Love them. What do I do with them?

~ Live & Learn

words,write,writing,vocabulary,writer,blog,blogging

The Lori’s, the Mimi’s, the Beth’s, the… (I can go on and on)…they weave words. Fine, beautiful, silky words.  Effortlessly sliding around rock. Floating on air currents on a magic carpet. Drifting upward with red Helium balloons.  And then. There’s me.  Chopping. Hacking. Slashing. Racking my mind to find just the right word.  Blow after blow of self-flagellation.  It can’t be due to a lack of depth in (of?) vocabulary. (Well, maybe it is.) I do have a short list of magic words. I love them. Yet, I find it impossible to work them into a sentence. (Note to Self: In time DK. In time. You will work this list. It might be 3 yards and a cloud of dust, but you will cross the damn goal line. Yes you will.  And yes readers, you will soon find these deep blog passages of mine “imbued with sparkle and élan.”* Oh, God. Help me.)

Bucolic In a lovely rural setting.
Conflate To blend together.
Demure Shy and reserved.
Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm.
Ephemeral Short-lived.
Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable.
Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time.
Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk.
Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free.
Imbue To infuse, instill.
Incipient Beginning, in an early stage.
Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible.
Inure To become jaded.
Lissome Slender and graceful.
Mellifluous Sweet sounding.
Panoply A complete set.
Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.
Propinquity An inclination.
Redolent Fragrant.
Scintilla A spark or very small thing.
Sempiternal Eternal.
Sumptuous Lush, luxurious.
Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky.
Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

Sources/References/Credits:

45 thoughts on “Love them. What do I do with them?”

  1. You can do it, DK! Just need to imbue your Blog with a more ebullient approach to the use of these mellifluous words.

    Not that you need to. Your Blogs are ineffably inspiring as they are, and you write as well as anyone I know.

    Thought you set the bar a bit low, too. Can we set you some challenges? How about consubstantiation? Do you accept the mission?

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  2. I’m with Michael, DK. I think you’re already a pretty crafty wordsmith (though I do appreciate the compliment). So show a little insouciance, pal (as I recall, you like this word, too). Keep pressing toward your goal and before long you’ll be throwing out fantastic words with the aplomb of a true litterateur! 🙂

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      1. Oh pshaw, as my grandmother would say! My words don’t have to be your words. That’s the beauty of our language…you can paint with an entirely different palette. 🙂 You have your own inimitable style, pal. Never discount that….

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  3. numinous – (adj.) (latin origin, english)

    describing an experience that makes you fearful, yet fascinated – awed, yet attracted, the powerful, personal feeling of begin overwhelmed and inspired.

    thank you for such kind words on this day, david. i have such a great love of words. and ironically, i have always thought the reverse. – i’ve seen you as the clever wordsmith, and i, but the disciple – reading, learning, and taking it all in.

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  6. Oh David, David, David – would that you would remove that hair shirt for a moment – if for no other reason than to feel the ineffable ebullience your talent evokes. You’ve got it all pal – so much more than mere mortals like me (I can’t speak for Lori and Beth for they’re in another universe). You don’t hack, you imbue with wonder and awe, delight and disbelief. And man oh man, are you a talent to be reckoned with. Full stop.

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      2. but it’s real uncomfortable and was part of a religious commitment (not mine – we just have guilt). But it certainly made one feel far far pretty yucky. And in my book, you should only be in the most comfortable of fabrics.

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  11. If you are chopping, slashing, hacking and racking your mind to find the right words, it is certainly working for you (and me, and your many followers). Not only do you write beautifully, you inspire so many with your words (and who knows how many more are out there who don’t comment?).

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  13. Marvelous list of jaw breaking words, I can’t even pronounce them. Your writing is good I don’t have to run for dictionary every time. Simple is good.

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