Word of the Week: Irascible

by Naomi L. | September 8, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

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?

Word of the Week: Minutiae

by Naomi L. | September 1, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

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?

Word of the Week: Melodramatic

by Naomi L. | August 25, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 2 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Prince Edward: You lying, murderous wretch! When we return home, Andalasia shall know of your treachery! Your days as queen will be over!

Queen Narissa: Take my crown? Don’t you think that’s a bit melodramatic, dear?

Prince Edward: I don’t know what “melodramatic” means, but you’ll be removed from the throne, Narissa! I will see to it.

– Enchanted (2007)

Although I had long been familiar with the word “melodramatic”, the above dialogue from the 2007 Disney film Enchanted is what inspired me to research it and, more recently, to include it in my vocabulary list. After discovering that his evil stepmother has poisoned his fiancé Giselle, Prince Edward promises to have her stripped of her title as Queen, a threat she nervously dismisses as unnecessarily dramatic. Of course, had Edward understood what she was saying, he certainly would have disagreed that his punishment would be unfair, given that she was attempting to murder his future princess.

Action regarded as “melodramatic” is exaggerated, sensationalized and overly emotional in nature. In other words, it’s dramatic for the sake of being dramatic. Derived from the noun “melodrama”, the word can be traced back to the French noun mélodrame, which in turn is comprised of the Greek noun melos “music” and the French noun drame “drama”.

In my opinion, “melodramatic” is especially useful for describing artistic characters such as actors and other performers. As for my experience with it, the last time I used the term “melodrama” in a story was satirically, to draw attention to a character’s impulsive and emotional behavior. I’ve always thought this word works best to make fun of overly dramatic actions, so you’ll probably get the most use out of it in this sense as well. Just take care not to make your stories unintentionally “melodramatic”!

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

Word of the Week: Countenance

by Naomi L. | August 18, 2014 | Blog, Word of the Week | 0 comments

Source: Oxford Dictionaries

Oh! no mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch. I had gazed on him while unfinished; he was ugly then; but when those muscles and joints were rendered capable of motion, it became a thing such as even Dante could not have conceived.

– Dr. Frankenstein, Frankenstein (Mary Shelley, 1818)

Remember how I once mentioned that Frankenstein was my seventh-grade Language Arts teacher’s favorite novel? And that she used the book to teach us plenty of vocabulary words? Well, here’s another of her favorite words that made it onto the blackboard as the Word of the Day. In the above example, Dr. Frankenstein uses it to define the horror he’s created, but don’t assume it always has to mean something bad.

A person’s “countenance” is their face or expression. The word comes from the Old French noun contenance (“bearing” or “behavior”), which in turn is ultimately derived from the Latin verb continere “contain”. The original definition of “countenance” was “bearing” or “demeanor”, but eventually became associated with facial expressions.

I have a confession to make regarding this word: I almost used it in a story once, but ended up cutting it because it seemed a bit too “purple” for its context. I realized during editing that “countenance” sounded overly poetic, and I felt it would stand out in a narrative that mostly consisted of much simpler text. That doesn’t mean you couldn’t make it work, of course; “countenance” can also mean “support”, or function as a verb to mean “admit as acceptable or possible”, so you may still be able to find a place for it even if you don’t plan to use it to indicate a character’s expression. As long as it fits the overall tone of your writing, you shouldn’t have a problem pulling it off. Have fun writing about the “countenances” of your characters!

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