Improving vocabulary

What is a spoonerism?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 10 Comments

wondrous memeWelcome to the Wondrous Words Wednesday meme.  My entry this week made me giggle: spoonerism. Ever heard of it?  Read on to learn something new and visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion to find more nerdy words.

My 11-year-old son is preparing for the fifth grade spelling bee. Whew!  You should see some of the words on his list.  Doozies like hirsute, souchong, and obstreperous give him (and me) a tough time.  I need my Merriam-Webster app handy to look up definitions and pronunciation.

 

We got a kick out of this word from column four (getting to the hard stuff) on his study list:

spoonerism \’spü-nǝ-riz-ǝm\ noun, associated with William A. Spooner, English clergyman and educator at the turn of the 20th century

A transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of two or more words.  For example, tons of soil for sons of toil.

I’m sure, in my mommy induced fatigue, that I’ve done this. Please call Rosh and Josie downstairs for dinner.  She left her poggles at the gool.  Who knew there was actually a name for this phenomenon?

Word Nerd Workout

Can you think of a funny spoonerism you’ve spoken or heard?  How can you share this cool new term with your friends and family?

Word Nerd Digression

Do you remember spelling bees?  My son is getting nervous about his, and although I’m proud he’s preparing so well, I remind him that we’ll still love him no matter how he does. Half the battle of a spelling bee is getting over the anxiety.

Zach Den Adel via Wylio CC-BY-ND
Zach Den Adel via Wylio CC-BY-ND

In fourth grade, I beat Palmer Johnson, the perennial grade champion, to advance to the school wide bee.  It was held at night, probably during a PTA meeting. The lights burned my eyes as I stood behind the microphone on the auditorium/ cafeteria stage.  I had to spell “different” in round two.  Not hard, right?

My voice echoed in the auditorium as I spelled, “D-I-R-R.”  The bell (of defeat) rang, and I slumped backstage where the principal consoled me with a spicy root beer hard candy shaped like a barrel.

I’ve never liked root beer.  Or performing onstage.  Which is why I express my creativity through writing. 🙂

Do you have a spelling bee story?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Julia

Improving grammar

When to Use Lay vs. Lie

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 13 Comments

Lay vs. LieThis problem has bugged me for a while.  It pops up while reading friends’ manuscripts and while writing my own: when to use lay versus lie.

Do you lay down for a nap or lie down for a nap?  (Frankly, I’m jealous if you nap at all!)

Do you lay down the pencil or lie down the pencil?  (Okay, that one is easier for me to judge.)

Time to research the grammar once and for all.  I consulted my trusty Grammatically Correct, by Anne Stilman, for help.  The situation is a bit confusing; stay with me.

 

First, you must understand the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.

  • Transitive verbs act on a named object.  (Hint: they transfer an action to an object.  Thanks Grammar Girl.)
    • I like cookies.  Sarah will bring fruit.
  • Intransitive verbs are complete by themselves.
    • I run.  She sings.

Now, we can apply that to lay and lie.

  • Lay, to set something down, is a transitive verb and requires an object.
    • Lay the box down on the desk, please.
  • Lie, to be in a horizontal position literally or figuratively, is an intransitive verb.  The action is complete itself.
    • I want to lie down for ten minutes.

Nerd QuoteSeems straightforward, right?  Well, we haven’t mentioned past tense yet.

  • The past tense of lay is laid.  (Many think it is lay.)
    • She laid the box on the table
  • The past participle is also laid. (Many think it is lain.  Nope.)
    • She had laid the money on the counter.
  • The past tense of lie is lay.  (Carumba, here comes the messy part.)  Many people use laid for past tense lie, but that’s not correct.
    • I lay on the sofa for an hour yesterday.
  • The past participle is lain, not laid.
    • I had lain on the sofa for a while before he came home.

Are you still with me?  Let’s practice and see.  Choose the correct verb.  I’ll put the answers at the end of the post.  No peeking!

Word Nerd Workout

  1. I’m going to lay/lie in the sun this afternoon.
  2. She laid/lay the money on the counter before she left for school this morning.
  3. Yesterday, Ella lay/laid down for a three hour hap.
  4. The dog had lain/laid in the sun for hours, so her coat felt warm.
  5. Edmund prefers to lie/lay low and avoid social conflict.

Got it?

Thanks for getting nerdy with me.

Julia

Answers:

  1. lie
  2. lay  laid (A bright reader, who happens to be 11, caught my error.  Really, I just wanted to see who was paying attention 😉  I wish!  Thanks Andersons!)
  3. lay
  4. lain
  5. lie

 

Improving vocabulary

Vocabulary From Literary Discussion: Hamartia

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 10 Comments

wondrous memeWelcome to Wondrous Words Wednesday, a great meme for exploring new words.  Visit Kathy at Bermuda Onion to find more interesting vocabulary.

Last week, I was listening to an episode of The Narrative Breakdown called “Character Flaws.”  The hosts, Cheryl Klein and James Monohan, tossed out references to classic literature and modern TV as they discussed the role of character flaws in a good story.  (If you write, The Narrative Breakdown is a great podcast to follow.  Thanks to Andrea Badgley for this tip!)

Two important literary terms popped up often.  The first one I looked up to check pronunciation and meaning: hamartia (I always pronounced it \ha-mar-sha\ but I was wrong!)

Hamartia \ha-mar-‘tē-ǝ\ noun from the Greek hamartanein, to miss the mark, err

  • A tragic flaw that causes a character’s downfall

Hubris \’hyu-brǝs\ noun from the Greek hybris

  • Exaggerated pride or self-confidence

Hubris could be a character’s hamartia.

Word Nerd Workout

The Great GatsbyThink of a character with a tragic flaw or hamartia.  Hint: go back to the classics!  For example, Jay Gatsby’s hamartia is his obsession with his past relationship with Daisy Buchanan.

Also, practice saying hamartia so you can impress your friends!

Thanks for getting nerdy with me!

Julia

 

Awesome Young Adult Books/How to encourage reading/Recommended kid lit

How to Find a Good Audiobook: The Audies

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 14 Comments

Audie AwardsEven though I love books, it’s hard to make time to read.  Notice I said “make” time, not find it.  Important things like reading and exercise don’t just happen, people.  We’ve gotta schedule time and ferociously defend it.

Sometimes making time to read means planning it in the calendar. (30 minutes for reading about the writing craft- I can do it!)  I also add reading to my day by listening to audiobooks while I drive (hours and hours) to my kids’ activities.

Audiobooks help me keep up with middle grade fiction – My kids and I enjoy books together without danger of inappropriate content. Also, I prefer non-fiction in the audio format.  At bedtime, I want to read a story, not a chapter on how ten thousand hours of practice leads to success.  But non-fiction while cleaning- that keeps my brain stimulated while I scrub toilets.

AudibleHere’s the problem with audiobooks: a bad narrative performance can ruin a book. When my kids went gaga for James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series (MG/YA fantasy in which children are genetically altered to be able to fly), I listened to the first book. Ugh!  The reader’s style totally sabotaged the story for me.

I’ve had better luck lately.  Here’s why:

Three Hints for Choosing Good Audiobooks

The first two seem obvious, but the last one is a gem I recently discovered.

  1. Get recommendations.  Follow the suggestions of trusted friends, book bloggers, and podcasters.  Most episodes of Books On the Nightstand feature an audiobook pick.
  2. Listen to the sample.  Just a few minutes will tell you what you need to know about the narrator .  If I hear a high pitched, whiny voice, so I pass on the audiobook.
  3. Check out the Audie Awards.  Thanks to the magnificent Mignon Fogarty of Grammar Girl, I learned about “The Audies”.  The Audio Publishers Association gives two awards every year.  One Audiobook of the Year to honor an audiobook for its quality, innovation and marketing, and influence on the industry.  Another Distinguished Achievement in Production, which honors excellence in all areas of production.  There are also winners and finalists in over 31 categories like fiction, sci-fi, history, and kid lit. .

Now I know what to look for when I peruse Audible.com.

A Sampling of 2014 Audie Award Winners

Still Foolin EmThe Book of the Year for 2014 was Still Foolin’ ‘Em, written and read by Billy Crystal.

The Production Award went to The Storm King, written and read by Pete Seeger.  It’s about the history of civil protest and its connection to folk music in America. (Never heard of it.  Have you?)

Other 2014 winners:

  • Classic literature: The Complete Sherlock Holmes, read by Simon Vance
  • YA/Teen: Viva Jacquelina! Bloody Jack, Book 10, written by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren
  • Kids up to 8: Hooray for Anna Hibiscus, written by Atinuke, read by Mutiyat Ade-Salu
  • Kids 8-12: Matilda, written by Roald Dahl, read by Kate Winslet
  • Literary Fiction: The Goldfinch, written by Donna Tartt, read by David Pittu
  • Fiction:  Doctor Sleep, written by Stephen King, read by Will Patton (It’s the sequel to The Shining – I’ll never listen to this, award or not!)

Note:  Eleanor and Park was a finalist in the teen category; I listened to the audiobook and loved it!  Here’s my review of E & P.

Visit the APA site for the complete listing of 2014 Audie winners and finalists.

Do you listen to audiobooks?  How do you find good ones?  What are some of your favorites?

I highly recommend the Artemis Fowl and Harry Potter series, especially if you like fantasy.

Thanks for sharing!

Julia 

Improving vocabulary

What Does Lugubrious Mean?

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 11 Comments

wondrous memeRain falls in Virginia as I write, and the clouds have stolen color from everything.  This gray weather compliments my Wondrous Word for today.  To learn about other descriptive words, visit Kathy, our meme hostess, at  Bermuda Onion.

Here’s my word:

The lugubrious landscape outside my window depresses me this morning.

This is one of those words I learned for SATs but forgot.  I heard it while listening to the last chapters of The Amulet of Samarkand.  (Whew, I’m glad we’re done with that book.  It dragged at the end, probably because our listening time in the van was disturbed by the conclusion of fall sports and the hectic holiday schedule.  I don’t plan to read the next one in the series, but my ten-year old, who loves fantasy and adventure, burned through all the Bartemaeus books at our library.)

Back to the Wondrous Word:

The lugubrious landscape outside my window
The lugubrious landscape outside my window

lugubrious \lu-‘gu-brē-ǝs\ adjective from Latin lugubris, from lugere “to mourn”

  • mournful, especially exaggeratedly mournful
  • dismal

Word Nerd Workout

Think of a synonym for lugubrious, or, even better, a lugubrious character or setting from a book.  (e.g., the dark heath in Wuthering Heights).

Thanks for playing along!

Julia 

Improving vocabulary

Why I Chose an Inspiring Word for 2015

Posted on by Julia Tomiak / 11 Comments

Is it possible to characterize a something as significant as a year with just a few words?  What words do you associate with 2014?

Merriam Webster: Most Looked Up Words

If you’re stuck, MerriamWebster.com has suggestions.  The site recently released the top ten most looked up words of 2014, and they reveal interesting things about the past twelve months.

  1. Culture means paying attention to  behaviors which allow us to characterize an idea, issue, or group.  For example, “pop culture,”  “celebrity culture,” and “nerd culture.”
  2. downton abbeyNostalgia originally meant “homesickness,” and searches on its meaning were encouraged by popular historically based T.V. shows like Downton Abby and Boardwalk Empire.
  3. Insidious Look-ups for this word spiked when the media called various cyber attacks in 2014 “insidious”, as well as after the death of Thomas Eric Duncan, the first person diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S.  The medical definition of insidious is “of a disease: developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent.”
  4. Legacy means “having lasting impact.”  It’s often used in reference to people with historical significance, like Thomas Jefferson, or, more pertinent to 2014, Derek Jeter, who played his last game with the Yankees.
  5. Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. Time named 2014 “the year of pop feminism.”  Of course, Time also listed Miley Cyrus and Beyonce as two of its 100 Most Influential People.  Miley isn’t the example of feminism I want to follow.  See my post on misogyny for the opposite of feminism.
  6. Je ne sais quoi – Who knew that a Sonic commercial could inspire so many to learn French?  This expression means “a pleasant quality that is hard to describe.”  (In the commercial, it’s confused for “Jenna said what?”) The words literally translate  to “I know not what.”
  7. Innovation is the introduction of something new, and I’m glad people are looking up and thinking about this word.
  8. Surreptitious means sneaky, clandestine. Users probably came to Merriam-Webster inspired by all the talk about the government collecting data, as well as the 40th anniversary of Watergate.
  9. Autonomy – There’s been much international news about nations and groups of people seeking autonomy.  The Scotland referendum for independence is one example.
  10. Morbidity was often confused with mortality this year.  Morbidity, from the Latin word for “disease” (morbus), means “the incidence of disease.” Mortality, from  the Latin word for “death” (mors), means “the number of deaths in a given time or place.”  As you can guess, both words spiked in look ups with coverage of the Ebola crisis.

Although I like “autonomy” and “innovation”, some of these words depress me.  I want to think about something more positive than “morbidity.”

Guiding Words for 2015

I love January for its fresh start feeling, a chance to build new habits and create real change.  My friend Valerie wrote a post on how she challenged herself to choose a “theme word” for 2014 and the surprising results of her choice.  She’s picked a new theme word for 2015, and I decided to join her.

My guiding word for 2015 is…

My word for 2015
My word for 2015

I’m not talking about a gift.  I mean paying attention to the people and the experiences around me.  I want to react less and focus more, to actually listen to people when they speak to me instead of thinking about the socks that need sorting.

This isn’t an empty New Year’s resolution.  I spent much of 2014 doing four things at once on five hours of sleep.  Even though bus-i-ness has become the new status symbol, I’m determined to rebel. This year, I’m going to focus on one book and task at a time, and even meditate (I’ve only got time for 5 minutes a day, but it’s a start.)  Here are my inspirations:

I wrote down my guiding word and goals, and I’m ready to get present in 2015. Michael Hyatt says to create real change, you have to get out of your comfort zone.  I’m getting out there.

How about you?  What word do you choose to guide your experience of 2015.  As Valerie warns on her blog, choose carefully!

Julia