A.Word.A.Day -- AWADmail Issue 1156

A.Word.A.Day

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AWADmail Issue 1156

A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language

Sponsor’s Message: “Scrabble on steroids, with a thieving twist.” One Up! -- where stealing is the name of the game. “Darwinian fun.” A wicked smart gift. Game on.

Email of the Week -- Brought to you buy One Up! -- Perfectly-horrible travel fun.

From: Pamela Sieving (pamsieving gmail.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--evanescent

The word evanescent reminds me: as an ophthalmology resident many decades ago, my husband (with one of the faculty) was the first to describe Multiple Evanescent White Dot Syndrome. If one is to have an eye problem, evanescent is a good aspect!

Pamela C. Sieving, MA, MS, AHIP (dist.), Sacramento, California

From: Ron Jay Barnett (ronjaybarnett gmail.com)
Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--evanescent

I’m a microwave design engineer, and inside waveguides we have evanescent waves that disappear and do not propagate like real electromagnetic waves.

Ron Jay Barnett, Portland, Oregon

From: Ted Hochstadt (tedbh yahoo.com)
Subject: Evanescent

I have a distant but distinct recollection of a high school English teacher who advised his students that rather than responding to a ridiculous statement with an expletive, we should characterize the statement as “evanescent persiflage”. I cannot say that I followed his advice, however.

Ted Hochstadt, Pimmit Hills, Virginia

From: Dave Campbell (museumofdave gmail.com)
Subject: Splendiferous

For those of us belonging to that increasingly rare breed of university English majors, splendiferous immediately brings to mind the e.e. cummings poem “nobody loses all the time”, which eviscerates the obsession some folks have with accomplishment at any cost. It highlights the life of habitual loser Uncle Sol, who finally “drowned himself in the watertank,” and was presented “upon the auspicious occasion of his decease a scrumptious not to mention splendiferous funeral with tall boys in black gloves and flowers...” The poem in its entirety is a grand satire on the American idea of success at any cost no matter the challenges.

Dave Campbell, Dayton, Washington

From: Don Fearn (pooder charter.net)
Subject: weirdness

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
I have no respect for people who deliberately try to be weird to attract attention, but if that’s who you honestly are, you shouldn’t try to “normalize” yourself. -Alicia Witt, actress, singer-songwriter, and pianist (b. 21 Aug 1975)

This reminds me of a story Mom loved to tell: She was walking with my teenage daughter and my daughter said, “Gramma, my mom says you’re weird.” Mom replied to her, “You know what? She is right!” Mom was weird -- in a good way -- and she owned it. I’ve learnt to own my weirdness too.

Don Fearn, Duluth, Minnesota

From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com)
Subject: phantasmagorical and consummate

Trump continues to spew a stream of invective, red meat for his MAGA minions. His intent is not to “Make America Great Again!”, but on the contrary, to “Make America Hate Again!”. He’s been attacking his Democratic opponents, Harris and Walz, with all manner of vituperative taunts, besmirching their character, intelligence and public service records, all based on a pack of lies and just plain stupidity.

There’s no rules or playbook as to when a couple should decide to consummate their relationship. The first date? A tad too early? After a few months of dating? Not that unusual. After a year? That could be a stretch. These days, virgin brides are a rarity, as are 40-year-old virgins. Ha!

Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California

Anagrams


This week’s theme: Adjectives 1. Evanescent 2. Splendiferous 3. Ontic 4. Phantasmagorical 5. Consummate	=	1. Transient 2. Just so awesome, eh? 3. Evinced, actual 4. Strange, oft pensive 5. Accomplished, acme methinks
		-Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz)

=	1. Short duration sessions, events 2. Magnificent Jack 3. When actual 4. Seem, deceptive, a sham 5. Complete	=	1. Vanishing with fast speed 2. Majestic (the peacock) 3. Noumenal 4. Covers dream scenes on set 5. Ultimate
	-Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com)		-Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com)

Make your own anagrams and animations.

Limericks

evanescent

She was pretty, a poised adolescent,
But beauty is so evanescent.
Now that she is mature,
Of her good looks unsure,
She is taking an antidepressant.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

When young she had seemed incandescent,
But beauty can be evanescent.
She wants her looks back --
But alas and alack! --
No help is that Botox incessant.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

Evanescent means what? Well, I’ll say
Something here for just only a day;
Or an hour or minute.
Whatever is in it
Is too temporary to stay.
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

“Why is Kamala so effervescent?
Please pass me an antidepressant,”
Said Donald. “To rule
All my life makes me drool,
But that dream now appears evanescent.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

splendiferous

You’re simply splendiferous, dear.
That’s incontrovertibly clear.
You fill me with awe,
But you do have one flaw.
You burp when you drink too much beer.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

“Splendiferous” -- what a great word!
I’ll pen it in tales to be heard.
They’ll be so exciting,
So edgy and biting ...
But naught comes to mind to this nerd.
-Sondra Landin, New York, New York (sunnytravel att.net)

If splendiferous vistas you seek,
You should climb to the top of a peak.
The view from Denali
Is awesome, by golly:
As Frenchmen would say, “Magnifique!”
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

What a night! What a party, oh boy!
Everywhere there is clamorous joy!
Surroundings splendiferous
Reactions vociferous
Our guy is now champion, oy!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

Said the knight, “This crusade is splendiferous!
It’ll show I’m courageous, not timorous!
Fair ladies will swoon
When I act like a goon,
Killing heathens, then acting all chivalrous!”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

ontic

Don’t believe everything that you see.
What seems ontic may really not be.
Deep fakes you may find
That boggle the mind --
It’s amazing but scary to me.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

“Though the presidency sure is ontic,”
Said Nixon, “my head they now want. Ick!”
“Well you sure sealed your fate
With that dumb Watergate,”
Answered Pat, “but of you I’m still fond, Dick.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

phantasmagorical

My thoughts, mostly phantasmagorical,
Are of people, well known or historical.
That impaler called Vlad
I believe was my dad.
My thinking is so metaphorical.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

They’re phantasmagorical, yes!
My thoughts when I’m not under stress.
I’m suddenly rich,
Life hums without hitch,
And then I wake up -- time to dress!
-Sondra Landin, New York, New York (sunnytravel att.net)

Now Donald we think is unwise,
With conspiracy theories and lies.
Trump shuns the historical,
For the phantasmagorical,
Which then the next day, he denies.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“Will I win with my style rhetorical?”
asked Donald. “ ‘Fraid not,” said the oracle.
“Though high you were ridin’
Against frail old Biden,
Your hopes are now phantasmagorical.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

consummate

I know it takes consummate skill
To make love day and night just at will.
So, I’d better confess.
I do take, (can’t you guess?),
Vιαgra, that little blue pill.
-Rudy Landesman, New York, New York (ydur36 hotmail.com)

My doctor’s a consummate pro;
The treatment I need, he will know.
But I must confess
That nevertheless
To Google for consults I go.
-Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com)

We plighted our troth just last night,
And rocked and rolled till it got bright.
And it surely was great
To at last consummate,
And find our sweet gemutlichkeit!
-Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com)

His broths were the best, critics say.
They praised all his Soups of the Day.
The diners screamed louder,
For his bisque and chowder,
And consummate fine consommé.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“Though our wedding night’s vile to contemplate,”
Said Melania, “Donald, please concentrate.
While I married for gold
And you’re tiny and old,
I want kids, so this deal try to consummate.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

Puns

“Gorblimey,” weeps Mary in the New Cockney Bible, “’seems it’s time fer me son to make ‘is ‘evanescent.”
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“They’re sweet as sugar with no calories!” said the ad for Splendiferous iron supplements.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“If I post the video ontic-tok it’ll get a lot of views, Mom,” said the young singer to her mortified mother.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

“Don’t ya go ontic-kling me or I’ll tell mom!” She warned her big brother.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“The kiss was phantasmagorical, but we’ve grown apart,” said Tipper to her divorce lawyer.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

The orange soda craze in the forties was truly phantasmagorical.
-Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com)

“I bet if I ran for President I could consummate-iots out of millions,” schemed the reality-show huckster.
-Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com)

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

A certain amount of opposition is a great help to a man. Kites rise against, not with, the wind. -John Neal, author and critic (25 Aug 1793-1876)

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