Word of the Day

       I like new words.   Not to say that I am good at pronouncing or even remembering most of them but it is intriguing to get out of my simple word comfort zone.  Many decades ago, I got hooked on doing the "Word Power" quiz in Reader's Digest.  Ron and I still like to take it with us on road trips to pass the time away.  Several months ago I found a new toy.  I began subscribing to Merriam-Webster's free online "Word of the Day."   MW sends me a word via email every day to add to my repertoire, complete with the definition, usage example, and audio pronunciation.
  


      Now I have never heard, much less used, the majority of the words I get. For example, today the word is parvenu. Use that much in your daily conversations?  Well in case you want to, here's the scoop.  It is a noun and means "one who has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it."  The political arena seems to be a good place to use this one.  Just saying...


     
      I find many of the words funny.  I retain those the best - go figure.  Here are some that cracked me up.

• Chowderhead - noun:  dolt, blockhead.  I had a boss once who fit this description.  Oops, that wasn't nice now was it.
• Mirandize - verb:  to recite the Miranda warnings 
• Sesquipedalian - adjective: having many syllables; long; using long words  :-)
• Xenophobia - noun: fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.  There's a phobia for everything!
• Addlepated - adjective:  being mixed up; confused. 
• Booboisie - noun:  blend of boob(people who are not very smart) and bourgeoisie (middle class); the general public regarded as consisting of boobs.  Pronounced boob wah zee
• Jerkwater - noun:  remote and unimportant
• Orchidaceous - adjective:  of, relating to, or resembling the orchids;
  showy, ostentatious.

     The hardest part of learning new words is using them. Since I do not have xenophobia I accept the challenge.  BUT, I will end this blog before you mirandize me for being a chowderhead and jerkwater who is an addlepated member of the booboisie who speaks with an orchidaceous and sesquipedalian tongue.