Category Archives: words

A Linguistic Amusement

I happened across this the other day (on Facebook, I think). It is too good not to share.

Click the image for a larger view

We should, of course, add:

  • Stalactites and Stalagmites
  • Unicycles (perhaps my favourite!)

I’m sure you can think of others. Enjoy!

Ten Things: April

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -z

  1. frizz
  2. pizzaz
  3. blitz
  4. razzamatazz
  5. megahertz
  6. kibbutz
  7. quartz
  8. chintz
  9. waltz
  10. whizz

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

Ten Things: March

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -id

  1. druid
  2. foetid
  3. carotenoid
  4. milkmaid
  5. camelid
  6. meteoroid
  7. apartheid
  8. colloid
  9. thyroid
  10. fibroid

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

Ten Things: February

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -kin

  1. merkin
  2. bodkin
  3. kilderkin
  4. firkin
  5. oilskin
  6. snakeskin
  7. foreskin
  8. mannikin
  9. bumpkin
  10. siskin

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

Ten Things: January

This year our Ten Things each month are words with particular endings. Clearly this won’t be all the words with the nominated ending, but a selection of the more interesting and/or unusual.

Ten Words ending with -x

  1. hallux
  2. heterodox
  3. dominatrix
  4. meretrix
  5. codex
  6. prolix
  7. calyx
  8. phalanx
  9. phoenix
  10. crucifix

Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a story in at most three sentences using all these words correctly. Post your attempt in the comments before the end of the month and there’s an e-drink for anyone who I consider succeeds.

30 Day Word Challenge: Final Summary

I promised a summary every five days of the words I’ve chosen for my 30 Day Word Challenge. Here’s the final summary.

Day 26. A word that you’d name your memoir: bumf
Day 27. A word from an inside joke: batteries
Day 28. A word that is a palindrome: rotavator
Day 29. A word with several meanings: maroon
Day 30. A word you have always liked: crenelate

So just to recapitulate, here’s my whole list.

As always, click the image for a larger view

Day 1. A word that makes you happy: picatrix
Day 2. A word that describes your best friend: callipygian
Day 3. A word you always spell wrong on the first try: occasionally
Day 4. A word that reminds you of family: dysfunctional
Day 5. A word for your favourite colour: variable
Day 6. A word you learned from a song: abaft
Day 7. A word that makes you laugh: merkin
Day 8. A word that rhymes with your name: teeth
Day 9. A word that makes you feel smart when you use it: flocculate
Day 10. A word from your favourite sport: wicket
Day 11. A word that annoys you: decimate
Day 12. A word you associate with your birth month: winter
Day 13. A word you learned recently: yellowplush
Day 14. A word with lots of syllables:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Day 15. A word found in your favourite book: rookery
Day 16. A word that describes your pet: varmint
Day 17. A word you have to look up constantly: mondegreen
Day 18. A word you love to say: cunt
Day 19. A word with four vowels in it: constabulary
Day 20. A word you wish more people used: boscage
Day 21. A word you just made up: jamwot
Day 22. A word that is an oxymoron: childproof
Day 23. A word that would be a funny dog name: puss
Day 24. A word from a movie quote: restaurant
Day 25. A word that describes you: fat
Day 26. A word that you’d name your memoir: bumf
Day 27. A word from an inside joke: batteries
Day 28. A word that is a palindrome: rotavator
Day 29. A word with several meanings: maroon
Day 30. A word you have always liked: crenelate

I hope you enjoyed this; I certainly did!

30 Day Word Challenge: Days 21 to 25

I promised a summary every five days of the words I’ve chosen for my 30 Day Word Challenge. Here’s summary #5.

Day 21. A word you just made up: jamwot**
Day 22. A word that is an oxymoron: childproof
Day 23. A word that would be a funny dog name: puss
Day 24. A word from a movie quote: restaurant
Day 25. A word that describes you: fat

As always, click the image for a larger view

** Actually I cheat slightly: I made up this word some while back. In case you’re wondering a jamwot is an endangered South American arboreal capybara.

Remember, daily posts on Facebook and another summary in five days time.

30 Day Word Challenge: Days 16 to 20

I promised a summary every five days of the words I’ve chosen for my 30 Day Word Challenge. Here’s summary .

Day 16. A word that describes your pet: varmint
Day 17. A word you have to look up constantly: mondegreen
Day 18. A word you love to say: cunt
Day 19. A word with four vowels in it: constabulary
Day 20. A word you wish more people used: boscage

As always, click the image for a larger view

Remember, daily posts on Facebook and another summary in five days time.

30 Day Word Challenge: Days 11 to 15

I promised a summary every five days of the words I’ve chosen for my 30 Day Word Challenge. Here’s summary .

Day 11. A word that annoys you: decimate
Day 12. A word you associate with your birth month: winter
Day 13. A word you learned recently: yellowplush
Day 14. A word with lots of syllables:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Day 15. A word found in your favourite book: rookery

As always, click the image for a larger view

Remember, daily posts on Facebook and another summary in five days time.

30 Day Word Challenge: Days 6 to 10

I promised a summary every five days of the words I’ve chosen for my 30 Day Word Challenge. Here’s summary .

Day 6. A word you learned from a song: abaft
Day 7. A word that makes you laugh: merkin
Day 8. A word that rhymes with your name: teeth
Day 9. A word that makes you feel smart when you use it: flocculate
Day 10. A word from your favourite sport: wicket

As always, click the image for a larger view

Remember, daily posts on Facebook and another summary in five days time.