guarantee you I'm going to get more than my quota!