Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Go Hang A Salami; I'm A Lasagna Hog!

I'll bet you're wondering what that title means. Read it backward and you'll see. It's a palindrome; a word or phrase that is the same read forward or back. Racecar, deed, mom, dad, toot and radar are all palindromes, too. Yes, my friends, we will be having fun with words again today. Creating palindromes may be considered floccinaucinihilipilification (categorized as worthless), so instead we will discuss some new words to add to our vocabulary. I'm sanguine (cheerfully confident or optimistic) that you'll enjoy using them.

Remember the nude resort from this post? You may cause some umbrage if you stare at the sunbathers. Someone may be offended and ululate in your direction. You may even have to put your hands over your tragi. Before you think this has become an x-rated blog, I'll translate. Umbrage is the feeling of being offended, ululate is to lament loudly and tragi is the plural form of tragus which is the flap of cartilage that protects the hole in your ear.

Do you suppose they offer classes in tauromachy at this resort? That could be dangerous. Of course, the art of bullfighting is dangerous regardless of how much or how little clothing you're wearing. You certainly wouldn't want to spartle while you're standing in front of a bull, because moving in a sprawling or struggling manor might provoke him. In fact, it might just be best to leave the nude resort altogether. You are spending way too much time there, people are going claver!

Speaking of gossip, do you know anyone who is a quidnunc? If you do, you should be careful what you say around them. A quidnunc is a busybody or gossip. They would love to tell everyone about that embarrassing wet spot on your oxter. But then they would have to explain why they were looking in your armpit.

It's only natural that you would perspire if you were involved in some sort of physical activity. How about a penny-farthing? You could really work up a sweat riding one of those old fashioned bicycles with the big front tire. Even if you don't have one, it's really fun to say. Try it. Penny-farthing, penny-farthing, penny-farthing.

Meldrop is the penultimate, or next to last word that I'm going to share with you today. If your allergies are bothering you while you ride your penny-farthing (yep, it's still fun to say), you might develop a meldrop. Be sure you have a tissue to wipe it off. It's a drop of mucus at the end of your nose. Gross.

Lastly, if you need to make a stop at a public restroom to clean up that meldrop (yep, still gross), be sure to check out the latrinalia. Just don't get caught adding any of your own or you may have to clean it up. You do know that means restroom graffiti, right?

See how many of these words you can work into everyday conversations and until we meet again, ponder this: Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

My allergies are so bad today that not only do I have meldrops to spare but my brain is a wee bit discombobulated. I'm also a tad lachrymose, too.

Gracey said...

From all these words, I only knew the "tragi" (medical terminology and Greek origin) and the "tauromachy" (also Greek). Thanks for the fun "lesson"! :)