by Heather on October 4, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
Glose, v. to flatter.
Word in the Wild: Ruby was always amazed at her son’s ability to suddenly glose and fawn whenever he found himself needing the car.
This Vest-Pocket word, also spelled gloze, has been around since the 13oos, but it’s only rarely used now. You’ll sometimes find it used in the phrase “glose it” as in, “if you need to get something from her try glosing it.”
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on September 7, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
This Vest-Pocket word can be used literally to denote billowing ashes and smoke or figuratively to suggest something veiled by an obscuring and murky haze.
Match Smoke by Andrew Magill
Fuli’ginous, a. smoky; sooty.
Word in the Wild: The plume issuing from Gunung Pinatubo struck Saraswati as being rather ominous, so she decided to review her findings in the lab rather than carry on into the crater that day. She could only hope the data would be less fuliginous than the ashes billowing from the volcano.
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on August 8, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
Well, it’s been a diuturnity since I last posted, but the radio silence is finally over. I’ve finished my publishing program (woo hoo!), and I’m glad to be blogging again. So without further ado here’s this week’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary, which is all about radio silence.
Elin′guid, adj. unable to speak.
Word in the Wild: By the end of Morag’s pitch detailing how the company could recoup costs by training the rats in the basement to run the photocopy machines, the CEO was positively elinguid.
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on July 5, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
I’ve spent the long weekend living it up: I rode my bike up to Kleinburg, checked out the McMichael Collection, ate extremely well, and I’m taking today off work. This is certainly the perfect word to describe my decadent 5-day weekend.
Dap′atical, adj. sumptuous in living.
Word in the Wild: Edgar was trying to pinch his pennies and draw in the purse strings, but could he help it if he liked the finer things? Valet parking, dapatical cuisine, the best vintages…
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on May 19, 2010
Hello, verbivores! So I’ve heard that my Vest-Pocket Challenge is more than challenging—it’s impossible!
If you’re working on the challenge and asking yourself how the heck you can fit all those Vest-Pocket words into a 500-word document, you’re not the only one. Fret not! Let’s keep the challenge fun by throwing the maximum word count to the wind! I’ll be trusting you not to submit any novel-length works, though!
I hope you’re having lots of fun with all these words. And don’t forget to tune in on June 1, 2010, to see who has become the proud owner of Mark Abley’s The Prodigal Tongue, a Moleskine notebook, and two Word Blog bookmarks!
by Heather on May 13, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
Since so many of you will be toiling away on your entries for the Vest-Pocket Challenge, I thought I’d take this opportunity to demonstrate the value of vocabulary.
Copyright 2006 Indexed and Jessica Hagy
For example you might explain to your boss that you need to take a sick day because you have an appointment at the zythepsary. Or go home early because you’re feeling a bit luskish.
So three cheers for vocabulary. High quality excuses for everyone!
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on April 29, 2010
Vest-Pocket Vocabulary
So we’ve made it to the end of the alphabet again, and you now have all the words you’ll need to participate in the Vest-Pocket Challenge! Good luck, fellow verbivores, and have fun!
Zythep’sary, n. a house where malt liquor is brewed.
Word in the Wild: I’m meeting up with Caroline and Saima at a zythepsary in the distillery district that afternoon. If you’re free, you’re welcome to join us.
You can find a complete listing of the Word Blog’s Vest-Pocket Vocabulary entries and learn more about where they come from here.
by Heather on April 19, 2010
So, you know all those strange words I’ve been sharing with you in my Vest-Pocket Vocabulary posts? Delightful words like ginglymoid and flammimovous? Well, here’s your chance to put them to work earning you a chance to win a fabulously bookish prize package.
This Vest-Pocket Challenge celebrates the Word Blog’s first anniversary and its second trip through The Vest-Pocket Dictionary. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a creative work (of no more than 500 words [edit: the maximum word count has been thrown to the wind, so if you need more words you're most welcome to use them!]) in the genre of your choosing using at least one Vest-Pocket word for every letter of the alphabet.
April 29th marks the blog’s anniversary, and on that day the second Z word will be posted and you’ll have the full complement of Vest-Pocket words to work from. You have until midnight EST on May 31st to submit your entry. Please read carefully the complete contest rules and regulations.
So What’s the Prize, Then?
The prize package includes 1 hardcover copy of Mark Abley’s The Prodigal Tongue, 1 small Moleskine notebook, and 2 Word Blog bookmarks.
If you have any questions about the contest that aren’t addressed in this post or the rules & regulations, please leave a comment or email me at challenge@the-word-blog.com and I’ll do my best to help you out. I’m eagerly awaiting your excellent submissions and wish you all wordspeed.
by Heather on April 15, 2010
Questions and Answers
Cheryl has submitted another great question for us: she’s found the word hesternal in the novel she’s reading and wonders what it means.
Hesternal sounds a little bit like nocturnal or diurnal, but I don’t think I’ve heard this one before. Thankfully the OED has the answer as usual. Hesternal means “of yesterday; of yesterday’s standing or date.”
So, for instance, this morning’s hangover might be from a hesternal party, or your hesternal workout might be the reason you’re sore today.
Hope this answers your question, Cheryl. And thanks for the new word!
