Thinking of unusual words for this week’s blog and, being the obtuse person that I am, I thought what is the most common word used in the English language. As you would expect, it is not a very exciting word at all, never the less it is one we would find it hard to do without being “the”. Just check any written text and count how many times this little word appears – it just might surprise you!
On with our quest for more unusual and interesting words and this week we start with words beginning with “m”. I hope I am not maundering my way through this blog! To maunder is to speak indistinctly or disconnectedly, to ramble on in a foolish or meaningless manner. This use of the word can be traced back to the 1620’s. To maunder may also mean to move or act in a dreamy or idle way, to amble or dawdle. Basically to act in a disorganised way.
I am certain that none of us are malefic for that would make us capable of causing harm and destruction, especially by supernatural means. For those who can remember, “Maleficent” was the fictional name given to the evil character in Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty”. She was the one who cursed the baby princess to prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die before her sixteenth birthday. I think that is enough said on that subject!
On a more positive note, I wonder if we will have a nitid moon tonight. Nitid is a lovely adjective that is rarely used in everyday conversation but, in my opinion, deserves a comeback. From the Latin “nitidus”, meaning to shine, nitid means bright, glistening and radiant. Bright with a steady but subdued shining. I love this word; it conjures such a beautiful picture in my mind and hopefully for you too. Use it to describe people, clothes, objects or a scene, but let’s use it so we don’t lose it!
With the weekend upon us I will leave you with a final thought. I hope you have something nice planned and that you will be having fun, but whatever you do, I do hope that you will not be obstreperous! To be obstreperous is to refuse to act in a reasonable way, to be noisy and aggressively boisterous and defiant. I’m sure, at some time; we have all met obstreperous customers, neighbours or children and would prefer to avoid them whenever possible!
If you enjoy our blog, please have a look at our website www.writtenenglishcorrected.com
No comments:
Post a Comment