Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Today’s vocabulary post features one of those words that I need to look up almost every time I see them, because I just don’t come across them often enough to memorize their definitions. The last time I came across the word “irascible” was in this lovely tribute from the Walt Disney Company to the late Robin Williams. The sweetness of the statement (and my sadness over his passing) aside, the word “irascible” caught my eye for two reasons: first, I wasn’t sure I remembered exactly what it meant; and second, if it meant what I thought it did, I wasn’t sure it really applied to the Genie from Aladdin. It may be a while since I’ve watched the movie, but I don’t remember him being the irritable type…

An “irascible” person is someone who is easily irritated or angered. The word comes from the Latin adjective irascibilis, which contains the root verb irasci, meaning “to become angry”. These words stem from the noun ira, which means “anger” or “rage”.

In my opinion, “irascible” reads as a poetic synonym for “irritable”. I have yet to work it into my own writing, but I could definitely have used it in my past stories to describe some of my more short-tempered characters. If your characters have a tendency to snap at any given moment, you may want to consider using this word in your stories. If nothing else, describing them as “irascible” may be the most poetic way to define their bad tempers!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

I can’t spend the rest of my life coming into this stinking apartment every ten minutes to pore over the excruciating minutia of every single daily event.

– Elaine Benes, Seinfeld (Season 8, Episode 3 – The Bizarro Jerry)

The first time I heard the word “minutiae” was in an episode of one of my favorite comedy TV series: Seinfeld. After discovering a complete-opposite version of Jerry, Elaine realizes she’s had enough of the original’s superficial way of life and proceeds to criticize their countless trivial conversations (which, hilariously enough, were exactly what made the show a pioneer in its style of comedy). Naturally, the fact that Jerry replies with yet another anecdote about “nothing” serves to prove her point and further add to the humor of the scene.

“Minutiae” (or “minutia”) are the minor and precise details of something. This plural noun comes from the Latin noun minutia, meaning “smallness”. This word, in turn, is derived from the adjective minutus, which means “small”.

One of the few times I recall using this word in a story was in a context similar to that of the above quote, in that it was intended to draw attention to the boring side of social convention. In this case, the character in the scene had just returned home from a party and was enjoying the peace of solitude after being liberated from the “minutia” of conversations in which she had absolutely no interest. I’m accustomed to seeing the word being used with a negative connotation, but I suppose it’s really a matter of preference. However you choose to work it into your writing, remember that the success of your stories may very well lie in the “minutiae” of the narrative! Good luck!

What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?