Words

I love words, reading them, saying them, writing them. Occasionally I'll read a word, and it fills me with warmth because I like it so much.  The words bowl and platter are like that.

I'm not sure why I like those words.  Maybe they create images of  abundance:  a Thanksgiving table and a dinner full of specially prepared foods eaten by special people.  Bowl.  Platter.  Fill 'em up.  On the other hand, I don't feel the same about plate.  Turning nouns into verbs frequently annoys me.  When did people start plating their food?  Did they gold plate it, silver plate it, or arrange it on a plate? When did the word plate go Hollywood?

Text makes me respond differently.  It is also a noun that's been turned into a verb, but I like it.  I like the word text, the hiss of the x and the crispness of the t.  What I don't like is when people add an s to the word.  They no longer can pronounce it.  What they manage to say often sounds like a synonym for testicles, and it makes me cringe.

When I drive my niece to school, I pass the sign for a neighborhood called The Enclave.  Enclave, I love that word.  It sounds rich, sophisticated, exclusive, and secretive.  Someday when I write a book, my people are going to reside in a suburban enclave.  Or maybe they'll end up renting a row house in Philly.  I'm not sure yet; the book hasn't been written.

Plump is a favorite of mine.  It's not because I'd rather be referred to as plump instead of fat or obese.  But plump is a delightfully round word.  It defines itself when you say it out loud.  One must plump their cheeks to pronounce the word plump.  It's fun to say!

Snot's ok.  Mucous and phlegm make me gag.  I think that relates to my former profession.  I dealt with seventh graders and snot was an everyday occurrence.  But, if something turned into mucous or phlegm, that usually meant there was a lot of it and my stomach churns at the thought.

Conversate kills me.  Where the hell did that word come from, and why do the people using it think it makes them sound intelligent? Have a conversation or converse about a situation.  If you're going to conversate, do not do it around me or I'll have to give you an on the spot grammar lesson.

The word retard disturbs me.  If you are one of my former students, you better remember the correct pronunciation and definition of the word, and use it only when referring to slowing down the rusting process.  For most of my life, the term retarded referred to people.  It was a descriptive term in a time when words like Down Syndrome or mentally challenged did not exist.  While such a use of the word is now outdated, some folks still use it to describe people in a derogatory fashion.  When did that happen?  When did insulting someone with that term become commonplace?  Why?  And don't get me started on the currently in vogue variation of the word, libtard.  Anybody who hopes to impress his/her Facebook friends with the superiority of his/her conservative opinion only makes him/herself look ignorant by using such a word.

I need to make a list because I know there are other words I love or love to hate, but I can't recall them right now.  Maybe a Words: Part 2 will be a future blog.  What are your favorite words?  What words make you cringe?  Feel free to share.