Wednesday, July 29, 2009

I tweet, do you?

Why do they call it twitter?



Isn't that a saying, I'm all a-twitter?!


Twit is not good. It is a negative term for someone annoying or not-so-bright, like twerp or nit-wit.


Twit is also a verb which means to annoy.


Twitter means agitated, quivering or chirping....


I recently joined the ranks of thousands of twitterers.


Tweeting is fun. Try it!



Come follow me on Twitter... twitter.com/GloriaConstant

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Dastardly Deeds

I remember old cartoons referring to nasty villains perpetrating "dastardly deeds," but I have never heard the word, dastard. Actually, it has just come back to me that the villain that Dudley Dooright was always battling was Dick Dastardly!

Memory is a funny thing.

So I was thinking about the word, dastardly, and thought, it sounds like there must be a word, dastard. So I looked it up in my handy pocket dictionary. Dastard was there, and dastardly, the adjective form was listed within that entry.

Dastard - n. craven coward or deceitful sneak.

It seems to come from Middle English. I wonder if it is related to another very similar word which starts with "B?"

Friday, July 10, 2009

Ecstasy

I've been thinking about e-words. No that's not right, that looks like "electronic" words, like e-mail and e-surance. I mean words that start with the letter "e," like elation, euphoria and ecstasy.

I heard the word, elation, on my audiobook this morning.

elation--the quality or state of being filled withjoy or pride. Latin.

euphoria--a feeling of well-being or elation. Greek.

ecstasy--a state of being beyond reason and self-control; state of overwhelming emotion, especially rapturous delight. It came from Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin, from Greek ultimately.

Exultation is listed as a synonym for elation and ecstacy.

I am euphoric about these words!

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Lilt of Language

I like the word, lilt. It is one of those monosyllabic words.

And the only time I hear it is around St. Patty's day when they sing, When Irish Eyes are Smiling...
and the lilt of Irish laughter....
(sure to steal your heart away!)

Such a light airy word.

Lilt is a verb which means to sing or speak in a rhythmic manner; also a noun which means a spirited song; and lilting is the adjective. It just sounds cheerful to me.

I think we should use it more.

Wishing you a lilting holiday weekend and a

Happy, delectable Independence Day, filled with the lilt of your favorite friends!!!