Wordle is a fun distraction every day. I am not particularly good at it, but I usually get over 90% of the words figured out in the third to sixth try. The game is fun, and I don’t get obsessed with it since there is only one word a day. The game epitomizes my interest in words.
Words consist of meanings and sound. Without words, my thoughts cannot become my reality.
Words are the foundation of communication. I love learning new words. If I hear/read a word that I do not know, I often look it up. I am certainly not a word scholar, but I love to find words that express something in a way that is accurate and compelling for me.
New words come into social vernacular all the time. I read last week that “permacrisis” is the word of the year indicating that society seems to be in “an extended period of instability and insecurity permanent crisis.”
Before computers, I had a Thesaurus sitting at my desk that I used in writing to avoid overusing some words. For example, something could be described as “pretty,” but it might be more meaningful to use a word like attractive, cute, appealing, picturesque, comely, exquisite, lovely, or handsome.
I find the sound of words interesting. One of my favorite words is “serendipity.” I first heard it related to a folk group called the Serendipity Singers in the 1960’s. The “the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way” is a word I love to use.
Non-English words are fun and handy. A word I have enjoyed is “laissez-faire” –an attitude of letting things take their own course. Another French phrase that I relish is “joie de vivre” used to express a cheerful enjoyment of life.
A BIG word I learned as a child was “harbinger.” In Iowa at that time, and I am not so sure it is still true today, seeing a robin in early March was a harbinger of spring. I loved seeing that harbinger.
I don’t need to use obtuse words but sometimes the right word is necessary to convey the meanings I want to share. Concomitantly, I am learning the necessity of “economy of expressions.” Rather than using lots of words to convey a meaning, sometimes using just the right word is best. I abhor the use of superlatives like “very” that are not as descriptive as the right word. Hyperbole can be avoided by clear descriptions.
Finding the right word, whether it is winning at Wordle or nailing a description is invigorating for me. I cannot imagine a world without interesting words that enable my expression. Words have power.
This post was a fun one to me! Words are intriguing— and so interesting when you really investigate the varied meanings that a single word might have! Thanks for making me stop and think about words— and the way I use/abuse them them! 🙂