Vocabulary Lesson

[jackshoegazer]

In my ongoing quest to increase my vocabulary, I hereby present some of my latest additions, brought to you by Dictionary.com's Word of the Day. Some of them are very different than what I imagined them to mean.

saturnine \SAT-uhr-nyn\, adjective:
1. Born under or being under the astrological influence of the
planet Saturn.
2. Gloomy or sullen in disposition.
3. Having a sardonic or bitter aspect.

lionize \LY-uh-nyz\, transitive verb:
To treat or regard as an object great interest or importance.

finical \FIN-ih-kuhl\, adjective:
Extremely or unduly particular in standards or taste;
fastidious; finicky.

recreant \REK-ree-uhnt\, adjective:
1. Cowardly; craven.
2. Unfaithful; disloyal.

tumid\TOO-mid; TYOO-\, adjective:
1. Swollen, enlarged, or distended; as, "a tumid leg."
2. Bulging; protuberant.
3. Swelling in sound or sense; pompous; inflated; bombastic.

unfledged \uhn-FLEJD\, adjective:
1. Lacking the feathers necessary for flight.
2. Not fully developed; immature.

betimes \bih-TYMZ\, adverb:
1. Early; in good time; before it is late.
2. At times; on occasion.
3. [Archaic] Soon; in a short time.

glutinous \GLOOT-nuhs\, adjective:
Of the nature of glue; resembling glue; sticky.

durance \DUR-uhn(t)s; DYUR-\, noun:
1. Imprisonment; confinement or restraint by or as if by force
(usually used in the phrase "durance vile").
2. [Archaic] Endurance.

Comments

[parapherna.livejournal.com]

Since I'm a writer, I find Word of the Day to be both a curse and an elevation. So many words, so many compulsions!

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

The hard part is finding a reason to use them in speech. In writing, it's a bit easier, as I'm much more verbose in text than I am in speech and I also tend to 'dumb down' my speech a bit, so that I don't come across as arrogant and educated :P More accurately, I adjust my speech to the person I'm talking to, so in a conversation with say, Britney Spears, I would never tell her she's unfledged and recreant; that her pregnancy makes her look tumid, and that I refuse to lionize her. I could say instead, "What up, grrl? Take your barefoot, preggo ass and make me a chicken pot pie!" :)

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

Studying for the GRE's was so much fun, with all the lovely words. Saturnine, tumid, and recreant were all on the test.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I've always been jealous of my friends who studied for the GRE. They had an excuse to learn massive amounts of vocabulary, whereas I have to do it all on my lonesome :P I'm constantly digging in the dictionary and thesaurus any time I happen across an unfamiliar word.

Learning for the sake of learning. God, I'm a nerd.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

Hey, you're telling this to someone who likes to read the Scrabble Dictionary for fun.

And what other reason is there to learn? ;)

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Hey, I read that too! I go to used book stores and buy old dictionaries and thesauruses (thesauri?).

Mostly, I hate to admit, I learn so I don't ever have to appear unintelligent. In astrology, I blame it on Saturn in my 3rd house, which translates to a fear of restriction in communications, and in my life, I blame it on spending many of my formative years in white-trash, hick southern Indiana and having to be surrounded by the ignorant and maladjusted. It's compensatory to guarantee that I am never confused for one of them.

TMI?

[anubis75.livejournal.com]

Learning for the sake of learning.

Ain't nothin' wrong with that.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

I know that :) It just goes against the current paradigm on purposeful ignorance that most of society seems to be striving for.

[anubis75.livejournal.com]

I'm about as saturnine as they come without being completely morose.

[maeghanne.livejournal.com]

Oh please! ;)

[anubis75.livejournal.com]

Ask [Bad username or site: @ livejournal.com] what a cynical bastard I can be; P

[maeghanne.livejournal.com]

Haha!

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

Based on your posts, I don't see that at all. If I had to use planetary energies to describe my impressions of you, I would say you're very Jupiterian with just enough Saturn to keep you from expanding into oblivion, with just a dash of Mercury and Pluto for flavor.

[anubis75.livejournal.com]

Well when you're a January-born aquarian you can't help but have a strong Saturnian influennce. I'd say the Jupiter is what I strive for.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

It could be worse. You could have Capricornian Sea-Goats beating down your astrological doors :)