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Bombshell: Yes, I Am A Logophile.
Since I have been required to notify everyone in the neighborhood of my legal status, I see no reason to conceal it from you any longer: I am a registered logophile. It’s true. I love words. Shun me if you will, but I am no longer ashamed of the way God made me.
I’m not going to participate in the “nature versus nurture” debate of what caused me to be this way. My family and close friends already knew anyway, and at my advanced age, there’s no reason to stay in the closet.
As required by the terms of my probation, I hereby publish a list of some of my favorite words, along with why I love them so:
- Glossolalia: Speaking in “tongues” in an unknown language. Though this term typically refers to practices in some fundamentalist religions, I also use it to describe sentences constructed by members of Congress, including Maxine Waters, Eric Swalwell, Hank Johnson, AOC, Jeff Sessions, and, of course, the late James Traficant of Ohio.
- Onomatopoeia: Buzzzzz, sizzzzle, and hissssss are examples. I love this word because I learned to spell it in the 7th grade to prepare for one of the last spelling bees in the US not won by an Indian-American.
- Niggardly: Meaning selfish, miserly. This word has tremendous shock value, and I dare you to use it in public around honor graduates of any US public education system. Most recently in the news when used by former DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams, who is African-American, to describe a budget allocation. Williams was roundly criticized for his racist language.
- Snafu and Fubar: I love these words because they were totally made up by our armed forces and they’re so pleasing to the ear.
- Ululate: This ancient word re-emerged to describe the wailing by wives and daughters of the millions of victims of Middle East violence over the last 3,000 years. Plus, it reminds me of my Mother’s first name: Eula.
I could add to this list for days, but I wanted to mention another category, words I hate because they spread like Ebola through the ranks of the useful idiots who masquerade as journalists, who repeat them mindlessly:
- Unprecedented: Used by every media person and angry politicians to describe actions that have actually been carried out many times before.
- Ubiquitous: For many moons during a period in the recent past, every reporter on television used this term repeatedly. As you might expect, it’s use became, you guessed it, ubiquitous.
- Bombshell: Used now to describe everything. (See title to this piece).
- Tipping Point: Actually two words, and I hate them both.
- Tsunami: Everything is now a tidal wave.
Okay, you Ricochetti out there who are closet logophiles (and you know who you are), kindly add to these lists. There are words you love and words you hate. Let’s hear them.
Published in Humor
Before I do my worst, I wish to claim offence (note spelling) on behalf of the place of my birth.
Birmingham is an excellent city, with more miles of canals than Venice (Italy, not California), and its reputation in the arts and manufacturing is in no way fraudulent.
We seem to be getting further and further away from precision in our use of language. Modern dictionaries are mostly to blame for that.
Ok @michaelhenry, here goes:
sybil- woman in ancient times who voiced the oracles
sigil- a symbol or engraving with magical powers
cavil- a trivial or petty objection
Virgil’s vigil over the sybil’s sigil could not be thwarted by the rabble’s cavils.
So there!😛
( You did say I should do my worst)
My favorite place name is Zzyzx, California on I-15 in the Mohave Desert. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zzyzx,_California
Goes well with jamoke.
I’ve visited the research station there. I wouldn’t exactly say it’s scenic but it is interesting.
The person who named it wanted to be the last entry in the dictionary. I checked with my scrabble buddy; unfortunately Place Names cannot be used.
Defeat – to best.
Deduct – to take off.
Defense – protective measure
Detail – a particular job in the military
Defeat of deduct went over defense before detail.
Some of my favorites come from my childhood, Italian dominant, neighborhood north of Boston.
“That scamotz gave me agita. Marone. Put a bucca in my machiato. Hey, and no chips in the ganol. What kind of chooch puts chips in ganol?”
If you like Michael’s conversations here, you should read his books.
Hey, Aar: Excellent work. Exceeded my expectations. Showcases your impressive knowledge of stuff that is no use to anyone for anything. Well done, Aar.
Precisely why I don’t quit the day job. Thanks🙂
Just read this:last night my almost five year old grandson said my dog was a “gruntle boy”. Now I see he may have been correct.