Weird word, Winter Wipeout, summer breeze

Park Street, South Yarra. I love this place. 

(I think I've posted a pic before) 

I had some blood taken this afternoon and when I got home I mentioned to Luke that I'd recently learned a person whose job is to draw blood is called a phlebotomist. I'd seen someone on Facebook the other day who was a phlebotomist and I looked it up. 

Then when I was cooking dinner Luke called me into the loungeroom to tell me one of the contestants on Winter Wipeout was a phlebotomist. How freakish?!

Related: Winter Wipeout is back on! I thought it was on old series, but apparently it's new. Either way, I'll still watch - I can't get enough of seeing people getting whacked in the face or bouncing off big red balls. (Don't tell anyone I'm watching a silly game show instead of 7.30.)

It was a hot day today, but there's now a lovely cool breeze blowing in the window opposite where I'm sitting on the couch. 

Six months down, foreign words, 10 days to go

In my street

I reached the six-month mark of my shopping ban last week, but I didn't realise it until yesterday. I guess that's a sign that not shopping for shoes and clothes is my new normal (and also a further sign that this year has whizzed by at warp speed). I think I mentioned previously that I've decided to extend my shopping ban for a year, so I'm just past the half-way point now.

I like this list of German words we need in English. I've heard (and blogged about) some before (backpfeifengesicht, zugzwang, drachenfutter, kummerspeck), but treppenwitz  - literally 'staircase joke', meaning a witty comeback thought of too late - caught my eye because I know of the French word for this - esprit d'escalier (staircase wit). A lecturer at uni used this expression, and for some reason it has stuck with me all these years. (It's more than 20 years since I finished uni. HOW CAN THAT BE?!)

Buzzfeed apparently has a thing for mining the gems of other languages. It has published a collection of Japanese,  Scottish, Italian and Nordic words (and probably others) it thinks English should steal. I love these lists. 

I also like this list of made up (but etymologically meaningful) words from the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, which describe emotions that English doesn't already have words for. I particularly relate to 'enouement', the bittersweetness of arriving in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self. Sometimes I feel this way when I look back on my childhood, when my parents were still together and my dad was still alive. 

I have 10 working days until I'm on holidays. 

COMPLETE!

 

I did it! I found every single word for the first time ever on the Target puzzle I have on my phone (as opposed to the similar, but different, one I play on the computer, which I've only solved once). Usually I give up - or get bored - after I reach 'very good', except for one time when I got every word bar one (which was "oohs"), but this time I kept going and got them all! I was hoping for a small confetti shower, but all that happened was "COMPLETE!" popped up and then disappeared.  

Half-woman, half-muppet is seduced by pudding

I took screenshots of the above pictures on my phone this afternoon and posted them to Instagram with the caption, "Stay tuned for my story 'George Brandis' uncanny resemblance to Dr Bunsen Honeydew'."  

I went back in the photo gallery on my phone later and was greeted with this: 

I'M HALF WOMAN, HALF MUPPET!!!!

That top photo is me admiring the majesty of my high quiff (although I don't think the true majesty is captured in this photo). 

I went out this morning for a muffin, but I got sidetracked by a small gourmet market that had set up near the ATM I'd visited for muffin funds. I was seduced by pudding at the Pud stall and spent $18 on a selection of chocolate coated pudding balls. 

Cranberry and white chocolate pudding ball 

Bloody expensive muffin substitute! Not that I ate the whole packet of six pudding balls in one go - they were far too rich for that - but I did eat five of the tiny puddings over the course of morning and afternoon tea and I actually saved one pudding for Luke (please admire my restraint).

I'm not a massive fan of Christmas pudding or fruit cake generally, but once I tasted a couple of the samples at the stall, I had to have me some pudding. They're made in Castlemaine in central Victoria from a secret family recipe. 

I love the word pudding. And pud. Luke thinks it's funnier if you pronounce it to rhyme with mud, but I disagree. Pud is good. Gotta love a good pud. Or you should. 

I'll go now.  

Sick but happy

I do not know what's going on with this avocado...

I've been slack at blogging the last couple of weeks, mainly because I've been sick. This is obviously not gleeful, and I'm especially displeased because I've been virtually free of colds, the flu and other contagion for almost 10 years. Yes, 10 years! 

But since I got back from Brisbane at the end of July, I've had a head cold and then bronchitis (for the first time ever), which now seems to have morphed into another head cold. In between those two lurgies, I had a blood clot in my leg (not serious), but I can't blame my faltering immune system for that. 

Anyway, enough of that. On with the gleeful stuff! I remain happy, despite feeling poorly

Today was a quiet day at work, so I had no excuse not to tackle a crappy job I've left on the backburner for too long because there was one aspect of it I just could not figure out the last time I worked on it, and I've been struggling for brain power lately. But today I finally found the answer, albeit through little skill/mental agility of my own, and it was practically staring me in the face the whole time! I feel like a goose, but I'm so relieved it's solved. 

Last night I was doing a Target puzzle on my phone while the AFL Brownlow medal presentation was on TV. There's was something on about the Hawthorn Football Club, whose team colours are brown and gold, which prompted Luke to chortle, "Poos and wees!"...at exactly the same moment I found the word 'poos' in my word puzzle.  (Yes, the puzzle allows 'poos', although it doesn't accept 'pooed' - or 'penis' or 'anus' - but it's not due to American prudishness, as evidenced by the fact that 'vagina' is accepted and so is the C-bomb, the rudest word of them all! It's just because the puzzle a bit shit ('shit' is also acceptable). I just posted a review of the app pointing out its deficiencies and was pleased to see  others making similar comments. Puzzle pedants unite!)

One of the indoor plants we bought recently has sprouted a flower. I was surprised because although it's healthy, it needs to be repotted and I didn't think it would be happy enough to bloom. 

Daylight savings starts this weekend! Hurrah! Winter doesn't seem in any hurry to leave us, but at least the days will start getting longer soon.

Fast Tuesday, weird words, badge

Hosier Lane in the city on my way home this evening

Tuesday morning also passed by quickly, which doesn't usually happen to me. Tuesday is my least favourite day of the week, but today it was OK. 

Check out this A-Z of Weird Words by crossword guru David Astle created in response to a challenge by Melbourne's Wheeler Centre.  I've actually heard of a few  - acnestis, panjandrum,  quidnunc and velliety (spellcheck doesn't know any of those, the dumbass). 

I see the Wheeler Centre is having an Adopt-a-Word drive to help support its work in the literary world. It's $85 to adopt a word, but I'm almost tempted just because you get a badge...oh, it's just an e-badge. Damn. I want a real badge.  Maybe I could have it made up myself. 

Surprisingly good mood, appreciation, coincidence

I went in to work for a few hours today to finish off some end-of-month billing. Not only did going to work on my day off not make me cross, I was in a great mood. Bizarre! I did get to have a sleep in, and I enjoyed soaking up some warmth from the sun on my way into the office, so I suppose that helped. 

My boss left me a note on top of the bills. When I first saw the blue note paper poking out of the manila folder I groaned inwardly thinking it was going to be a page of annoying handwritten edits, but no.  It's nice to be appreciated. 

This appeared in my Facebook timeline on day 2 of my shopping ban, courtesy of Grandiloquent Word of the Day. Quite the coincidence. Not that I considered my urge to shop to be obsessive or  uncontrollable.  

  

Solved, work hottie, relaxing

This is the first time in more than a year of playing the nine letter word game that I have found every word. Woohoo! This is also the only time there's only been two words to find, but whatever. I'm still pleased with myself. 

I took a hot water bottle to work today to help ease my back ache. I was also cold despite my many layers of clothing, but the hot water bottle kept me nice and warm. I didn't want to leave my desk. 

My boss was interstate again today so I had a nice relaxing day. 

I'm walking, trivia, tooth fancier

I walked all the way home after work today for probably only the second or third time this year. I've been walking half way home quite often, but I've decided I need more exercise, so I'm going to walk the whole way more often. It's a 40-minute walk at a brisk pace.  

I've actually missed the walk - seeing the reflections of the city lights on the dark river, keeping an eye out for water birds and, of course, avoiding crowding on the tram. 

I only caught a glimpse of a bird on the wing tonight, but I did see a few patches of mushrooms on the river bank. 

My firm is having another trivia night in a few weeks. Yay! I love trivia nights. My team came fourth last year, so our aim is to better that. Or, you know, win. 

Are you gomphipothic? The meaning is as amusing as the word itself - to be excited by a lovely set of teeth. Whatever floats yer boat... 

Excellent and delicious

This made me chuckle 

Today I got the nine-letter word in The Age Target puzzle and I found all of the words...well, enough to score an 'excellent'. This is a very rare event...probably because the nine-letter word was 'horseshoe', but whatever!

I had lunch with some work friends. My peri peri chicken burger was deliciously tender and juicy. 

Weekend!!

Not grumpy, deep sea, worst language

I'm in quite a good mood today...or maybe that started after I got home from work? Whichever. I wasn't a grumpy bum all day. That's a pleasant change. 

I am fascinated by deep sea creatures and landscapes so I was interested to read about exploration of the Perth Canyon near Rottnest Island, off the coast of Western Australia. The canyon is about the same length as the Grand Canyon and twice as deep - up to four kilometres deep in places. Four kilometres of dark water teeming with strange creatures! Despite it proximity to the mainland, it has never been properly explored, but a team of scientists from the University of Western Australia is changing that. You can read about their discoveries here. 

This is an amusing and interesting list of reasons English is "the worst language ever". I'm glad I never had to learn it as a second language. 

The way Americans pronounce "duty" makes me chuckle. Dooty, and sometimes doody. Hahaha. Doody. 

No, I didn't post yesterday because I went to bed as soon as I got home and pretty much stayed there until 8.00 am.  

Achievement unlocked

Today, on the first day of my long weekend, my plan was to spend the day in bed and I'm pleased to report I succeeded. I got up and put pants on at about 7.30 pm. I also finished reading my book. What a day! 

I have made no plans for tomorrow, but I probably will go outside. 

Zooterkins! Here's a list of old-fashioned swear words you should read because apparently learning a new word  is as pleasurable as eating chocolate or having sex. Who knows what happens if you learn a new word for sex or chocolate - or learn a new word while eating chocolate and having sex. You'd surely die of happiness. Maybe I should go off the anti-depressants and read the dictionary instead...

Another walk, good boss, word nerd stuff

I did walk to work again this morning. It was hard going due to my body feeling as if it had been run over by a small tractor during the night, but I got there. Go, me. 

I do have the day off on Friday too. Yay. I thought my boss might want me to cancel my leave day because the other secretary who's joined my team has had to take the week off, but I checked with him and he doesn't. He's a very fair and reasonable boss.  

I had an intense day at work today so a short week will be very welcome.  

Here are some links I've been saving up for my fellow word nerds:

Barrister and human rights advocate Julian Burnside on why he is resisting the lure of Scrabble, and some of the English language's weird words. 

Julian Burnside again on getting worked up over a word missing from the Oxford English Dictionary - the 20-volume version, no less. The word is 'philtrum', that groove above the middle of your top lip. 

A (long) story  by nature writer Robert Macfarlane who has been collecting unusual words to describe the landscape. I like 'roarie-bummlers' (fast-moving storm clouds) and 'sun-scald' (the glare of the sun on water). "It's a lexicon we need to cherish in an age when a junior dictionary finds room for bluebell but has no place for 'bluebell'." 

Sunshine, sleep ins and some word nerdery

What stunning spring weather we've had the last few days, with the mercury hitting the mid-20s. Mid-20s! Even a mere 20 degrees would have been cause for glee. It's been such a cold winter that I'm having trouble remembering when it was last warm enough to walk to and from work without a jacket. 

Luke bought a new car last week and we took it for a cruise down the Mornington Peninsula on Sunday. We stopped at The Royal Hotel in Mornington for lunch and it was mild enough to have our meal on the veranda just across the road from the sparkling bay.  The tide was out and the water was a beautiful shade of turquoise. 

I'm enjoying my 10.00am starts. I'm not doing a very good job (by which I mean I'm doing a very bad job) of getting up early enough to have breakfast at home and walk to work, but it's so nice to have a weekday lie in.  I also don't feel quite the same feeling of "UGH, I have to get up for work in the morning" knowing I don't need to get out of bed before 8.30. Today I got up at 9.00am and sat down at my desk at 9.55. WIN!  (The 6.15 finishes are less enjoyable, but that's partly because I'm not at all busy.)

Here's some stuff I've been hoarding for when I got around to blogging again:

Ten of the best collective nouns. Surprisingly, an implausibility of gnus doesn't make the list. 

Are you a smellfungus? Find out in this list of 101 Bizarre English Words. A lot aren't really that bizarre, but most of them are splendid and should be used more often. 

I found another time-related word to add to my list: nychthemeron, which means a full period of a night and day; 24 hours. It's a pretty cool word. it sounds like the name of a planet or something from a sci-fi novel.

I love the idea of a playground for adults, like this one in Boston. Not one of those ones that are designed for sedentary grown ups to get some exercise, but a playground that's just for fun. 

Check out these photos from the Reykjavic Police Instagram account. Puppies, kittens and fairy floss, oh my!  (Have I mentioned my fixation with Iceland?)

JBPM: day 21

I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm obsessed with citrus, especially lemon and lime. Eating citrus, drinking citrus and smelling citrus.  I can't get enough. It's so fresh and zesty and zingy. 

My obsession intensified recently when my osteo put a citrus blend in the oil burner in their waiting room and the scent made me feel good (well, better. I rarely feel good physically). I know citrus oils are said to be uplifting and energising, but I assumed that was marketing bunkum. Maybe I was wrong...

Since that day I've been on a quest for smelly stuff for my flat so I can be uplifted and energised in the comfort of my own home, and today I found Glasshouse's diffuser with lemongrass fragrance and it's divine. Fresh, zesty, zingy.  It's only been on my mantelpiece for a brief time so I'm not uplifted and engergised yet me.

I like saying "zesty". And "pudding" or "puddin'" or just "pud". I've been using pudding words more than usual today in reference to last night's cobbler. Pudding is actually one of my favourite words. It's so warm and comforting, and kind of silly too.  

I have been listening to Norah Jones' two country music side projects for the last day or two after an online friend mentioned Norah was in an all-girl country band call Puss n Boots. And while looking up Puss n Boots I found she had another country band called The Little Willies (teehee). I really like both bands. I don't own any of Norah Jones' music though. I love the twangy stuff. 

Here's The Little Willies' cover of Diesel Smoke and Dangerous  Curves. 

JBPM: day 14

We have replaced our doona (duvet/quilt) with blankets because it was too warm. Sleeping in a too-toasty bed isn't conducive to good sleep and can have negative health impacts.  The temperature is just about right now with one wool and one cotton blanket, but it's too soon to say it's making a difference (particularly if I'm less fatigued). The blankets aren't as snuggly as a doona, but they do stay well tucked in compared to a doona with a top sheet, and I like that.  It feels secure and comforting. When I asked Luke if he was tucked in too tightly, he said no, he likes that feeling.  I think another bonus will be less huffiness with each other over doona-hogging. 

The Oxford Dictionaries word of the day is 'middlescent' - middle-aged but still maintaining youthful interests and activities.  That's me! I usually describe myself as a 'kidult' or 'adultescent', but middlescent seems more fitting these days. 

Have I told you about the The Emotionary - a site with made up words for real feelings? Some are quite clever. I like 'feignderstand' - to pretend you have finally heard what someone said after asking them to repeat themselves more than three times.  

Milquetoast!!!

Happy new year! I hope 2014 is treating you well so far. I'm on holidays still, and have spent most of this year (ha) reclining on my couch watching Bored to Death on DVD and chuckling heartily. 

It's a comedy about a heartbroken, struggling writer called Jonathan who lives in Brooklyn and moonlights as an unlicensed, bumbling, but actually-quite-successful private investigator. My favourite character is Jonathan's boss/friend/father figure, George, who's played by Ted Danson. He's a heavy drinking, pot smoking, several-times-divorced magazine editor, who is far less jaded and cynical than one would expect. He detests boredom and gleefully helps out with some of Jonathan's cases. 

Anyway, I'm not writing  a review here...this post is about word nerdery. 

In the first couple of episodes George uses the word 'milquetoast' (a timid, spineless person) twice. 'Don't be a milquetoast, Jonathan," he said. I already liked the show before that, but I liked it a lot after George said milquetoast. 

Then I got 'milquetoast' stuck in my head like a one-word ear worm. A wordworm. It kept popping into my head randomly and often. (This happens to me sometimes for some reason. It used to happen with 'antimacassar' and 'amygdala'.) 

This morning I woke up early, fell asleep again and milquetoast featured in my dream, but I don't recall what actually happened. I woke up thinking about milquetoast. If only I could work it into a conversation...without people thinking I'm saying "milk toast". 

I have also watched two seasons of Girls. It only occurred to me after I started watching Bored to Death that both series revolve around the lives of struggling writers living in Brooklyn. Total coincidence. 

I was prepared to find Girls irritating, but I didn't. I liked it a lot and chuckled heartily at it. 

PS I have left the house this year. 

Day 7: The excitement of uncertainty

There's going to be major changes at my work early in the new year.  I won't go into detail because there hasn't been an official announcement yet and it's still meant to be very secret squirrel. I don't think I've mentioned where I work, but I'll err on the side of caution and button my lip for now. 

In any case, these changes mean there is some uncertainty in my future. I find the uncertainty bothersome* because it's not that long since I've started to feel really settled into the job, but it also has some appeal. It's a little bit exciting not knowing for sure where I will be this time next year. Imagining possibilities, thinking about opportunities is more interesting than thinking about the status quo (except when I think about the possibility of being unemployed for an extended period).  

My ambivalence about the uncertainty ahead reminds me of this poem (or verse from?) The Blooming of Madness:

* I enjoy using the word 'bothersome'. 

Sneakers, little 'phut', train spotting, resistentialism

Well, that's my bonus spent.  I bought new sneakers today - a pair of black and white Saucony Shadows. (Men's sneakers again. I always prefer the men's colours, although in this case I needed something fairly neutral). When I decided to buy them, the sales dude (dreads, piecings) complimented me on my choice and said they were "kinda like a New Balance took a valium and gave you a warm hug". Hehe. 

A few weeks ago I bought a hand-held citrus press to extract lime juice for my refreshing gin and tonics with lime and mint. It's very satisfying squeezing as much juice out of half a lime as you can. It creates a vacuum so that the remains of the lime get stuck to the convex part of the press It makes a pleasing little 'phut' noise when it releases.  

I know I've posted a photo of this Foy's ghostsign on Swanston Street before, but I can't remember if I noticed the other sign that runs vertically down the side. 

 Foy's was a department store around the corner on Bourke Street 

Luke and I saw a ghost sign while we were on the train just about to reach Flinders Street station. STOP THE TRAIN! I NEED TO TAKE A PHOTO! I have to go into the city again tomorrow so I will catch the train and be prepared. Hopefully I will be on on of those trains that stops between Richmond and Flinders Street stations for no apparent reason. (I'm fairly sure I'm the only person who's ever said that.) Failing that, I might be able to get a decent shot from the other side of the train lines. 

Here's a list of 18 amusing old words that should never have disappeared from our language (except spermologer). I hadn't heard of any of these before, except for  groak. Wonder-wench!  Lunting! Resistentialism is my favourite. I'm sure my iPod dislikes  me because when I'm feeling down it always shuffles up the most depressing songs I own. That's resistentialism. (OK, maybe it thinks it's being sympathetic and helping me to  wallow in self pity...)

Close encounters, the joy of reduplication and being helpful

My extra long weekend is drawing to a close, but it's been a good one. I've left it too late to write a post about our Gippsland adventure tonight, but I'll share a quick pic.

On a whim, we stopped at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Cranbourne on the outskirts of Melbourne on our way home. The gardens feature large tracts of fairly untouched native bushland. At the start of a walking track there was a sign warning of snakes. I secretly thought, "Ooh, I hope we see one", and we did! It was sunning itself on the path and we got within about 1.5 metres of it. No, I wasn't scared. 

  

I think it was a young brown snake (considered the second most venomous land snake in Australia). It stayed where it was for about 20 seconds, then turned and slithered into the undergrowth. A few metres along we saw a bandicoot, which at first I thought was a rat.

It calmly toddled off into the undergrowth after spotting us too. Hopefully it didn't encounter the nearby snake...or hopefully it did? A snake's gotta eat after all. Circle of life and all that.  

I'll tell you about the rest of our trip soon - and post the photos from my ghost hunting excursion too. 

In the meantime...

I finished reading Let's Bring Back...The Lost Language Edition last night. I didn't think many of the words and phrases really were lost, which is perhaps due to the author being American and me Australian, but I still enjoyed the book. 

Other favourites:

* womblecropped - a state of wretchedness or humiliation

* wiffle-woffles - down in the dumps 

I will now have to choose between mubblefubbles and wiffle-woffles next time I wish to convey that I'm in low spirits. 

I've noticed while reading the book that I have a fondness for words created through reduplication - that is, words created by repeating parts of a word. There are three kinds of reduplication: rhyming (mubblefubbles), exact (bling-bling) and ablaut, in which the vowel is changed, such as in wiffle-woffles and more common words like zig-zag, ding-dong and wishy-washy. I'm not fussed about exact reduplication, but I do get a kick out of the rhyming and ablaut kinds. There are lists of all kinds here. 

I knew there was a term for these word forms, but I couldn't remember it, so I asked google. Fortunately, 'words like willy nilly rhyming' produced the desired result.  

Fat glee

I had a gleeful moment at the supermarket today. As I waited at the deli, a customer  asked the deli worker if she had goose or duck fat. She didn't, but said there might be some in the meat section. I said I'd just seen duck fat in the butter section - coincidentally the first time I'd ever noticed it. It was obviously in my destiny to help a stranger acquire the fat of poultry today. The man thanked me and wandered off. 

I passed him in the butter aisle looking for it, but it wasn't there. I said maybe it was in the meat section after all and I'd have a look. He said not to worry and wandered off again. The meat section was only in the next aisle, so I got it and gave it to him. He was very thankful.

A small thing, but it made me smile. Never let it be said that I would stand idly by and watch someone leave a shop without their duck fat.