by Naomi L. | February 29, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: supercilious
Pronunciation: soo-pər-SI-lee-əs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
For though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he was all attention to every body.
– Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen, 1813)
Today’s vocabulary word is actually overdue to appear in my Word of the Week segment. It was first brought to my attention by Mike from M.C. Tuggle, Writer, but I was only reminded of it recently after I started reading Pride and Prejudice. The above excerpt, part of a description of the Bennets’ good friend Sir William Lucas, is a good example of an unfamiliar word being at least partially clarified in context. Despite being a successful businessman, Sir William does not appear to consider himself above his company and holds a reputation as a friendly and attentive gentleman. This makes sense, of course: the Bennets would hardly agree to maintaining a friendship with a “supercilious” neighbor!
A “supercilious” person is someone who acts like they consider themselves superior to the people around them. The word arose in the early 16th century and comes from the Latin adjective superciliosus, meaning “haughty” or “disdainful”. This adjective derives from the noun supercilium, which means “eyebrow”.
Hearing the word “supercilious” for the first time, some might jump to the image of someone acting “super silly” (or maybe that was just me). Ironically, it means almost the opposite, since an overly arrogant person can only mean “serious business”. Though the use of this word may have declined significantly since the 19th century, I would still use it occasionally as a poetic alternative to common words like “arrogant” and “conceited”. If you write haughty characters who often look down on others, “supercilious” may be the perfect adjective to add to your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | February 26, 2016 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
You’ve always been afraid of the mean things they’d say.
But those kids will never get anywhere in life.
Show them you don’t care what they think.
They don’t deserve your time or fear.
Come join me on the floor.
Let your hair down tonight.
And stop being afraid.
Just have fun!
Let loose!
Dance!
This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: “Ten to One”. The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!
Back to the story
by Naomi L. | February 24, 2016 | Blog, Creative Writing, What If? Writing Prompts |
It’s the month of love, so why not celebrate creatively with some more “What If?” Writing Prompts? It’s been a long time since I’ve shared a set of love and peace prompts, so here are a few new ones for you to try! See what stories you can create from these ideas! Enjoy!
What if… the world’s only religion/faith were Love?
What if… social tolerance were a subject taught in schools worldwide?
What if… the differences among people were only ever cause for celebration, not conflict?
What if… every nation made children’s education a top priority?
What if… for a brief time, there were no wars happening anywhere in the entire world?
Have fun writing more stories about love and peace!
If you have any “What If?” writing prompt suggestions (for any theme), please feel free to share them in the comments below. Ideas I like may be featured in future “What If?” posts, with full credit and a link to your blog (if you have one)! Also, if you’ve written a piece based on an idea you’ve found here, be sure to link back to the respective “What If?” post. I would love to see what you’ve done with the prompt! Thank you!
by Naomi L. | February 22, 2016 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: omnipotent
Pronunciation: ahm-NI-pə-d(ə)nt
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: having unlimited power; able to do anything
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Monica: Hey, Joey, what would you do if you were omnipotent?
Joey: Probably kill myself!
Monica: Excuse me?
Joey: Hey, if Little Joey’s dead, then I got no reason to live.
Ross: Joey, OM-nipotent.
Joey: …You are? Ross, I’m sorry! I had no idea! I thought it was like a theoretical question.
– Friends (Season 1, Episode 4 – The One With George Stephanopoulos)
If you’ve been a fan of Friends since the beginning, you may remember this scene as one of the dirtier jokes in the series. While the gang is hanging out and talking about what they would do if they had unlimited power for a day (like ending world hunger or making themselves all-powerful forever), Monica directs the question at Joey, who just walked in. Joey proceeds to hilariously misunderstand the question (and Ross’s correction), not realizing that “omnipotent” and “impotent” are two very different words!
An “omnipotent” being is one who has unlimited power, particularly a deity. The word arose in Middle English and is originally French. This adjective comes from the Latin adjective omnipotens “all-powerful”, which comprises two roots: the adjective omnis “all” and the adjective potens “powerful”.
Though primarily an adjective, “omnipotent” can also be used as a noun to refer to God (as in “The Omnipotent”). The word doesn’t necessarily have to mean the literally unlimited power of a deity, as it can also refer to a person who has ultimate power and influence, such as an “omnipotent” sovereign. If you write scenes involving people who are capable of absolutely anything, you likely have some “omnipotent” characters in your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | February 19, 2016 | J.C. Wolfe's Writing, Poetry |
Hero of mine, I wish you all the best!
Always may you enjoy a life full of
Prosperity, wisdom, joy, and love.
Please keep on being my great inspiration!
You deserve only the greatest in life!
Because you’ve always been there for me,
I hope I can always make you proud by
Remembering all the lessons you’ve given me.
Thank you for everything you’ve taught me!
Have a wonderful day today, and may all your
Days henceforth be ever joyful and stress-free!
Age may be just a number, but it reflects the many
Years’ worth of wisdom you’ve been passing on to me!
Don’t ever forget how much I care for you,
Admire you and appreciate you every day!
Dad, Happy Birthday! I love you!
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