Be Still

Suddenly ....

I don't like 'suddenly'. 

Let's unpack that a bit to give you some context.

When asked to describe myself for a recent church event I included the phrase "I don’t like things to be too busy, too noisy, or too chaotic". 

This week has been all of those things. In the last seven days I have had the following:

• A quiet morning in the office, with only a couple of issues - followed by seven separate problems to solve, all arriving within a fifteen minute period. Just like buses, they all came at once! Do these guys save these problems up, and co-ordinate sending them to me just to annoy? (yes, I did work through them all - it took a couple of hours)
• Then I got some news that a work colleague had suddenly retired. The first I had heard of it was an out-of-office notification sent to someone else that had been forwarded to me. So much for our close working relationship! Guess we weren't that close after all - except when he wanted a favour...
• A meeting I had been planning for three weeks had to be moved into a completely different room and IT setup with less than half a day's notice. No, it didn't go as well as I'd planned. Of course...
• Traffic in the local area is currently appallingly bad. Road closures, road works appearing with no prior notice. Where did those temporary traffic lights come from - they weren't there this morning! No, really, you have to leave yourself an extra half an hour just to get across town! 
• There are other examples, however that gives you an idea of how infuriating things can be this week. All one after another. And all just as sudden. And then - suddenly - it's all back to what it was before. Was it a bad dream? 

When talking to someone about how I felt, he said that I shouldn't be so sensitive. 

Which is a pity. Because that's who God made me. 

See link here .

If only ....

Food for thought. Are you doing your bit to spread the love around?

Foolishness?

1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Perhaps the words of God don't make any sense to you? Yeah, I get it. Because that's what scripture tells us in the above verse. Oh, you didn't know the bible spoke directly about those who don't believe the gospel... 

To one group of people - Paul calls these 'the perishing' because it means they are heading for death - the sacrifice of Christ makes no sense. The original Greek term used here is mōria, from which we get the English word moron. Consequently, those who don't know God think believers, and their faith, are stupid.

However, those of us who do believe, Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is a powerful act. Without that powerful act, we would be lost and without hope.

Which group are you in?

Crazy

Cracked

 

Z is for Zebroid

A zebroid is the offspring between a zebra and any other equine (horse-like animal) to create a hybrid. 

A zorse is the offspring of a male zebra and a female horse. 

A zony or zoni is the offspring of a male zebra and a female pony.  

A cross between a zebra and a donkey can be known as either a zenkey, a zonkey, or a zedonk.

And I never thought that my entry for Z in this collection of posts would be so long...!

Y is for Yellowback

Yellowback

noun: an inexpensive novel. The name comes from their cheap binding which was often covered with yellow paper.

Some book publishers began mass-producing cheap, sensationalist novels in the 1840s, in an effort to compete with the increasingly popular penny-dreadfuls (which was cheap popular serial literature). It was the predecessor of the modern paperback book.

These books were printed and bound in bright mustard-yellow jackets to attract readers’ attention, and were put on sale as impulse buys in tobacconists, train stations, and other everyday locations rather than booksellers. 

Yellowback publishing didn’t last, however the name continues to describe any sensationalist, mass-produced, and often poor-quality novel.

X is for Xenophobia

xenophobia  

noun: fear of anything or anyone foreign or strange. From the Ancient Greek xénos (strange, foreign, or alien) and phóbos (fear). 

One of my favourite X words, naturally. Not a long list, there isn't many of them!

W is for Wazzock

Wazzock

noun, informal, used frequently in the Midlands and Yorkshire: a fool, an idiot. 

The word is of unknown origin, but is increasingly popular. 

I get more than my fair share of Wazzocks on the road when I am driving... this is perhaps my favourite word in this group!

V is for Vulpine

vulpine

• adjective: relating to, or resembling a fox
• adjective; crafty or cunning; clever and dishonest

Thus, "Colin gave a vulpine smile"

The word is derived from the Latin word for fox, vulpes.

Another useful verb is to vulpinate, which describes how a person could cheat or someone with crafty wiles or deceits.

U is for Ululate

ululate

verb: to howl; specifically to make a long, high cry with the mouth and tongue that changes between two or three notes, often to show emotion at a ceremony such as a wedding or funeral. 

The word comes from Latin ululatus, the past participle of ululare, meaning similar to the screech of an owl (ulula)

The best known example of ululation in popular culture is the war cry of Xena: Warrior Princess. Actress Lucy Lawless, who starred in the TV show, revealed the cry was based on Arabic women performing a ululation vocal trill at a funeral.

I've got a good friend who loves to ululate. 

T is for Triskaidekaphobia

Triskaidekaphobia 

noun: fear or avoidance of the number 13. 

The term was coined in the early 20th Century by psychologist Isador Coriat, although there is history of the number being said to be unlucky from all the way back to the Middle Ages. The word is formed by attaching the Greek word for "thirteen"—treiskaideka (dropping that first "e") — to phobia ("fear of").

If you fear the number 13, the chances are that you will also have a fear of Friday the 13th which many believe to be a day of bad luck in a number of western cultures. The term for fear of that particular day is Paraskevidekatriaphobia, or friggatriskaidekaphobia.

For completeness, please note that NASA's Apollo 13 mission to the Moon was launched on 11th April, 1970, at 13:13:00 CST and suffered an oxygen tank explosion on 13th April at 21:07:53 CST. It returned safely to Earth on 17th April. 

S is for Scurryfunge

Scurryfunge

verb, american: To frantically tidy up

Best definition that I have read? 

"A hasty tidying of the house between the time you see the neighbour coming and the time they knock on the door."

Been there; done that!

R is for Rain Check

rain check

noun: the postponement of an event, to put it off for a later date

Originally, a rain check was a ticket given to people who went to a sporting event that was cancelled because of the rain. The ticket would get you in to another event in the future. The picture attached is for a ticket issued for a US baseball game. The term was first coined in the 19th Century.

Nowadays, it had more to do with rescheduling. It's kinder than giving someone a flat 'no'.  It's saying 'yes', however just not today. It can be also used as a verb, meaning "To take a rain check on". 

Some shops have even taken it a further step, issuing "rain checks" promising a price guarantee for a item where they have temporarily sold out. 

Source: Wiktionary, see link

Q is for Quockerwodger

Quockerwodger

noun, slang: puppet (literal & figurative)

A quockerwodger was a 19th century word for a wooden toy figure that jerks its limbs when a string is pulled.

However, it quickly took on the figurative meaning of a politician who was being similarly manipulated by an influential third party.

Acknowlegement: RobWords - see YouTube link here

P is for Petrichor

Petrichor

The word was first coined in the scientific journal Nature in 1964, and stems from the Greek word for rock (Petra) and the word Ichor, the liquid that was said to flow through the veins of Greek gods. 

It describes the distinctive odour that occurs after rain falls after a prolonged drought. The water creates a distinctive earthy scent. 

I learnt the word from an episode of Doctor Who. 

O is for Omnishambles

omnishambles

noun, British colloquial: a situation, especially in politics, in which poor judgement results in disorder or chaos with potentially disastrous consequences.

This word is regularly used by the British Press (and even in Parliament) to describe actual political disasters, however it was first used in 2009 in the BBC TV series 'The Thick of It', a political satire. It adds the Latin prefix omni-, (meaning "all") to the word shambles, a term for a situation of total disorder. 

The term was coined by writer Tony Roche. Well done, mate!

N is for Namby-pamby

Namby-pamby

adjective; lacking in character or substance, insipid, weak, indecisive 

The word was coined in a poem called Namby Pamby, written in 1725 by Henry Carey. It was a satire of fellow poet Ambrose Philips, a political activist and supporter of the Whig party. Philips began to be called this as a nickname as a result of the poem's popularity. 

M is for Myriad

myriad

noun - a countless or extremely great number of people or things.

How bright the light is from soul to soul: 
A myriad tiny flames expanding to a whole...

Taken from Verse 2 of Candle of the Lord, by Major Joy Webb

L is for Log

Practically every episode of Star Trek opened with William Shatner as James T Kirk giving details of the crew's latest mission in his Captain's Log. But why do we call it a Log? 

The term log-book originally referred to a book for recording readings from the chip log, a piece of wood that floated upright in the water and enabled them to estimate a ship's speed through the water. The line attached to the chip log had knots on it, and periodically the log was dropped off the ship and the number of knots counted as they passed (hence also why we register nautical speed in knots...)

Readings taken from the chip log were transferred to a log-board or log-slate, and finally recorded in a log-book. Eventually the book was simply abbreviated to log.

The ship's log is a record of important events in the management, operation, and navigation of a ship, used through the centuries for ships of all sorts. The ship's log is essential to traditional navigation, and must be filled in at least daily. 

A modern day ship's log has grown to contain many other types of information, such as weather conditions, times of routine events and significant incidents, crew complement or what ports were docked at and when.

K is for Kachcha

kachcha

• adjective: substandard or makeshift, ramshackle, second-rate.
• noun: Dried mud, used as a building material

This is a wonderful bit of English which comes from India. Taken from the Hindi language, a kachcha (also spelt cutcha or kutcha) is a brick made of dried mud. It's not the best type of brick.

That's why kachcha can also be used as an adjective to describe something that looks temporary or is substandard.

Interestingly, its opposite in Hindi is pukka (also spelt pucka) - a word that has found its way into British slang, meaning "excellent". It's a brand name for a type of meat pie in the UK.

Here's a 19th century quote explains the difference between the two:

"A cutcha brick is a sundried brick. A pucka brick is a properly kiln-burnt brick..A cutcha appointment is acting or temporary. A pucka appointment is permanent."

 H. Yule & A. C. Burnell, Hobson-Jobson (1884)

Source: RobWords - see link to the YouTube channel here

J is for Jiggery-Pokery

jiggery-pokery 

noun, Chiefly British. Manipulation of a situation or a device, doubtless due to some hidden knowledge.

The word brings with it a strong implication that some form of trickery or dishonest action has occurred. There may even be sleight of hand involved. Probably based on the Scottish term joukery-pawkery (“trickery; deceit”)

After a little jiggery-pokery, the engine started.

I is for Ick

ick

exclamation, informal: used to express a feeling of shock or dislike with the implication that it makes you feel sick. 

The word can also be used as a noun, as "the ick" has been made famous in the TV reality show Love Island (I never watch it!) as "a sudden feeling that you dislike someone or something or are no longer attracted to someone because of something they do". For example, "what he did gave me the ick".

It's amazing what words make it to the dictionary. This word made it in this very year, One of the joys of the English language, which is a living language, constantly evolving...

H is for Harlequin

harlequin

noun: a mute character in traditional pantomime, typically masked and dressed in a diamond-patterned costume.

The oldest versions of the word harlequin - the Middle Dutch hellekijn and the Old French hellequin - clearly refer to a hellish character, a kind of demon. The modern term is more a synonym for a clown.

When capitalized, Harlequin refers to a stock character of the Italian commedia dell’arte and subsequently the pantomime traditions of many nations. Harlequin’s outfit soon became a tight-fitting costume with bright triangles and diamond shapes and a black half-mask, with the character was the principal star of pantomimes known as harlequinades.

The most modern version of the character was created for a Batman: The Animated Series episode in 1992. A female harlequin character was introduced as a one-off sidekick to the Joker, however her unexpected popularity led to her prompt return and subsequent growth as a star in her own right. Today, Harley Quinn (Dr. Harleen Frances Quinzel) is a global star of comics and film!

G is for Gormless

gormless

noun, British, informal: lacking intelligence or common-sense, dull, stupid, slow to understand

Taken from the old Norse word gaum (“heed, attention”) with the addition of  -less (“without”). 

This is one of those words that is always used in the negative. You can't be full of gorm.

Good word, though...

F is for Furlough

furlough

• noun: a period of time that a member of the armed forces is allowed to be absent, especially to return temporarily to their own home. 

A particularly positive term, essentially a holiday period for members of the Army, Navy or Air Force.  It is also widely used within The Salvation Army to refer to their officers' periods of leave.

However, since the Covid-19 pandemic, the term has been applied generally across all employers, and it is used for those workers who were laid off because a company couldn't employ them - quite a different scenario, and much more negative...

• noun: the period of time when a company stops employing someone, because the company does not have enough money or enough work

The term comes from a Dutch term verlof, meaning "leave of absence".

E is for Eureka

Eureka!

The cry of “Eureka!” came whilst Archimedes was taking a bath, with the subsequent displacement of water leading him to discover what is now known as the Archimedes Principle.

Reportedly, Archimedes was so thrilled and excited with this discovery that he immediately hopped out of the bath and ran naked onto the streets to tell his king, shouting loudly in Greek ''Eureka! Eureka!'' (I have found it!)

The term is also the motto of the US State of California, referring to the momentous discovery of gold in the state in 1848. 

D is for Donnybrook

donnybrook

noun: an inordinately wild fight; a brawl

The use of the word stems from the Irish town of Donnybrook, which is now a suburb of Dublin. The town had a regular fair, which was infamous for its wild and rowdy events, which often led to public brawls. Thus, the word is used to describe any large, disorderly event where tempers flare and conflicts arise.

C is for Cobweb

Ever wondered where the 'cob' came from in the word cobweb? 

Interestingly, the term ordinates from the 13th Century English word coppe, which meant, of course, "spider".  

Whist we refer to the term "spider web" to a web that is apparently still in use, we invariably use "cobweb" to refer to an old or abandoned web, particularly in attics or abandoned houses. It's often a staple form of decoration for haunted houses at Hallowe'en. 

We can also refer to it to show confusion or that your memory is particularly hazy—you might want to "clean out the cobwebs" in an effort to clear your mind.

B is for Bazooka

The Bazooka is a portable recoil-less anti-tank rocket launcher, often seen on the movies being carried by action heroes. I'm not so fond of the device in question, however I'm fascinated to know where the term originated. 

The name "bazooka" comes from an extension of the word "bazoo", which is slang for "mouth" or in certain circumstances "boastful talk".  

Radio comedian Bob Burns is credited with inventing a musical instrument which he called a "bazooka" in the 1910s, and popularised it in the 1930s. It was a brass musical instrument several feet in length which incorporated tubing like a trombone (see picture). During World War II, the weapon was nicknamed "bazooka" as it vaguely resembled the instrument. 

Nowadays we have all but forgotten the musical instrument. :( 

However, it's interesting to note the word is still in use to advertise Bazooka bubble gum which was first marketed shortly after World War II in the U.S. by the Topps Company of Brooklyn, New York. 

A is for Aglet

An aglet is the name for the cover, often made of plastic or metal, found at each end of a shoelace or bootlace.

I am pretty sure you were unaware this actually had a name...

The word was first coined in the fifteenth century, and was originally a form of the French word aguillette, the diminutive of aguille, meaning needle.

A-Z: A list of some of my favourite words

It pays to increase your Word Power. 

Or so the regular column in the Reader's Digest used to proclaim. Do you remember this magazine? Regretfully, after 86 years, Reader's Digest UK has just stopped printing this wonderful publication from May 2024.  I guess this is just another sign of the times. Oh well...

As part of my semi-regular challenge to myself to blog every day for 26 straight days in August - I give you a list of some terrific words and how these can be used to increase your vocabulary. Enjoy!

Have a great summer! 

Love is the Answer

Bad Experiences?

 

In Four Words

 

A quick prayer ...

 

Get The Message?