As a writer, I guess it’s part of my job to know a lot of words and to know how to use them. There are some I just don’t like (for instance penis…hate that stupid word.) There are some I use way too often and which I have to hunt down and slaughter with a poisoned stake before sending in my manuscripts. And, of course, as a romance writer, I especially have to know words like stroked, thrust, pounded, arousal, ecstasy…as well as any other word that can be used in place of the much-hated p-word mentioned above.
But even aside from my job, I’m just a word person. I like them. I like the way some words echo in the ear or roll off the tongue. Some just fill your mouth and some slip past your lips when you say them. I like being able to get a wealth of meaning, mood or description across with just one or two appropriate words…(like 
I mean, it’s so many things–a request, a command and a description of your attitude. Or 
It conveys mood AND asks a question. What a perfect little combination of words!)
I won’t say I like words as much as I like Snickers bars, but you know, there are some that are pretty darn cool.
Here are some of my favorites…
Metamorphosis: I love the morph in the middle of it because I liked Morph in X-Men. I also like the sibilant “sis” at the end. It’s a mysterious sounding word (and not just because it sounds a little like the word mysterious.) I also like its meaning–changing, transforming, going beyond what you are. As in, “Leslie’s metamorphosis from unknown nobody to New York Times bestselling author took place in a remarkably short time!”
Juxtaposition: It sounds elegant. And it’s one of those words that kind of illustrates its own meaning–the positioning of its own letters makes it unique. I sometimes use it when I’m writing, but haven’t entirely gotten the knack of it, so my sentences would probably be something like this: “The juxtaposition of Leslie’s double chin and her puffy cheeks provided evidence of her Frito Lay weekend.” (I’ll keep working on that one.)
Schaudenfreude: This was actually one of my favorite words even before I fell in love with the song by this name in the Broadway musical Avenue Q. It’s just stark and rigid and you can tell when you hear it that it isn’t very nice… “but everybody does it!” (I actually managed to get it into my last book, Here Comes Trouble…woo hoo!) “Seeing a cop writing a ticket for the dickless wonder who’d just cut her off in traffic made Leslie cackle in pure schaudenfreude.”
Lyrical: It’s another one of those words that sounds like what it is. It rolls off the tongue…it’s lyrical…when you say it. “Hugh Jackman’s sexy, lyrical whispers were jerked out of Leslie’s head by the shrill, not-so-lyrical shriek of her alarm clock.”
Syncopation: I like quirky, offbeat things and people. So a word that celebrates the tock-tick instead of the tick-tock is okay by me. Can’t think of a sentence for it, tho, beyond something like, “Syncopation…sounds like constipation, but it isn’t.” Anyone?
Piparoo: Why don’t we use this one anymore? It’s so funny…feisty and brash. “Carly gave Julie a time-out during a plotting session because Julie was being a real piparoo.”
Karma: I like what it means. I like having a simple, five letter word to replace the otherwise very wordy: “What goes around comes around, you schmuck.”
Onomatopoeia: What a great word! Little kids have to learn it even though nobody knows how to spell it! And it is exactly the opposite of what it means–it sounds nothing like anything…it should be something like “soundsalotalika” but it’s not! What fun!
“Constantinople and Timbuktu!”: A holdover from my childhood love of Dr. Seuss. I was thrilled that I could read “big words too.” (A round of applause for the first one who can name the book.)
Visceral: It’s a raw word and immediately makes me think of bloody, ropy guts. (No, I have no idea why.) But I like it. “Leslie’s reaction to the number on the scale at Curves was a visceral, deep-seated hatred for the man who invented Lays Salt & Vinegar potato chips.”
Impregnable: Huge moat. High walls. Razor-fence. Firmly closed thighs. It’s a challenge word…I like those. “Within the impregnable depths of Leslie’s mind exists the secret for being rich and famous. But she can’t get to it because her mind’s impregnable.”
Impassioned: It’s not just passionate. Not just full of passion. It’s positively instilled with passion, overwhelmed with passion, dripping passion. Now that’s passion. “Leslie’s impassioned plea for another week on her deadline melted the cockles of her editor’s heart.” (Not that I know what cockles are…some wordsmith I am!)
Inane: It’s so much like insane. Utterly appropriate IMO since I, quite often, am driven insane by the inane. “The less Leslie wants to work on her wip, the more inane her blog entries become.” (If you look through the archives, you can probably get an idea of just how much I want to write my wip.)
So, there you go, a brief sampling of my favorite words. There are more, of course, but these were the first that arose from the depths of my consciousness and imbued my soul with the desire to bring forth the subject. (More faves!)
What about you? Anyone care to illustrate their favorite word in a bit of irreverent (I like that one, too) prose? (A book from my backlist to my favorite.)
Leslie Kelly used to say she wanted to be a doctor when she grew up, but then she discovered Nancy Drew books. Being a flashlight-under-the-covers-nose-in-book reader throughout her childhood, she couldn’t think of anything else she’d rather do as an adult than continue to lose herself in fictional stories. Her real life marriage of 20 years to the man of her dreams is a constant reinforcement that happily-ever-afters really can happen…and that they’re worth writing about. Living in Maryland, Leslie spends her non-writing time laughing a lot with the above-mentioned romance hero and their three daughters. Though an author of more than thirty sexy, contemporary comedies, she has recently branched out to write dark romantic suspense under the pseudonym Leslie Parrish.
Destiny
Dirty Little Secrets
Once Upon A Valentine
Through The Night
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The girl was so “loquacious” that no one else could get a word in edge-wise.
Stacy slowly took a taste of the sinfully “decadent” German chocolate cake, wanting to “savor” the smooth, rich chocolate.
Gerard Butler is such a “luscious” hottie.
Stacy would like to “contemplate” a future with such a hottie.
Stacy was “dazzled” by the “myriad” of colors shooting off from her 3-”carat” diamond ring.
I know there are more, but that will do for now. How fun!
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Mine aren’t nearly as “elegant” – my husband’s late grandfather’s favorite word for everything!
“Jimminy-Christmas” :cursing: don’t know where it came from but my kids run and hide when I use it.
“Good-googa-mooga”, where did you find something like that? (It can be used for a wide variety of things, sort of like WTF).
“Oofta,” that’s not good.
Did you know that if f… is used as a derogatory term in a movie, the movie will be rated PG? But if its used in a sensual context the movie will be rated R? I read that yesterday and am so totally confused. Anyone know the reasoning behind that rating system?
Have a great Monday everyone – fun post, Leslie.
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Even the people who made up the rating system don’t know how it works, much less us mere mortals.
My hubby hates the “f” bomb, but he will use “fornicate” and now I tend to too. Much nicer sounding in polite company. LOL However, it actually gets more of a reaction that the “f” bomb itself.:wtf:
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What an awesome post, Les! I’m a piparoo! I never heard that before…am I related to a kangaroo? Don’t tell me.
My favorite word is phantasmagoric. I love that word. Poe made it up. I think that’s why I like it so much. The writer didn’t have a word, so the writer made up a word. Go EA.
I’m also one who loves myriad, but it’s hard to use it correctly. He had myriad thoughts of the woman he loved. It doesn’t take the article, “a.” Or is this one of those fluid language things?
And forte. I love that word. And no matter what the experts say, I will pronounce it “for-tay” and not “fort.” I don’t care if I’m wrong. I know what I like.
I could go on all day…but like Leslie, have a WIP that needs my attention. And since it has witches in it, I might just get to use phantasmagoric!
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Leslie,
I am also a fan of “Onomatopoeia”. I also like “Palendrome” (hopefully, I spelled it correctly, as in HANNAH is a lovely Palendrome as is “poop”). For some odd reason, I have always been fond of “Measles”. I don’t really know why. I wouldn’t wish them on anyone. I just like the way it sounds (I am crazy).
Happy Monday, Everyone!!
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What a fun, funny post, Leslie. A great way to start the week, too!
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This is a fun one for me because I too love words. The very “simplicity” of some words “boggles” your mind. I just love to “snap-dazzle” some into my conversation with my friends when I am talking and see their reaction.
Some of my friends love it when I do that. I have one friend who laughs her head off “literally” because I am not a very “intellectual” person. I just like the sound, or like you said, the feel of it on my tongue.
My favorite words are, “promiscuous”, “propulsion”, “haughty”, “culminate”, “haphazard”, “risque’ “, “supersede”, “concur”, among others. Sometimes a word will get stuck in my head, you know like a broken record. Like one time the simple word, “twelve” got stuck and then I couldn’t spell it right because I was saying it all funny. Have you ever had that happen?
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A great post, Leslie. Some of my favourite words are “procastinate”, “weightless”, “chatterbox” to name just a couple…….
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I also like the word promiscuous and paramour,Impetuous, wanton. There’s something about those words.
But my absolute favorite word – facetious ( Julie, 10th grade word pak at TC :happy2:)
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All great words. One of my favorites is moron. Can be used in a variety of ways.
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“Screwdindooder”
I don’t know if this is an actual word but my mom uses it whenever she can’t think of the word that she is trying to say. She used it alot when I was a kid growing up. It drove me nuts because I never knew what she was referring to. Now, I find myself using it sometimes with my own child. Arrrrgh!
“Honey, can you reach me that screwdindooder.”
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I forgot to mention the words, “double entendre”. Maybe because I knew someone who used to love to use that word (and accused me of always using them, I think his mind was in the gutter). LOL! What a fun topic today!
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Leslie, interesting, fun topic! I love the word “serendipity” also a word I got from my grandfather which covers any number of things “bassackwards”. I don’t think it is a real word but it comes in very handy at times! Also the word touchdown is pleasing, especially if you are a football fan & it is your team!!
You have given me a subject that will be running through my mind all day. I think I will have to come back & see what others post. :thumbsup2:
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“Piffle.” I love that one. It’s my favorite response to a whiney kid. :-)
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Ooooh, some great words here! When I was a little girl, I would go around saying to people, “I’m Loulou. My Daddy says I’m precocious and loquacious. That means I’m smart but I talk too much.” True story…lol!
And yes, Michele, sometimes words get stuck in my head and they appear all over my books. Those are the ones I have to hunt down and kill. Along with frequently overused words that EVERY writer I know overuses and tries to weed out before sending a book in. (These include: that, just, very, little, smiled, turned…I’m sure every writer can add her own!)
I’m also afraid I’m a baddie…the “f” word isn’t exactly one of my favorite words, but it sure is one I use often.
Wanton…love that one! And Serendipity, too (it makes me think of Dippety Doo…anyone remember that gooey stuff from your childhood? I won’t even say what it makes me think of… :happy2:
Keep em comin!
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I guess one of my favorite words growing up was “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” but then I loved Mary Poppins. Which does bring me to the word “Atrocious”. My great aunt used to always say “Isn’t that just atrocious?”
I called my kids “punkins” when they were small (okay, even when I oldest was in college)
Then there is “Fluff-a-nutter”. It’s a cookie thing sort of and I just like the way it’s sounds.
Oh yeah, I believe the Dr. Seuss book you are referring to is “Hop On Pop”
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Discombobulate – sweet word. Love the “bob” in the middle.
Bamboozled – Maybe it’s the b sounds, but this is another good one.
Namibia – yes, I know it’s a country, but I love that word. More b sounds. Go figure.
Chocolate – do I need to explain why I like this one? I especially like the French pronounciation.:mrgreen:
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Great post Leslie
Yes I remember dippity do:happy2:
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Vicki
to me fluff a nutter is the PB and fluff sandwhich and for the life of me I can’t think of the pb cookies shaped liked a peanut r called:wallbash:
nutter butters I think
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Yay Vicki! My fave Dr. Seuss book, after Green Eggs & Ham. And I’m a big Mary Poppins fan, too!
As well as a big fluffernutter fan! YUMM! I remember taking peanut butter & fluff sandwiches to school and telling kids I was eating PB & Mayo. lol! My kids still eat them today.
And the peanut shaped cookes are called Nutter Butters, I think! My 18 year old’s favorite…I just sent a care package to her at college and included a package of them.
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Thank you, Donna M, for mentioning the word “Serendipity”. That’s my all time favorite word and I couldn’t think of it for the life of me this morning when I sent in my comment above!
Also, I thought of some more words that make my tongue tickle when I say them. “Synthysizer”, “floozy”, “poisenous”, along with “twinkling” and “skididdle”. I hope I spelled most of them right.
Here is my little “ditty” that I have put together using my words above.
Oops, “skididdle”, I leaned back a little to far, while sitting on my porch swing, slipped, down went my “synthesizer”, before I could play it. Leaning back in my porch swing again, huh, quick, duck! I was only trying to see the “twinkling” stars in the sky but the porch light went on at the house next door. I looked out of curiosity and the woman next door is wearing this revealing “floozy” outfit and now she is sending me these “poisenous” looks.
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antidisestablishmentarinism…..hey..it sounds like I know some big words
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I love catty cornered, penultimate and snickerdooles
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oh darn and i can’t type – that was to be snickerdoodles.
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my friends words “shoota roney” to use a an explcit lol:thankyou:
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Okay, I think I liked Katie’s sentence (message # 5) the best because it reminded me of my constipation sentence, in that it was a littte crass, a little obnoxious, and made me chuckle. “HANNAH is a lovely Palendrome as is “poop”” lolol!
Katie, drop me a line with your snail mail address and I’ll send you an autographed book!
Thanks for playing everyone!
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Oh, duh, Katie, my email addy is: author@lesliekelly.com
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wtg katie