Word of the Week: Debauchery
Word: debauchery
Pronunciation: di-BAH-chə-ree
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Last week, I talked about a word for someone who lives by the philosophy of enjoying the fine things in life while still maintaining a modest lifestyle. But what if you wanted to refer to an overindulgence in such pleasures? That’s when you’d step out of the realm of Epicureanism and into the territory of “debauchery”.
“Debauchery” is the act of excessively indulging in sensual pleasures. The word is derived from the verb “debauch”, which means “to morally corrupt”. This verb can be traced back through the Middle French verb desbaucher “to entice from one’s duty” to the Old French verb desbauchier “to lead astray”, which in turn likely comes from the Proto-Germanic noun balkô “balk”.
While “debauchery” can refer to any sort of overindulgence in sensual enjoyment, the word is most commonly associated with scandals involving physical gratification and substance abuse. A somewhat dated sub-definition of the verb “debauch” is “to seduce”, and it can also function as a noun to denote “an individual act of debauchery”. Writers, take note: if your characters seek enjoyment in moderation, you may be writing “epicureans”, but if they go over the top with these pleasures, then “debauchery” may be afoot in your stories! Choose your nouns wisely!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Pendulum
I’m feeling fine,
You calmly say.
Your life is good
And you’re okay.
I’m feeling good,
You realize.
Your heart is bright
As sunny skies.
I’m feeling bad,
You start to think
As all your spirits
Slowly sink.
You’re well again.
Your soul’s content.
But then you’re hit
With pure resent.
You’re doing great,
You’re grinning wide,
Until a rage
Fills you inside.
One minute, you feel
You could fly.
The next, you’re trying
Not to cry.
It comes and goes,
An endless track.
You think you’re fine.
And suddenly, whack:
The pendulum
Comes swinging back.
What If? Writing Prompts: History I
Time for another set of “What If?” Writing Prompts. Speaking of time, this week’s batch is centered around a fascinating theme yet to be featured in this segment: history! How might true stories have played out differently if certain historical details were changed? Have fun exploring the possibilities!
What if… most of the greatest leaders in history had been women?
What if… the Roman Empire had never fallen?
What if… the Church had not been the most powerful entity in the Middle Ages?
What if… the slave trade had never made it to the United States?
What if… the Axis powers had won World War II?
Good luck writing your own twists on history!
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!
Word of the Week: Epicurean
Word: epicurean
Pronunciation: e-pi-kyə-REE-ən / e-pi-KYƏ-ree-ən
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: a person devoted to sensual enjoyment, especially that derived from fine food and drink
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
I recently learned today’s Word of the Week from playing a mobile game. The theme? Cooking! Yes, this week’s vocabulary word is related to food, and of high quality at that. It’s only natural to want to enjoy the finer things in life, so if such a dream is beyond reach in reality, why not live vicariously through a fictional “epicurean” instead?
An “epicurean” is someone who is dedicated to pleasure on a sensual level, usually pertaining to gourmet food and luxury. The original word is capitalized and refers to “a follower of Epicureanism“, a philosophy founded on the teachings of the Ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus. This noun traces back through the Old French noun Epicurien and the Latin noun Epicureus to the Ancient Greek noun Epikoúreios.
Epicurus was a materialist who believed pleasure is the greatest good and that happiness should be achieved by living a self-sufficient life free of fear and pain. Though primarily a noun, “epicurean” can also be used as an adjective to describe people who live by this philosophy of sensual enjoyment, particularly of good food and drink. Note, however, that Epicureanism does not condone the overindulgence of fleeting pleasures, but rather advocates the prudence of knowing the limits of one’s own desires. If you write characters with refined tastes and modest lifestyles, “epicurean” is the perfect word to define them! Good luck!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Unlikely Hero
My heart stopped when my bedroom door began to open.
My computer had frozen, now of all times, and my mother was going to see all the dirty pictures I’d been looking up for the last hour!
But just as she stepped into the room, my screen suddenly shut off.
I turned around to see my cat standing on the computer plug, staring back at me with a look in his eyes that read: You owe me.
He’s going to feast on cat treats for the rest of his life.
Based on a superhero-themed writing prompt from Writer’s Carnival: Unlikely Hero.
You are saved from an embarrassing situation by the unlikeliest of heroes. Write a quick scene, no more than five sentences, describing this.
I hope you enjoy what I’ve written. Thanks for reading!
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