oneiric: pertaining to or suggestive of dreams
She slinked off behind the sofa, the whole ordeal had been too much for her. Barely had she rested her eyes for just a second before she heard it. The sound was almost oneiric, so unlike anything of this world was it. With a pounding in her heart, she emerged back into the living room, eyes and ears on the alert.
"GRAARRR."
There it was again. Her ears pricked up like tiny satellites, trying to pinpoint the exact location. Upstairs certainly. She set off, up the stairs, and stopping just before the landing; the final step offered some cover should it decide to attack. She saw legs dangling around in the small room on the left. From this vantage point she could see right up their skirts, and the blue, pink, and flowery knickers they were wearing.
"Awwww, he's such a good talker, isn't he?" one of them cooed.
Friday, 16 April 2010
cap-a-pie \kap-uh-PEE\ adverb
Meaning: from head to foot
He was every inch the cowboy - or so he thought - dressed cap-a-pie in all the gear, which he'd bought from the local store. As he headed over to his horse, though, the truth became clear. Even the horse could tell that this was not a man meant for the saddle, as it whinnied around the corral, looking for a way out of this awkward situation: she didn't want to have to buck him.
Who he was trying to prove himself to was quite clear. A young brunette stood beneath the veranda awning, protected from the bright morning sun. He was careful not to look in her direction, but he knew she was watching.
Meaning: from head to foot
He was every inch the cowboy - or so he thought - dressed cap-a-pie in all the gear, which he'd bought from the local store. As he headed over to his horse, though, the truth became clear. Even the horse could tell that this was not a man meant for the saddle, as it whinnied around the corral, looking for a way out of this awkward situation: she didn't want to have to buck him.
Who he was trying to prove himself to was quite clear. A young brunette stood beneath the veranda awning, protected from the bright morning sun. He was careful not to look in her direction, but he knew she was watching.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
scour \SKOW-er\ verb
Meaning
1 : to move about quickly especially in search
*2 : to go through or range over in or as if in a search
We scoured the horizon, watching for something to break. The light was barely visible there, just a sliver of gold caressing the hills, but you could hear it breathing. The King's safety rested on us knowing the instant something happened, knowing when the attack would come. We couldn't know that it had already come, come from another quarter, a quarter where steel and quiver were futile. We should have watched there, in men's hearts, a place the morning sun was quite unseen.
Meaning
1 : to move about quickly especially in search
*2 : to go through or range over in or as if in a search
We scoured the horizon, watching for something to break. The light was barely visible there, just a sliver of gold caressing the hills, but you could hear it breathing. The King's safety rested on us knowing the instant something happened, knowing when the attack would come. We couldn't know that it had already come, come from another quarter, a quarter where steel and quiver were futile. We should have watched there, in men's hearts, a place the morning sun was quite unseen.
vulnerable \VUL-nuh-ruh-bul\ adjective
Meaning
1: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded
*2: open to attack or damage : assailable
Bobby ran down the mountainside, not knowing whether the bear had followed or not. Below in the valley he saw the little house he and his brother had built last fall. Smoke was rising from the stack, and even from this distance, with the breeze in his direction, he could hear Sandy singing. She didn't know that her husband had nearly lost his arm. Or that blood was at this very minute gushing from a place so near his eye he wasn't sure he'd ever see properly again. She didn't know how vulnerable he was right now. All she knew was that the baby was sleeping, and, when the baby slept, she had peace.
Meaning
1: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded
*2: open to attack or damage : assailable
Bobby ran down the mountainside, not knowing whether the bear had followed or not. Below in the valley he saw the little house he and his brother had built last fall. Smoke was rising from the stack, and even from this distance, with the breeze in his direction, he could hear Sandy singing. She didn't know that her husband had nearly lost his arm. Or that blood was at this very minute gushing from a place so near his eye he wasn't sure he'd ever see properly again. She didn't know how vulnerable he was right now. All she knew was that the baby was sleeping, and, when the baby slept, she had peace.
waif \WAYF\ noun
Meaning
1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed
b plural : stolen goods thrown away by a thief in flight
2 a : something found without an owner and especially by chance
*b : a stray person or animal; especially : a homeless child
Her time at the orphanage was neither happy nor sad, memorable nor forgettable, full of incident nor lifeless. She was exactly like the other girls, and she never fought to change that. She was a waif, a stray, a bundle collected in off the street and cared for, though with no belief that their was purpose nor point in its existence. It wasn't in fact till she was 68 years old that she realised her true potential, as a painter. Her hands were ancient seeds buried deep into the soil, and tilled and tilled, until at last, quite forgotten, they produced shoots more beautiful than any seen before, at least in the town of Michigan.
Meaning
1 a : a piece of property found (as washed up by the sea) but unclaimed
b plural : stolen goods thrown away by a thief in flight
2 a : something found without an owner and especially by chance
*b : a stray person or animal; especially : a homeless child
Her time at the orphanage was neither happy nor sad, memorable nor forgettable, full of incident nor lifeless. She was exactly like the other girls, and she never fought to change that. She was a waif, a stray, a bundle collected in off the street and cared for, though with no belief that their was purpose nor point in its existence. It wasn't in fact till she was 68 years old that she realised her true potential, as a painter. Her hands were ancient seeds buried deep into the soil, and tilled and tilled, until at last, quite forgotten, they produced shoots more beautiful than any seen before, at least in the town of Michigan.
inkling \INK-ling\ noun
Meaning
1 : a slight indication or suggestion : hint, clue
*2 : a slight knowledge or vague notion
Never before had I felt it; the sensation was quite, quite new. I would not say this was unsettling, only that it was unexpected. To discover something about yourself this late in life is at once surprising, and also reassuring: it's nice to know your race isn't quite yet over. The truth of the matter is that the first inkling went completely unnoticed. Those first few days were just like all the others, and it wasn't until things had progressed beyond a point of return that I was aware of her. She changed everything eventually, but entirely gradually.
Meaning
1 : a slight indication or suggestion : hint, clue
*2 : a slight knowledge or vague notion
Never before had I felt it; the sensation was quite, quite new. I would not say this was unsettling, only that it was unexpected. To discover something about yourself this late in life is at once surprising, and also reassuring: it's nice to know your race isn't quite yet over. The truth of the matter is that the first inkling went completely unnoticed. Those first few days were just like all the others, and it wasn't until things had progressed beyond a point of return that I was aware of her. She changed everything eventually, but entirely gradually.
eloquent \EL-uh-kwunt\ adjective
Meaning
*1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression
2 : vividly or movingly expressive or revealing
"You were so eloquent, Sidney." Lady Meenfeld was always sucking up to Lord Hord-Felton. She didn't know why, but for some reason she desperately wanted his approval.
"I only spoke for two minutes, Cynthia."
"I know, but they were the best two minutes of the whole afternoon."
"Hmmm."
Unfortunately for Lady Meenfeld, whatever she said seemed to either annoy Lord Hord-Felton, or convince him that she was the silliest woman he'd ever met.
Meaning
*1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression
2 : vividly or movingly expressive or revealing
"You were so eloquent, Sidney." Lady Meenfeld was always sucking up to Lord Hord-Felton. She didn't know why, but for some reason she desperately wanted his approval.
"I only spoke for two minutes, Cynthia."
"I know, but they were the best two minutes of the whole afternoon."
"Hmmm."
Unfortunately for Lady Meenfeld, whatever she said seemed to either annoy Lord Hord-Felton, or convince him that she was the silliest woman he'd ever met.
tatterdemalion \tatt-er-dih-MAIL-yun\ adjective
Meaning
1 : ragged or disreputable in appearance
*2 : being in a decayed state or condition : dilapidated
It was amazing how quickly the house had fallen into a state of disrepair. Perhaps it was because Mr Michaels had been so good at papering over the cracks, without actually fixing anything. Instead of replacing the curtains, he kept sewing them back together, so by now they were threadbare. Even the front door was tatterdemalion, with three large cracks so big you could see right into the hall. One was almost big enough to slip your hand through. Since his death the bugs and beetles had broken the besieged house's defences, and were pouring through, devouring what they could, breaking up the rest. It was vanquished.
Meaning
1 : ragged or disreputable in appearance
*2 : being in a decayed state or condition : dilapidated
It was amazing how quickly the house had fallen into a state of disrepair. Perhaps it was because Mr Michaels had been so good at papering over the cracks, without actually fixing anything. Instead of replacing the curtains, he kept sewing them back together, so by now they were threadbare. Even the front door was tatterdemalion, with three large cracks so big you could see right into the hall. One was almost big enough to slip your hand through. Since his death the bugs and beetles had broken the besieged house's defences, and were pouring through, devouring what they could, breaking up the rest. It was vanquished.
bravado \bruh-VAH-doh\ noun
Meaning
1 a : blustering swaggering conduct b : a pretense of bravery
*2 : the quality or state of being foolhardy
"You rarely see a kitten attempt to take on anything that much bigger than itself," said Jerry, whilst cleaning up the stray lettuce leaves and milk.
"Well, he certainly has guts," replied Michelle, who was wiping down Greg's shell.
"Bravado is what that kitten has," said Jerry. "I think we raised an alley cat."
"I told you we should have gone for pedigree." She looked down at Greg. "I don't know if he'll come out for a week."
"Perhaps he's hibernating?"
"Not for another three months."
"Well, maybe we'll have him for Christmas this year then. I always wanted a tortoise Father Christmas."
Meaning
1 a : blustering swaggering conduct b : a pretense of bravery
*2 : the quality or state of being foolhardy
"You rarely see a kitten attempt to take on anything that much bigger than itself," said Jerry, whilst cleaning up the stray lettuce leaves and milk.
"Well, he certainly has guts," replied Michelle, who was wiping down Greg's shell.
"Bravado is what that kitten has," said Jerry. "I think we raised an alley cat."
"I told you we should have gone for pedigree." She looked down at Greg. "I don't know if he'll come out for a week."
"Perhaps he's hibernating?"
"Not for another three months."
"Well, maybe we'll have him for Christmas this year then. I always wanted a tortoise Father Christmas."
frog-march \FROG-march\ verb
Meaning: to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward
Your face is wet from the rain pouring down on you. You feel like a drowned cat, even your eyebrows are heavy with water, overfilled gutters unable to cope with the flow. You stagger on, wondering whether you'll get there, or just dissolve, like sugar in tea, there but not there. You imagine yourself in a granulated form, in small 1kg sacks, the kind they have on the supermarket shelves.
On the other side of the road a woman is frog-marching her son, a firm hold on the scruff of his coat. He is being pushed and pulled in and out of the crowds, while she tries to keep them both under her enormous umbrella.
You are glad now to be on this side of the street, even if it is more open to the elements.
Meaning: to seize from behind roughly and forcefully propel forward
Your face is wet from the rain pouring down on you. You feel like a drowned cat, even your eyebrows are heavy with water, overfilled gutters unable to cope with the flow. You stagger on, wondering whether you'll get there, or just dissolve, like sugar in tea, there but not there. You imagine yourself in a granulated form, in small 1kg sacks, the kind they have on the supermarket shelves.
On the other side of the road a woman is frog-marching her son, a firm hold on the scruff of his coat. He is being pushed and pulled in and out of the crowds, while she tries to keep them both under her enormous umbrella.
You are glad now to be on this side of the street, even if it is more open to the elements.
cordial \KOR-jul\ adjective
Meaning
1 : tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate
2 a : sincerely or deeply felt *b : warmly and genially affable
It was a dark Spring day. The clouds were firmly ensconced, and leaving the Firmins feeling like they were stuck under an enormous duvet. Sue felt it especially, since for a while now she'd been underneath her own dark clouds.
Every action they took felt particularly difficult, whether it was a cordial greeting to the person at the check out, or dodging the latest onslaught of brolly-wielding maniacs bearing down on the street. Time would tell before one of them would break, and it was anyone's bet whether it would come before a break in the weather or not.
Meaning
1 : tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate
2 a : sincerely or deeply felt *b : warmly and genially affable
It was a dark Spring day. The clouds were firmly ensconced, and leaving the Firmins feeling like they were stuck under an enormous duvet. Sue felt it especially, since for a while now she'd been underneath her own dark clouds.
Every action they took felt particularly difficult, whether it was a cordial greeting to the person at the check out, or dodging the latest onslaught of brolly-wielding maniacs bearing down on the street. Time would tell before one of them would break, and it was anyone's bet whether it would come before a break in the weather or not.
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
tantalize \TAN-tuh-lyze\ verb
Meaning: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach
To be tantalized is not fun. It's like being toyed with. Something out there in the Universe wants to make you feel shit: some power trip where it knows that you want it. It's fucking in control. Self will sidles up in your corner, ready to claim the first KO punch. It'll never win though. That little tantalizing thing will always be there, right up until the day you die. And that kind of shit just makes you want it all the more. It's stupid, but you can't escape it.
Meaning: to tease or torment by or as if by presenting something desirable to the view but continually keeping it out of reach
To be tantalized is not fun. It's like being toyed with. Something out there in the Universe wants to make you feel shit: some power trip where it knows that you want it. It's fucking in control. Self will sidles up in your corner, ready to claim the first KO punch. It'll never win though. That little tantalizing thing will always be there, right up until the day you die. And that kind of shit just makes you want it all the more. It's stupid, but you can't escape it.
land of Nod: sleep
I wanted to go there, but I couldn't. I still had seven hours of driving to do. Something about my eyelids was so inviting, though. I tried to ply them right back into my head, wanted to tack them there, or celotape, like tit tape. My hands clamped themselves to the steering wheel. My body was turning so tense, trying to keep itself awake. Yet while the car was heading to San Diego, my body was heading to the land of nod.
I wanted to go there, but I couldn't. I still had seven hours of driving to do. Something about my eyelids was so inviting, though. I tried to ply them right back into my head, wanted to tack them there, or celotape, like tit tape. My hands clamped themselves to the steering wheel. My body was turning so tense, trying to keep itself awake. Yet while the car was heading to San Diego, my body was heading to the land of nod.
Monday, 5 April 2010
grok: to understand
The whale surfaced beside the canoe. It nudged slightly at the stern. Max couldn't tell whether it was male or female. He didn't even know exactly what kind of whale it was. Yet somehow it's presence was deeply reassuring. He didn't know where he was, or whether he'd get back alive. But this was seemed to grok completely all of his thoughts and fears.
It was nudging the stern further and further, spinning the canoe gently round, whilst making it rock a little worryingly. A small wave splashed up in Max's face. Was the whale trying to give him directions?
The whale surfaced beside the canoe. It nudged slightly at the stern. Max couldn't tell whether it was male or female. He didn't even know exactly what kind of whale it was. Yet somehow it's presence was deeply reassuring. He didn't know where he was, or whether he'd get back alive. But this was seemed to grok completely all of his thoughts and fears.
It was nudging the stern further and further, spinning the canoe gently round, whilst making it rock a little worryingly. A small wave splashed up in Max's face. Was the whale trying to give him directions?
sward \SWORD\ noun
Meaning
*1 : a portion of ground covered with grass
2 : the grassy surface of land
My love she ran the gamut here,
Across these swards of avocado green.
Her feet ran long through trails,
And cut at the earth, already lean,
And carried off a century
of earthly chocolate on her soles.
That was all she did, my love.
Those were her only tolls.
Meaning
*1 : a portion of ground covered with grass
2 : the grassy surface of land
My love she ran the gamut here,
Across these swards of avocado green.
Her feet ran long through trails,
And cut at the earth, already lean,
And carried off a century
of earthly chocolate on her soles.
That was all she did, my love.
Those were her only tolls.
irrupt \ih-RUPT\ verb
Meaning
1 : to rush in forcibly or violently
2 of a natural population : to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed
*3 : to become active or violent especially suddenly : erupt
Flowers irrupt uncontrollably, throwing out streaming tendrils, and sharp bright colours. It is like the centre of a giant magma field, hot streams coming at me from all directions. I daren't touch anything lest it burn me. The sun is crisp, sharp rays beaming down on me, as though a child were directing them right on me with a giant magnifying glass. I think I might explode too, like those flowers, releasing out toxic perfumes into the atmosphere.
On the other side of the street a small lady is forcing her dog to take a shit, hoping it will combat all these intense euphoric pleasures. I duck under an awning hoping for some respite. Three dangling baskets of flowers attack me from the rear. They are insatiable.
Meaning
1 : to rush in forcibly or violently
2 of a natural population : to undergo a sudden upsurge in numbers especially when natural ecological balances and checks are disturbed
*3 : to become active or violent especially suddenly : erupt
Flowers irrupt uncontrollably, throwing out streaming tendrils, and sharp bright colours. It is like the centre of a giant magma field, hot streams coming at me from all directions. I daren't touch anything lest it burn me. The sun is crisp, sharp rays beaming down on me, as though a child were directing them right on me with a giant magnifying glass. I think I might explode too, like those flowers, releasing out toxic perfumes into the atmosphere.
On the other side of the street a small lady is forcing her dog to take a shit, hoping it will combat all these intense euphoric pleasures. I duck under an awning hoping for some respite. Three dangling baskets of flowers attack me from the rear. They are insatiable.
dossier \DOSS-yay\ noun
Meaning: a file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject
The room was dense and thick with cloying air, tight and arid and choking the throat with its thinness. Her eyes sweated, and cracked at the sides from dryness. She could feel her fingers growing numb.
In front of her was the dossier they'd built up, of every crime she'd committed against the state. Freedom fighting they called it. Freedom was a dirty word these days. She was one of the biggest criminals they'd captured in the snatches that last week.
Her hair was dry, like hay drying in the field. She wondered if it would combust under the hot light just above her head. Her knickers pinched too. Perhaps they were shrinking in the heat. She felt a draft around her ankles, though. The hot sweat was trickling down her body from the top, and freezing as it reached her lower extremities.
Meaning: a file containing detailed records on a particular person or subject
The room was dense and thick with cloying air, tight and arid and choking the throat with its thinness. Her eyes sweated, and cracked at the sides from dryness. She could feel her fingers growing numb.
In front of her was the dossier they'd built up, of every crime she'd committed against the state. Freedom fighting they called it. Freedom was a dirty word these days. She was one of the biggest criminals they'd captured in the snatches that last week.
Her hair was dry, like hay drying in the field. She wondered if it would combust under the hot light just above her head. Her knickers pinched too. Perhaps they were shrinking in the heat. She felt a draft around her ankles, though. The hot sweat was trickling down her body from the top, and freezing as it reached her lower extremities.
Friday, 2 April 2010
ruthless \ROOTH-lus\ adjective
Meaning: having no pity : merciless, cruel
"Is it my fault you don't like your life?"
"Not exactly."
"Well, if you'd not been so set on becoming a tax attorney..."
"I could have become the Easter Bunny, but then what would I have done with my ruthless edge?"
"Broken the competition. Destroyed the supermarket monopoly."
"Don't be silly. All those cushy endorsement deals. I'd have to be an idiot to give up on those. The work is a little seasonal, though."
"Father Christmas is looking a bit shaky these days. Time to move in?"
Meaning: having no pity : merciless, cruel
"Is it my fault you don't like your life?"
"Not exactly."
"Well, if you'd not been so set on becoming a tax attorney..."
"I could have become the Easter Bunny, but then what would I have done with my ruthless edge?"
"Broken the competition. Destroyed the supermarket monopoly."
"Don't be silly. All those cushy endorsement deals. I'd have to be an idiot to give up on those. The work is a little seasonal, though."
"Father Christmas is looking a bit shaky these days. Time to move in?"
slake: to satisfy or quench; also, to cause to lessen
My head hit the ground with a satisfying thud; I was exhausted. Three days to go, and I could feel my ribs again. My suitcase was packed, I had the tickets, passport, money, all the usuals. When I got home I'd shove my running gear in the washing machine, and set it on a spin. I wished I could clamber in with it, get rid of every last bit of grime on me. Industrial wash, not delicates. The fucker was going to pay: in three days he'd be dead, and my indeterminate sense of desperation would be slaked. The grass by my ear was tickling me. It felt good.
My head hit the ground with a satisfying thud; I was exhausted. Three days to go, and I could feel my ribs again. My suitcase was packed, I had the tickets, passport, money, all the usuals. When I got home I'd shove my running gear in the washing machine, and set it on a spin. I wished I could clamber in with it, get rid of every last bit of grime on me. Industrial wash, not delicates. The fucker was going to pay: in three days he'd be dead, and my indeterminate sense of desperation would be slaked. The grass by my ear was tickling me. It felt good.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
hugger-mugger: secret; also, muddled, disorderly.
The truest thing one can say about long words is that they add to the hugger mugger of language. Academics do it all the time: throwing words around to prove how very clever they are. The confounding language can cause, and the coded nature of these lesser known words allows groups to maintain their distinction from everybody else. Another example would be the language of Polari, used by gay men in the twentieth century to talk in public about private matters. The beauty of language is epitomized in Orwell's 1984, where the ruling powers have controlled the populace by restricting their speech to the extent that dissidence isn't in their vocabulary, and thus impossible for them to conceive of in thought. People become like aliens in a new country, where they don't speak the language and are forced to rely on baser, cruder means of communication. Imagine how slow life would be if everything were conveyed by charades.
The truest thing one can say about long words is that they add to the hugger mugger of language. Academics do it all the time: throwing words around to prove how very clever they are. The confounding language can cause, and the coded nature of these lesser known words allows groups to maintain their distinction from everybody else. Another example would be the language of Polari, used by gay men in the twentieth century to talk in public about private matters. The beauty of language is epitomized in Orwell's 1984, where the ruling powers have controlled the populace by restricting their speech to the extent that dissidence isn't in their vocabulary, and thus impossible for them to conceive of in thought. People become like aliens in a new country, where they don't speak the language and are forced to rely on baser, cruder means of communication. Imagine how slow life would be if everything were conveyed by charades.
puerile \PYUR-ul\ adjective
Meaning
1 : juvenile
*2 : childish, silly
The senator sat in her office, fiddling through her filofax. Of course all her contacts, dates, notes...everything, was on her PDA. But for some reason she'd clung onto this anachronistic piece of ephemera. Whenever she opened the leather binder it made a little fart, and she chuckled inside. It was puerile, she knew that, but that was made it all the more fun: this very serious, very important lady being amused by something just one step up from a whoopee cushion. Her secretary popped his head around the door.
"Anything else I can get you?"
"No, you're alright, Jerry. I think we're done for the night."
Meaning
1 : juvenile
*2 : childish, silly
The senator sat in her office, fiddling through her filofax. Of course all her contacts, dates, notes...everything, was on her PDA. But for some reason she'd clung onto this anachronistic piece of ephemera. Whenever she opened the leather binder it made a little fart, and she chuckled inside. It was puerile, she knew that, but that was made it all the more fun: this very serious, very important lady being amused by something just one step up from a whoopee cushion. Her secretary popped his head around the door.
"Anything else I can get you?"
"No, you're alright, Jerry. I think we're done for the night."
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