Random Word

Vivienne Westwood: "Every time I have to look up a word in the dictionary, I'm delighted."
                                                                                              

One of my mother's most faithful reading companions has been a dictionary. In a flashback to childhood, I remember seeing her pause, halfway down a page in her novel, to look up a word. She'd nod at the definition and return to reading. From watching her, I learned that words are powerful and sometimes perplexing. I was happy to discover a dictionary app for my phone. Now I never have to wait to get home to my own dictionary to check on spelling or pronunciation. 

In (ongoing) honor of Dictionary Day (April 14), I'll occasionally post a Random Word. The words won't be common or archaic. They're just words that aren't heard too often. If we all use them a time or two, maybe their popularity will rebound.

insipid - in-'si-pid\adjective (1609). 1. Lacking taste. 2. Lacking in qualities that interest, stimulate or challenge. Synonyms - vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane. 
                                        (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary)

Example: Calling the phrases insipid, Mr. Fiske wants us to avoid using as honest as the day is long and know her like a book. 


For browsing:        

The Wrong Word Dictionary - Dave Dowling. Find out the difference between dank and damp; hue or shade or tint, and picaresque or picturesque. 

The Dictionary of Worthless Words (30,000 words to stop using now) - Dave Dowling. I held my breath as I opened this book - what words would be banned? Dowling believes our vocabularies would be stronger without absolutely, very, and unique. And forget about using obligated, manipulate and indeterminate!

Roget's Thesaurus of Words for Writers - Olsen/Bevilacqua/Hayes/Bly.  If you're stuck after reading the Dowling book, this collection will help. Conflict will become contravention or melee or discord.

Grammar Girl's 101 Words to Sound Smart - Mignon Fogarty. At the next after-work gathering, throw gossamer or languid into the conversation. 

Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors - Bill Bryson. Foreign phrases (cri de coeur), official names of countries (Republic of Ireland), notable people (Emmeline Pankhurst), or whether to use inveigh or inveigle are all found in this packed-full 398 page book.

The Devil's Dictionary - Ambrose Bierce. Witty and cutting, this dictionary will provide laughs and information. Mr. Bierce clearly didn't suffer any fools gladly.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable - Camilla Rockwood, editor. Perfect for browsing. This tome covers all the bases from the Erymanthian boar to the Oregon Trail to the definition of clerihew.   

Dictionaries - A Very Short Introduction - Lynda Mugglestone. Just as advertised, a tidy history of a very big book.

Reading the OED - Ammon Shea. Read along with Shea as he discovers words such as garbist (noun), mediocrist (noun) and tripudiate (verb).

The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate - Eugene Ehrlich. What words will we find in this highbrow list? Disconsolate. Lachrymose. Officious.

Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever - Richard Scarry. For preschoolers and up to primary age, Mr. Scarry introduces fuselage and bonfire.     

Insult Dictionary - Julie Tibbott. How many ways can I say I LOVED this book? I'll start using churl to describe anyone deemed stingy or morose; a crowd may become a boodle; and an admired person will be a brick.

The Big Book of Words You Should Know - Olsen/ Bevilacqua/Hayes. The authors ask us to start using patois, vapid and docile.

The Forgotten Founding Father - Joshua Kendall. A tip of the hat and a big thank you to Noah Webster.

The Man Who Made Lists - Love, Death, Madness and the Creation of Roget's Thesaurus - Joshua Kendall. Peter Mark Roget loved words. His lists of synonyms were almost endless. There's even a bit of political intrigue involving Napoleon in this biography. Reviews of the book have been mixed, but readers will have a better understanding of the creator of the thesaurus.     

The Dimwit's Dictionary - Robert Hartwell Fiske. My sister had a neighbor who would sit on his lovely front porch and, in a biting tone of voice, share with passersby his acidic view on what was happening in the neighborhood e.g. tag sales. Mr. Fiske (even his trio name is perfect) is the razor sharp literary embodiment of that former neighbor. You will find, no doubt, any number of words or phrases that you often use listed as moribund metaphors, a wretched redundancy or a torpid term. Be prepared to laugh and cringe.



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