When I Was a Child, I Spake as a Child -- When I Became an Adult... I Didn't Do Much Better

Today's word:

puerile: (adjective) childish; immature [pure-aisle]

This word comes in handy when describing my clientele and my husband (from time to time). Not that he'd appreciate me telling you that, but I'm thinking it probably goes without saying. If you know him, you've already noticed he's puerile.

Most of the boys in my classes are puerile. Frankly, I don't know how their female counterparts can stand them... but then again, they're a bit puerile as well. So it all evens out somehow. The longer I hang out with the middle school crowd, the more puerile I begin to act. Just read my sonnet, "Ode to a Boogar". It doesn't take long for me to regress.

Now It Just Sounds Like We're Making Stuff Up

Today's word:

frangible: (adjective) easily broken [fran-juh-bull]

Have you ever heard people say "edjamacated" when they are satirizing how well they were educated? Well, this word sounds like someone was doing that. I mean, really... if it means fragile and you are going to use a word that sounds like fragile, why not just say fragile!? Probably one day someone writing a thesaurus thought there weren't enough synonyms for the word fragile, so he or she just made one up. It's ridiculous.

Or maybe --

The original word WAS frangible, and some post office somewhere made a typo when ordering their HANDLE WITH CARE stamp, and it just caught on. Evolution of language is a crazy thing. You never know when a word will be so frangible, it can become obsolete because of poetic quality, spelling errors, or just sheer laziness.

I Detest Asinine People

Today's word:

dullard: (noun) a dull or stupid person [dull-urd]

This is one I just put on the kids' list for this next vocabulary test. Funny thing -- we play Balderdash on the Friday before we start the new list. Dullard was the only word they still remembered from this last Friday! I guess we all can relate to the word, since we all know at least one dullard.

Examples:

If I never have to deal with another dullard in my life again, it will be too soon. Considering the grades on the unit test, I must have a whole class full of dullards. Laugh and show your ignorance; speak and prove you're a dullard.

Just so you know, I don't really go around thinking everyone is a dullard. In my opinion, only someone who doesn't bother trying is a dullard. Man, I really ought to find some more uplifting words!

You Pompous Windbag!

Today's word:

bloviate: (verb) to talk very pompously and at great length [blow-vee-ate]

Essentially, this is talking like a pompous windbag. I can see by the look on your face that you're thinking I bloviate. Well, when you say it like that, it doesn't sound like a very nice word, but anyway... I'm not long-winded (unless I'm writing). Pompous, maybe, but I don't think I've ever been accused of talking too much -- except in 2nd grade, but that's a story for another blog.

It seems kind of ironic to use the term bloviate, because we usually associate people who use an expatiated vocabulary with pompous windbags. So technically, using the word bloviate could earn you a reputation for bloviating. :)

(You may want to read that paragraph again, because it seems a bit ambiguous. Does it only make sense inside my head?)

I picture a know-it-all kind of guy (in my head, it has to be a man -- bloviating just doesn't seem like a feminine characteristic). The kind of guy who loves to hear himself talk and ALWAYS has to be right . . . regardless. Sounds like a couple of my brothers-in-law, actually. Proverbs would define a fool as one who bloviates -- they don't listen to anyone, and they LOVE to expatiate on their "knowledge" for all to hear.

A loquacious person I can handle. Heck, I married loquacious incarnate! But bloviating just grates on my very last nerve. There's just something about conceit I downright despise. Anybody besides me feel that way?

Just Toss It Out the Window, Why Don't You?

Today's word:

defenestrate: (verb) to throw out the window [dee-fin-us-trait]

I just like this word. It's fun to say.

Every year when I'm doing my poetry unit, and we get to the invented language poem, someone (usually me, I'm not gonna lie) adds this word to the list of words we like the sound of. Plus -- you know -- sometimes I felt like defenestrating some of the students, so it all fits together somehow.

When I was little, one of my siblings defenestrated a push-up container (remember those?) while we were driving through town. A policeman pulled my mom over and cited her for littering. That was quite the experience.

Sometimes life is hard. The important thing is to hang in there and resist the temptation to defenestrate yourself. Remember, "This too shall pass."

Chew On This

Today's Word:

ruminate: (verb) to chew --OR-- to ponder and reflect [roo-muh-nate]

Examples:
If you spend time ruminating on new concepts or vocabulary, those new things will move into your long-term memory.

Cows live a pretty mundane life. All they do is ruminate the cud all day long.

Who Has the Energy?

Today's word:

indefatigable: (adjective) untiring [in-deaf-a-teeg-a-bull]

Examples:
If I were indefatigable, I'd be able to get a lot more done around the house when I get home from work.

The children are indefatigable when they are making messes around the house, but suddenly become quite somnolent, when it comes time to clean up.