Friday, March 13, 2009

Your Writing Assignment

A few weekends ago when I was out with friends, one of them teased me about why I always use "big" words...and how I even know "big" words.

I replied, "I didn't know I used big words. I don't mean to use big words. What words???"

I am definitely not one that tries to use big words to impress everyone else. And as far as blogging goes, I pretty much blog like I speak. Therefore I know that my grammar here is far from perfect. Additionally, I tend to have a few favorite "short-cut" words, i.e., Cuz, Fav, Gonna, Lemme, Dunno... Definitely not a pure grammarian here.

However, I do like words. If there is a word I hear and don't know the meaning, I like to look it up. My mother enoys words. I suppose she used not-so-everyday words in her everyday conversation with us. I.e., "It would behoove you to clean your rooms before the weekend" or "Your father and I aren't fighting. We just grouse at each other sometimes." Thus, words that I thought were normal in everyday vocabulary apparently aren't. I used the word grouse once at work and my coworker laughed at me and said, "What? Who says 'grouse'?" I was like... "awwww. I do." :(


I remember in my creative writing class, Monday was "Word Day". The professor would write five words on the board. We had to select one of the words, learn it's definition and incoporate it into our author's journal that particular day.



One word I remember learning in that class was "bovine" which basically means "cowlike" or "pertaining to a cow". I remember that word specifically because I wanted to write how the professor had a bovine walk. It was true. She did. I could just picture a tail swishing from behind too. And when she smiled...ooh [shudders]...Let's just say the name "Bessie" came to mind. Nevertheless, I abstained and instead wrote about someone having bovine eyes.

So for today, I thought it would be fun to do a little writing assignment of my own. (I know - you might not find this as "fun" as I do...it's ok.) If you want to participate, simply choose a word from the list and incorporate it into your comment on my blog. Ooh! And BONUS points if someone can use ALL of the words in one sentence! And if you DON'T want to participate, you can instead just comment on how awesome you think I am, or something like that, tee hee.



Okay, here goes... (click word for definition)

precipice
fetter
pique
scrupulous
plebian (as you know...one of my favorite words, "pleb" for short.)

My entry: Reading your blog has certainly piqued my curiosity with regards to who you really are.

15 comments:

Deborah said...

Hi, Emma, I'm a lurker coming out of the shadows simply to say that I enjoy reading your blog because your ability to find humor in even the most plebian aspects of your life, coupled with your scrupulous honesty about situations that would pique the pride of a less confident person, routinely brings me to the precipice of wetting my pants due to unfettered laughter.

(I know, it's a stretch on the use of "precipice," and I used a form of "fetter" rather than the root word itself, but it's the best I could come up with.)

Green said...

You show such fetter when you blog.
(I don't want to know if I did it wrong)

:)

Debbi said...

Well, I actually write the way I speak on my blog too, but oft times the words are larger than an average person's. Kinda sucks. (ha ha, kinda-- see? Same as you, it's a great shortcut!)

I digress, sometimes I tone down my insatiable penchance for thrasonical bonbast in order to please the plebian masses.

Vickie said...

I am gonna try.

The precipice my daughter sleeps on makes me nervous.

I hope I did it right. She sleeps on a bunk bed and she like to hang over it to look at her sister on the lower bunk.

EmmaP said...

oh my word. you guys are totally cracking me up! good job!!!

okeydokeyifine said...

Well, since I consider myself patrician, I must consider you plebian and therefore I must fetter my thoughts regarding this game of words which you have proposed to none-the-less pique our interest; and although I like words and a play-on-words, I want to be scrupulous in the usage of the listed words and not create a precipice of contention.

The Willeyes said...

WOW! I'm not even going to attempt to contend with those comments. I will just say that as usual-your blog entry rocked...You're certainly no PLEB :)

HiHoOhio said...

verklempt
Verklempt - choked with emotion (German verklemmt = emotionally inhibited in a convulsive way)
This is not FAKE Yiddish - unless you are one of the linguists who consider Yiddish a "fake", i.e. non-transformational language.
OY, vey. When that schmuck of a doctor told me I had cancer I got all verklempt.
This post has me verklempt!!!!

Ruthykins said...

okay, first of all, when i read the word pique i read it as piqué, a fabric. that's how much of a fabric junkie i am. i will say, i don't know the meaning of the word fetter. i'm gonna have to go look it up. i also need to look up thrasonical and bonbast. when i'm writing i like to eshew obfuscation, so i won't be coming up with a sentence for you.

purplehaze said...

I fettered my husbands feet to the bed. I know I added :ed to the end hopt that is ok.

Puphigirl said...

fetter means to chain, shackle or restrain

I like to use the word ubiquitous

Tulsi said...

Darn, you used the word pique and that is the one I knew off of the top of my head. My youngest has always used big words. She has never liked to do any thing. It has been 'enjoyed'. I can't think of any of her other "normal to her words" but they are funny. Steve and I look at eachother and wonder where she gets them. He friends tease her. She's a big reader. It's certainly not Zac and Cody - if she still watches that.

Dianne said...

I guess I am one of the plebian masses. I, too, am a scrupulous person, although I do not let it fetter me if I find myself on the precipice of an adventure that piques my curiosity. That's what I consider your blog.

Green said...

Calling 911 for horses is certainly an emergency. It's better to have that call than a train crash or fatal car accident.
You do not need to show such fetter.

[Hey, how was that?]

Green said...

Thanks for the shout out too!