Let me take you to a place you may have been countless times in your life--I know I have. Your telling someone--your best friend, significant other, parent, teacher or whatever--a story. It's a great story, rife with vivid imagery and catchy dialogue and suspense and just...well, all the hallmarks of a great story. And then, you get to the best part, the juiciest detail, the apex of this recount that is going to knock your listener right on his or her butt, and you are trying to describe this one moment...and you can't think of the word to give that moment its due justice.
You are literally stumped for a word and you end up going with some lame synonym that pops into your head (probably from Bunje's darn SAT Vocab list) but you know that your story falls flat because that was SO not the word you wanted. Ever happen to you? Why, do you think?
Well, I have a theory. It's in its nascent (huh? huh? What's that you say?) stages, but a theory nonetheless. I have procured said theory by perusing ( a word that does not mean what many of you think it means, incidentally) The Global Language Monitor. This site is dedicated to tracking trends in language, specifically the English language, and it is chock full of all kinds of fascinating facts about word etymologies, global trends, colloquialisms etc. It's really cool, especially if you're a geek like me (and many of you are--don't even try to front).
Anyway, it was while I was on this site today that my theory began to crystallize about why we, at the worst possible moments, are suddenly at a loss for words.
According to the GLM, English passed the 1,000,000 threshold on June 10, 2009 at 10:22 am.
SIDEBAR: 1,019,729.6 (January 1, 2013 estimate) I really wish they would update this.
Know what the millionth word was?? "Web 2.0." Which is just one more posit to the idea that popular culture is the crux of societal knowledge as well as the main contributor to the notion that we are a generation of CONSUMERS. But, I digress. How unusual.
Anyway, 1,000,000 is a pretty impressive number by any standard, especially when you consider that the French Language has fewer than 100,000 words total. The average human has approximately 14,000 words in his or her repertoire. Shakespeare had 24,000--1,700 of which he made up--floating around his brilliant brain. Man, I love that guy.
So, all this to say..what? Well, even with all of those words zooming through the ether, the bottom line is there is sometimes no word to describe, define, pinpoint or whatever, the "undefinable." That's why we can't finish the story in the scenario I mentioned earlier. Undefinable words usually fall into one of three categories: feelings, abstract concepts and phenomena.
When I say feelings, I mean like, that sensation that washes over you the first warm day after a long, cold winter when you are driving in a car with all the windows down and radio tuned into your favorite song. Or, the feeling you get when you just get your crush's phone number and you're staring at your cell phone, sweating, pacing, wondering if you should start to text.
Occasionally, mixed in with feelings are some abstract concepts, like the idea of strength, character, courage etc.
And I know we have all experiences some weird phenomena-type occurrences that we write off as "coincidence" which is a catch-all word that doesn't really encapsulate the notion that, for example, when someone you know gets pregnant suddenly all you see are pregnant women or maternity stores or baby paraphanalia. Or, when you buy a new car you begin to notice that there are 4 of that same car within a mile of your house.
All of these things and so many more, despite the much-vaunted number the GLM is broadcasting about the English Language, simply do not have a word that really captures the essence of their true meaning.
That is, until this blog.
Your task this week, Langers, is to put a word to those notions, concepts, feelings and/or phenomena. So, first I want you to think of one of those moments--the feelings, concepts or phenomena that you personally have experienced. Then, I would like you to talk about the "synonym" that would closely describe it, even though you know in your heart that synonym doesn't do it justice. Then, in a whimsical fit of language acquisition, I want you to MAKE UP a word that would better describe what you're talking about. Hell, if Mary Poppins can do it, why can't we?
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ReplyDeleteBeing me, I sat at my computer trying to think of a positive story line, where happy, joyful feelings ran through me during whatever event it is I could think of for this blog. And yes, sorry another respond that revolves around gymnastics. It is kind of my life so I have had many stories from it so I apologize again. One moment in which I was unable to put to words on how I was feeling would be back in 2012. I was in Florida for the National Gymnastics Competition. It was already an amazing moment for me to have made it to the national competition. Out of all the gymnasts in my league of gymnastics I was one of close to 800 gymnasts that made it to the national event. I felt well prepared for this competition after have a great season of competitions during that year. Though as prepared as I was, I still had the crazy amount of nerves building up inside me every second closer it came for me to compete each event, being the Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor Exercise. I was excited nonetheless, but nervous about 10 times more. Finally it came my day to compete and with full focus I went out there and tried my best. Even my best though I was unsure if that would be enough to make it into the top ten to be able to compete in the second day of competition. Awards were next, and I was still shaking with nerves. When they finally called my name though, my whole body stop, I felt empty inside and was unaware of what was going on. I questioned it to myself, “Did they really just call my name, and for second place?” I couldn’t believe what was going on. After a very hard working season, it paid off when I won 2nd place in the nation! Sure, ok, I get it, it wasn’t first place. But hello, I don’t really care; winning second place was the same as winning first place because I felt like the star either way. I was proud of my performance and the hard work that I went through to get up there. Winning second place still meant the world to me, so you know what haters, sure 1st place would have been even more loss of words but I’m happy with second place. I was nearly in tears that’s how happy and excited I was. But that just does it “happy” and “excited” are the only synonyms I could come up with for this moment of speechlessness, which I find pretty pathetic because this moment meant more to me than just happiness and excitement. This moment in my gymnastics memories was more than amazing, more than “the best feeling ever”, more than great. This moment was, well, it was “amazbeautsuperawesomeness”, which still might be an underestimate of this moment. But it puts together a few of the many feelings that were rushing through my body at the time of winning this award. I may not be as creative as many of you Langers, but this word “amazbeautsuperawesomeness” puts together a better understanding of how I was feeling that day.
ReplyDelete'amazbeautsuperawesomes.' this word is Amazing. I don't know much when it comes to gymnastics despite my excessive interest in sports but watching gymnasts perform on television, I could tell why is rated own of the hardest sports. I think even making it to nationals is something no one should ignore, and if you getting second place, it puts the icing on the cake. Good Job.
DeleteI absolutely love your word, amazbeautsuperawesomeness, and I think you’ve got a little Mary Poppins in you because your word reminded me of supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Gymnastics is such an interesting sport for me to watch and I’m always at a loss for words after watching gymnasts. Making it to nationals is not an easy thing to do and the fact that you finished second is amazing. Congratulations on that accomplishment and I hope that you continue your success in gymnastics.
DeleteI love your word Michaela because I know exactly how it feels to be beyond nervous for the outcome of the event when you've trained so hard for so long and then come out to be in one of the best positions out of the hundreds you were competing against. This same exact feeling you had at nationals I experienced too, not as a gymnast of course I would fall on my face, but as a rower and this word describes the overload of feelings we experienced very well.
DeleteMicky, I must say that I experience amazbeautsuperawesomeness approximately on the last day of school each year since freshmen year. Summer means no school and no school means no worries. It is the simplest correlation for me to make. In fact, nearly everything that involves summer makes me feel amazbeautsuperawesomeness. It's something about the sun on my face when I check the mailbox, the smell of the ocean when I go to the boardwalk, the late nights and even later mornings that make me feel amazbeautsuperawesomeness.
DeleteAs an added idea to Bunje’s, I feel as though we often can’t express ourselves because we have become too dependent on language. I know that sounds really strange, and even now I am second guessing my thoughts but I will write them down regardless. I find that people forget there are other ways to express yourself than just spoken language. There’s art, music, body gestures, a spark in a person’s eye, a simple smile or even just the way a person has situated themselves in a room. All these things tell of expression emotions and experiences that no doubt language in its usual form, can’t mold. Even looking at translations into other languages, there are so many gaps that one language simply cannot fill. As people are more readily contacted via non-expressive devices like phones and computers, we forget how to read all these other signs and so, more often we can’t properly communicate our thoughts. I’m not saying emotions portrayed through electronics are false, but maybe it just limits the possible emotions we can reveal. With that said, it doesn’t surprise me that a million words can’t satisfy our complex minds, in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if a billion still couldn’t do the job.
ReplyDeleteOne experience I will never be able to recreate but merely detail is one of the greatest musical experiences of my life. I was on a band trip but it wasn’t just any get together of Oakcrest, it was a program under the organization called American Music Abroad. Basically, it was three weeks of traveling Europe and playing concerts every other night in different places with students from all over New Jersey and other states. One night we had off and local musicians actually played a small concert for us. We were in the mists of the Alpine mountains and it was cold even though it was July. The sun was setting behind the mountain peaks and it was drizzling just slightly but the performance was still outside. The performers were four alpine horn musicians ( look up an alpine horn if you need to, I highly suggest it). The mixture of rain pattering on the cobblestones of the old village and the mellow, deep sounds of the horns was a harmonious experience I will never forget. It was as if every tone they created was amplified by the cool mist falling on my face. It pains me that I can’t give that moment justice for you guys, but then again that’s the point of the blog. From the limited word bank I have, I would have to use awe to describe it.
Now for the fun part...Ehr. That’s my Poppins-style attempt at explaining it. I got the word because it is part of the word that means awe in German (which means you probably aren’t pronouncing it correctly and that’s why it doesn’t seem to fit). It’s pronounced as if you are saying “air” but with a beautiful accent. Part of the reason that I chose it is because it somewhat sounds like air. The moment I described to you guys was very much nature at its finest (alpine horns are made of only wood and it took place outside) so incorporating nature into my word just made sense. It is also a short word and I feel like it’s the short words that often carry the most meaning just like the simplest phrasing provides the most clarity. My final reasoning was that it just sounded right, the way it felt on my tongue fit the emotions I felt in my heart at this concert. And so, I hope that as you all write your responses, you are filled with ehr as you remember those great moments.
When I first read what your word was, I sure wasn’t pronouncing it because it just did not sound pretty coming off my tongue, but as I read your explanation on how this word should be pronounced, it just seemed to have made the word so much prettier. I could only imagine how beautiful the sight of watching alpine horn performers amidst the scenery behind you. Your word shows just how in tune you are to nature. I could only hope to experience a moment of ehr, like you did.
DeleteTommi, this moment sounds absolutely beautiful and peaceful! I'm so happy you shared it with us. This is definitely an event to loose words for but you described it so well. I love the use of the German wording and how it relates to air and nature. What you experienced was beautiful nature with the magical touch of music which makes it all the better. This was an amazing blog post, and I hope one day you can have this type of moment again.
DeleteI too feel I am too dependent on language, but that stems from the fact that I am not very good at expressing myself through my expressions and body language. I often feel embarrassment if I become too outwardly emotional. Language, in many ways, gives you a far greater grasp over your image and expression than anything else could. For all we struggle with words it it still the easiest way to show what you're feeling- or to hide it, in many cases. But it's also true that expressions and tone of voice and body language are an integral part of how we communciate. (Also, love that your word was inspired by German! Das ist wunderbar, haha.)
DeleteI love how you mentioned that we are dependent on words. I feel like actions do speak louder than words and a smile can brighten someones day more than a few syllables and words you're used to hearing everyday. I'm also in love with your experience and really jealous. Rain makes everything better, i swear. I love the simplicity and meaning of your word. I really like it and I'm mot likely going to use it regardless of its authenticity.
DeleteYes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! i agree fully with your idea that we depend far too much on language. Like I alluded to in my post i don't want there to be a word for everything because sometimes other forms of expression describe things better than words could ever hope to(if words could hope) I also feel like sometimes tacking a word onto a feeling or sensation actually detracts form the beauty of that feeling or sensation because it simplifies the whole thing.
DeleteI really loved that you pointed out how dependent we have become on language. I completely agree, and I believe that often times language inhibits us from being able to truly express the way we are feeling or what we are thinking. I regards to you story, just imagining the scene brought me joy, although I'm sure it was far more awing to have experienced it. Being your fellow german class student (or schulerin) I loved that you incorporated german into the word that you created. The explanation along with the word itself really do seem like a great way to encapsulate that fantastic experience.
DeleteThe English language fails me far too often, for all its vast vocabulary. Maybe that's because my own vocabulary is so small I am left constantly in want of that perfect word, but often times it's just because there is not single word to describe the concept I'm thinking of. One of my hobbies is actually looking at words that exist in other languages that describe concepts English has no name for. These sort of things are fascinating, so I thought I might share a few examples I found while clicking around a blog that offered many strange and unique words, both in English and other languages. The Turkish word nazlanmak means 'pretending reluctance or indifference when you are actually willing or eager; saying no and meaning yes'. There is a Portugese word saudade that means 'a nostalgic longing to be near again to something or someone that is distant, or that has been loved and then lost; "the love that remains". Or the German word habseligkeiten that describes 'things that an adult might find worthless, but that a child regards as treasures'. English too has words that describe such certain feelings and situations, such as oniochalasia which means 'buying or shopping as a method of stress relief or relaxation'. There are so many words out there in so many languages that describe such specific situations or emotions, some of which are really beautiful concepts, that it makes me sad that I will never know them all. Language is such a fascinating creature in the way it can change and grow- it's a living thing. The English you are speaking today is different from the English of 200 years ago- if two people from those time periods were to meet, they would both use words that the other would not understand. This could come from a word growing out of popular usage, or the fact that an entirely new word was invented. And that's the wonderful thing about language, especially English- if there is not a word for it, you can make one. Maybe one day that word will be in the dictionary, even. People who shy away from the introduction of new words into the English language are missing the entire point of language. It is not a thing that should stagnate.
ReplyDeleteSo, if you tell me to make a new word I can do that. If there's a feeling I had to pick that I can't really describe in a single word it would be this: that feeling you get after you finish an incredibly good book, or video game, or movie. That sense of amazement and appreciation for the experience but also a sense of loss, of sorrow, because now that you have finished there will be no continuation and there will be no way to experience it for the first time again. It's the sort of feeling you get when you are sitting in silence for several minutes or more after you've put down the book, the controller, the remote. When you can only sit in silence and consider again and again what you just experienced, that's when you know that it left an impression on you. It's such a giant mass of emotions it would be hard to pick just one synonym for this emotion and experience- perhaps something like overwhelmed? That's certainly part of the process but I don't think it really captures everything. Of course, no single word can. That's the point- you would have to make one. I really don't know anything about language- can't say I have any knowledge of Latin or Greek roots to draw upon here in the creation of this word. Sure, let's string some random letters together: how about 'berbellum'. There's no real explanation besides the fact it sounds nice. So there we go. I've made a word to describe that feeling. Next time you put down a really good book, that may have moved you to tears, you're experiencing a state of berbellum.
Your blog was awesome!!!! I think that searching words just for fun is probably the most fascinating hobby I ever heard of and one that I am convinced I have to try. The thing I like the most about all of your blogs is that you always come up with ideas that are completely novel, ideas that I could never imagine. I found the input of all those fun words rather interesting, in fact, I might just have to write them down. Additionally, I totally understand the feeling you were trying to describe. Your word fits the idea perfectly, I actually wrote it down and posted it on my bulletin board so I wouldn't forget it.
DeletePaige, I think it's so cool you know more than just words of the English language that you go out and search for words of Turkey and Portuguese. Just thought I'd comment on that because I found it very interesting. Now when it comes to the feelings you experience after finishing a movie or book, I get that all the time. After I take in what type of story I just read or watched I often am at lost of words. I'm sad because it's over, but if I enjoyed it I try to make a final conclusion on how I felt. Next time I finish a great story line I'll use your word of berbellum.
DeleteI think your blog gave me a slight sense of berbellem. I just admire your appreciation for words and languages and the emotion you feel towards books. I really love your blog and your word, bravo Paige :)
DeleteI was actually just looking at a page that Taty sent me of words for simple everyday actions, and I was getting so excited because the words were so unique and perfect. I want to use all of them at least once, but I don't know if that would be possible. I won't really know until I try though! By the way, I really like your word "berbellum" because it rolls off of my tongue so smoothly. It's beautiful!
DeleteI totally agree with the sensation you describe. There is something to be said for the ambiguity of artistic appreciation. When a some form of expression combines the right amount of readability and sentiment, it strikes us with a loss for words. But at the same time, that feeling of loss is somewhat definable. A very interesting observation.
DeleteI’ve always been terrible at English, which is ironic seeing as I wish to become a journalist, but besides that, I spent countless hours thinking of a word that would describe my life right now. What’s going on in the life of Paula Cuerquis right now? Well, since you asked, my life is great. Not perfect, but nothing less than comfortable. I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier, more attuned with my emotions, and more at ease in my whole lifetime (well, that of which I can remember). Nothing significant has happened in my life in order for me to feel this content. Rather, everything is just falling into a nice rhythmic pace for me. Granted, I’ve had my disputes with friends and family here and there, and the occasional “F” in a test here and there, but other than that, ever since the start of the new year, I’ve felt like a completely different person. As they say, “new year, new me,” right (that was awful, sorry, I’ll never do it again)? I know I’m being pretty vague, but again, this is where words fail me. At the moment, I’m no longer stressing over school work. My family relationships are stronger than ever. And I’ve finally distinguished my real friends from my fake ones. I smile more often, the bags under my eyes are becoming slightly less evident, and those dark, depressing emotions I used to feel are completely inapparent.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said, the word I chose to describe my life is, “spec.” I’m not a very imaginative person but I’m sure the person who thought of the words, “poo” and “pee” weren’t either. In my own personal dictionary, spec is that feeling you get when you take a shower and instead of usually worrying about how much homework you have or a previous fight you had with a friend, you just end up not thinking at all. Spec is that feeling you get where you fall asleep the instant you go to bed and wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Spec is being able to laugh at the things that used to drive you insane and to be able to disregard any negativity hurled your way. There was no special meaning for why I chose “spec” other than it acted as a sort of acronym for me. S stood for satisfied, P stood for peaceful, E stood for ease/easy, and C stood for comfortable. Also, I think it’s got a nice ring to it. The word itself is easy and simple enough. I’m pretty sure at one moment in our lives we’ve all felt this sort of “spec” feeling. I’ve always described this feeling with a mixture of various other words, but now I can just describe it as one word, spec. I am feeling spec.
"Spec" I really admire this word, of my admiration coming from your abbreviation but I realized it also shows how spectacular you life is. you are great at English from my perspective which would make a great Journalist Katie Couric. I like your definition for SPEC and I would certainly like to use it in a blog response, hopefully. Great Job.
DeleteI could really get used to the word spec, in fact I think this AP LAng class should regularly use all these words we are creating. We are filling in major gaps in our vocabulary and since we are all experiencing rather similar events in our lives since were almost the same age, these words are all really useful to us. I really liked that your word in particular was very positive. Just the description of it was motivational. It's also really helpful because now instead if trying to describe all the ways by which we feel good, we can just say "I feel spec" and that's the end of it. Paula, you better believe I am going to use this word in school on a regular basis now so thank you for the new word.
DeleteI particularly like this word because it's simple but it holds so much feeling because this feeling that you described in your post is one of the best ones in my opinion because it shows that life cannot be that bad if the thing you stress over one day will be your source of laughter the next. And I too think we should use the words we are making up, we could have our own secret language.
DeletePaula, very creative actually coming up with a new word (unlike me who just put words together). I like how you used more or less an acronym for your word in a way to describe different feelings you have been experiencing lately. I'm glad to hear you haven't been as stressed and you are taking in each day more happily. New year, new you, I like that. Each day is a fresh start and I hope you can experience spec more often.
DeletePaula, I'm glad to hear that things are getting better in your life! Your word spec really makes me think back to freshmen year when things were so much easier. Your word also makes me think of spending a nice summer day in the park without a care in the world. Something about the weightlessness of your word has me absolutely enraptured. I hope to one day have a completely spec life imbued with bliss and rid of all stress.
DeleteYour word is very simple and personally I like simple most of the time. Spec is nice, short sweet word that describes a great feeling. I will be sure to add your word to my personal dictionary so when I get that feeling I can say “Man, I feel spec!”
DeleteUsing an acronym to come up with your word was actually very creative if you ask me. And a great one at that. I think that 'spec' is something that we would all love to experience much more often, especially being in Lang. I could really get used to using your word, just your description of the feeling alone made me yearn to feel it.
DeleteI have made a lot of adjustments in my life that coming up with a word is fairly easy. I am the worst at English ( I hope ) I stand to be corrected but I am simply bad, which gives me some sort of hope. So, English might not be my forte like others but the word I made up is DE-CHAMP. Too many that might not know this I enjoy sports not just watching the players or the money it comes with. Football (soccer), I spent almost have of my summer with the team, practicing despite the countless times we failed as a team completing the drills and formation. Frustration were high and self-motivation as individuals or a team was lacking but after a fairly successive tournament at Stockton, it was left on us as a team to decide our stand. Knowing we have worked our butts of this summer perhaps others were partying (no offense), we knew our relentless practice should and must pay off. Our record was not as we hoped managing a lot of draws and wins, our chance of making it to the playoffs was against St. Augustine. Yes, they are good but we better. We did not just say that like Nike we just did it. The game went to an overtime but we were hungry for a win, it took us three minutes in the first over time to win the match. After such a dramatic event, I felt like DE-CHAMP.
ReplyDeleteWrestling is the type of sports that requires endurance. To me, wrestling was not anything it is because I was new to the program. As Thomas Gray directly put it, where ignorance is bliss, ’tiss folly to be wise. For me I wanted to know how the program works. Yes, I felt weak not just for a day or two but for like a week and half. Yes, I had to sit through the night to finish up homework and study for the test. But nothing good comes cheap. In my first wrestling tournament, with the basics I won second place and managing a silver medal (my first medal). Well it was not the happiest of times because I slipped and lost. The second tournament, this was the time I felt I could make up for my losses because I have worked hard for this. At the end of the tournament, my name was mentioned for first place and a gold medal, I felt like DE-CHAMP and with my other team mates managing first, second and third places, it made my day perfect. Consumer affairs, after several weeks of studies even through the mid-terms as the competition was a day after. I and my team mates (Dave wigs, Neil, Daniel and Margaret) won second place. Between us and the winner, we were the team with less experience. That may not be an excuse and I agree is NOT but we gave it a try. We had certificates and t-shirts not forgetting the delicious food we had. Thanks team.
By now, you think you have a clue of the definition of my word (you were so close to hit the jack pot) the word (DE-CHAMP) means Determined Champion. I mostly were a shirt to gym with the writings determined. When you are determined, you become unstoppable which makes you a champion.
I really liked that your blog was very motivational. Not just your experiences that lead you to create your word but the word itself radiates determination. What I like the most however, is that a person can determine the meaning of your word without even having to really think about it. It just fits the definition so perfectly. Of course, I have to say congratulations on all the accomplishments you've mentioned so, great job, both on your blog and on your sporting career. I hope I can continue to motivate myself so I can end the year feeling like DE-CHAMP!
DeleteI liked the fact that you used your blog to show motivation. I also liked that we could basically determine what your word means due to the various stories that you presented. We all have to stay determined to be able to get through school, sports and other things. Congrats on all the things you accomplished that led you to feel like DE-CHAMP. I could only hope that we could all stay determined and feel like DE-CHAMP after all our AP tests and such things are done.
DeleteStav, I really liked the fact that your blog reflected the endurance and strenuous hours required to become a champion. I feel as though often people forget the hard work that is put into any activity including sports. The aching muscles tears and sweat all contribute to that moment where you feel like you own the world. Therefore, I like your word because it shows you take pride in your performance and have worked hard to reach your success. It really reflects your passion for soccer and all aspects of your life. Great blog DE-CHAMP!
DeleteDE-CHAMP is such a Stav-like word. It captures the optimistic and determined attitude that defines you. For that, I greatly appreciate it. In my RRL, I would write that the use of capitalization helps in establishing your signature style and identity. I overall admire the optimism this word implies and can relate to that feeling when you know you are about to "go clutch."
DeleteI feel like there are thousands of times where I felt like there should be a word that describes an event, whether the experience was positive or negative. When I sit in my French class, I am dismayed because there are words that I think would mean one thing, but end up meaning something completely different. Now, I am not the person who likes to talk about personal things because I don’t know how to express myself and get things out of my chest, so I hope I can get my situation across.
ReplyDeleteAfter my family found out that one of my dad’s uncles died, my family has been through a daily nightmare. After the somewhat horrible news, I have been having a very bad relationship with my parents filled with a bunch of nonsense and negativity over a person who really didn’t have a great impact on my father, but bringing so much anxiety and nervousness. Whenever my family came together every night for dinner, there would be nothing but a bunch of arguing and criticism. For these past few days, I just wanted to leave my house and forget about all the arguing and all the things that were said and believe that nothing had ever happen. The arguing over someone my family never cared about and the person who brought pain to my grandparents was affecting not only the relationship with my parents but me. I didn’t want to think about anything, I didn’t want to be in school or home. Bad news and disappointment started to attack me. After experiencing much agony, I wanted to believe that there was going to be sunshine the next day, and the only reason why there was a big thunderstorm was to make me stronger and to prepare me for a sunny day. Thinking about a single word for this horrible experience cannot be done, but to describe this experience in more than one word could. The words that come to my mind would be vexed, pissed off, agitated…But none of these words can truly define how I felt through the whole arguing and conflict. If I came up with a word that described this experience would be kequexk. “Kequexk” is a word that I quickly invented by combining a bunch of letters that I think are the ugliest of the alphabet and adding a couple of vowels to make the word seem like word that is used by someone—me. “Kequexk” would a noun and be defined as a situation where someone encounters a lot of stress and arguing by someone who passed away. I know my definition is quite water-downed, but I don’t want to exaggerate the meaning or make the definition very serious because others may have their situations worse than mine.
David, I completely agree with you when you say that you are dismayed when it comes to French because of the faux amis, and the fact that there are so many words that can describe a feeling but most just don't do it justice and sometimes we just need our own word to describe such a mixture of emotions. And I like the way you found your word, it was original and it works.
DeleteDavid, I think that your word fits the bill in describing a negative and stressful situation. There are so many adjectives I have attempted to find that just don’t do justice to whatever I want to describe and I think your tactic in inventing it was just the right way to do it. However, if you need to express what you feel don’t hold back because others have it worse. I mean sure there are people out there with other situations but everything is relative and your feelings need to be validated too. Keep your chin up!
DeleteFirstly, I'm so sorry for you ever having to experience something like that. I too have gone through a loss of a relative and the feelings I endured where nothing short from endurable. The way you came up with your word was very creative and very original. I liked how your thought process / creative process was vastly different from everyone else. I would have never thought of coming up with a word using ugly words in the alphabet because the feelings you feel are ugly. I admire your out-of-the-box-thinking and I think it's one of your best attributes! Well done!
DeleteI must say that I enjoy your algorithm for making up words. I always hated J and W. I need a vowel. Well E would be offensive. A would serve as an actual word. So my word is now Jow. Joking aside, your blog is inspiration in the same way you're bigness is inspiring in gym class.
DeleteHAHAHAHA DAVE! I knew you were going to say something like that! OMG, I am dying right now. I don't know what I would do if you were not in my gym class. HAHAHA OMG
DeletePeriod 2 Gym class will only understand this. HAHAHA
DeleteLoved this. And I also love the word you made up because well it is ugly which is good because it's describing a horrid situation.
DeleteThere are many instances in my life where I feel completely at ease like nothing in the world can bring down my mood, and sometimes that is hard for me to explain as we have all agreed on. But there is one feeling I absolutely cannot describe and it is not happiness it is a mix between being angry, exasperated, confused, and the list is endless. Now I’m sure all of us have experienced this emotion throughout our lives and we do not know how exactly to explain it to someone else or even wrap our own heads around how we feel. My mother would ask me what’s wrong I would just say “I’m upset”, and come on that word, upset, does not do justice for the storm of emotions building inside, but I have figured it out, we are feeling like a cracknut. This is my word because I think that it captures the confusion of the many feelings we are experiencing, see usually crack people are a little crazy and confused and do not know how to act and a nut can be either the food or a crazy person but I am talking about the term nut that describes someone’s behavior. Often when I feel all of these emotions I do feel crazy because I do not know how to act, do I be sad, angry, mopey, or do I just flip out? Over the years I have felt this mix of emotions and my mother will start to flip because usually I have an attitude from it, I don’t know if it’s just me or if everyone gets an attitude from not being able to describe how we feel. I think this happens because I want to feel better but if I don’t know what the problem is I can’t help myself, it’s much like if a doctor cannot figure out the diagnosis he can’t cure the patient. My word is not new because I made it up freshman year and I would just say it to describe people it would go something like this “they are a cracknut” or “why are you being a cracknut”. When I first started saying this word I would think it and never say it aloud, but then I think I started to think of it like an actual word and I started using it in normal sentences in an average conversation. I remember I was talking to my best friend and I used the word and kept going with my sentence that is until I saw her face. She was absolutely confused, which is ironic I guess because that is what one of the definitions for the word is, but then I filled her in on the word and its definition and I used it most times I spoke to her then eventually other people I was close to.
ReplyDeleteAlonna, Your word is absolutely perfect! It describes so many things in a nutshell (no pun intended). I like how you developed it based on words that already describe a multitude of emotions because it brings so many of them together. I have always stuck by the idea that one adjective isn’t enough to describe a situation. Therefore, your word is perfect to me because it isn’t just one idea or emotion but really puts under wraps all the emotions that you feel in one. Great job!
DeleteI think that everyone experiences your experience that your provided. Sometimes, Whenever I get home I feel so annoyed and angry that I need to do something to take away all the anger. To be honest, I was quite surprised when you described this experience because in school, you seem very happy and content. My assumption can truly show how wrong I am because everyone experiences anger once in a while.
DeleteIt's safe to say that I've felt this way numerous times throughout the year, and I'm sure everyone has too. It's like your feeling everything all at once. Where you want to cry, scream, and jump around like a lunatic but when you want to describe that feeling with one simple word, you cant. "Cracknut" is perfect when describing those feelings. Next time I've got a bundle of negative emotions brewing up inside me, I'll know to describe it as cracknut.
DeleteCracknut. I absolutely love your word. And like you I’ve had those times where I feel crazy and give off a little attitude to others. Now thanks to you I have a word to describe what I’m feeling when that happens!
DeleteEnglish has never been my thing. The language not being my first language also hasn’t exactly helped me. I always take longer than anyone to find a word that describes exactly how I’m feeling or anything like that. The sad thing is, I sometimes end up using the wrong word and end up using a word that means the exact opposite of what I’m trying to say. As I think about it, what was one event that has happened recently that has left me to an utter loss of words? When I thought about it, the first thing that came to mind was when my family and I walked through the woods to find a little waterfall that was hidden. You guys are probably sick of me talking about the Philippines and such, but that really was the first thing that came to mind.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a waterfall before this one and was quite excited to see one in person. I’ve heard stories from people that have seen waterfalls before and I was looking forward to seeing this one. However, I didn’t expect the journey to see this waterfall to be so tiring. We walked to a lighthouse on top of a mountain before the long journey to the waterfall, so we were quite tired as we journeyed to the waterfall. However, the journey was well worth it once I caught sight of that waterfall. Once I saw it, there was nothing that was going to stop me from getting as close to that waterfall as I can. It was pretty difficult to walk down as there was no clear path to it and we had to walk through muddy, slippery terrain that was surrounded by rocks. However, I desperately wanted to get under the waterfall that left me with a loss of words. There just wasn’t an exact word to describe it. I could use the words magnificent, beautiful and breathtaking to describe it, but that would be an understatement. Therefore, I thought of the word “magnaking.” I admit it’s not the prettiest word ever, but it’s a combination of the words magnificent, maganda and breathtaking. Maganda is the Filipino word for beautiful and I felt that it was appropriate to place a Filipino word in there too, since I did experience this in the Philippines. I hope that all of you guys have experienced a moment of “magnaking” and remember them as you write your blog.
I really enjoyed your short story about the water fall because I never seen one and in my mind, I could think of your experience. I like how you said that beautiful would be considered an understatement. I think that your knowledge of the Phillipino language makes your word appropriate because you story was taken place at the Phillipines.
DeleteI really loved the fact that you infused both Filipino and English words when coming up with a word to describe what must have been a surreal experience for you. I've always admired how deeply attached you are to your cultural roots (that of which we have the same of) and it's deeply heartwarming to see you so connected with everything and everyone there. You've got a great eye for seeing art, and while I must agree that it isn't the "prettiest" of words, I think it suits the feeling(s) perfectly. Great job!
DeleteDani, when you said that you saw a waterfall, I automatically thought you saw one in our neighborhood! Then as I continued to read, I realized you meant while you were in the Philippines. I saw a waterfall when I was about seven or eight years old while visiting my father's native country. it was astounding. I could not understand how nature was able to do such a thing as that. At first I didn't have a proper word for it, now I do; "magnaking".
DeleteI can't imagine the difficulties of being immersed in a language that is not your native tongue, and I really have to congratulate you for that. I have so many friends who are bilingual or trilingual (is that even a word? well, we're making up words anyway) and when I hold conversations with them in English there are times where I just have to stop and be amazed that they have mastered another language so well. And I'm sure there are moments where you know the perfect word to describe a situation in one language, but not the other- I've watched my Portuguese friend struggle like this several times. So really, I have to commend you for speaking another language fluently while I'm still struggling to string together a coherent sentence in German. And English too, if I'm being honest.
DeleteThis is truly inspiring! You are so determined and hardworking!
DeleteThat’s really cool that you got to see a waterfall! I’ve never seen one but I’ve always wanted to, it must have been awesome. I think it’s really cool how you incorporated the Filipino word for beautiful in your made up word. I thought that was clever since you saw the waterfall in the Philippines. I will definitely use this word the next time I see something that's "magnaking." Good post! I enjoyed reading it.
DeleteThis word is absolutely magnaking. There have been moments where I wish I could have used a word like this because other words just simply wouldn't measure up. I found this post extra enjoyable. Great job!
DeleteBefore I reveal my improvised word to the world, I must say that I get a pleasant feeling in my stomach whenever I come close to reaching this word. I get this feeling when it's a Friday night or when I am on the boardwalk. I get this feeling during the summer months. I get this feeling when I apply my makeup and it actually looks decent. I get this feeling when I pay for something on the expensive side without asking how much it's going to cost me. I get this feeling when I wave to a cute guy and he waves back and I get this feeling when I am having an overall confident day.
ReplyDeleteNo matter how trivial the aforementioned things may seem, they give me a sense of weightlessness; a sense of no worries. These are the kind of moments that I live for. These are the kind of moments that make me feel absolutely alive. Since I am being asked to compile these feelings into one word, I present the word "fredacious". Someone could go about reaching their maximum levels of fredaciousness by doing something they would not ordinarily do. It's almost like the sense of being constantly reborn and constantly rediscovering yourself. I honestly feel as though everyone needs to have at least fifty fredacious moments in their lifetime.
I try my hardest to fill my life with fredacious moments because life is way too short. When I die, I do not want to be remembered as the girl that did absolutely nothing. I want to be remembered as the girl that smiled a lot and made people smile. I want to be remembered as the girl that laughed uncontrollably at her own stupid jokes. More importantly, I need some amazing stories to tell my future children. I can't let them think that mommy was some fuddy-duddy.
Oddly enough, living a fredacious life does have its setbacks. Usually when someone is going though their fredacious life, they tend to procrastinate and put off a lot of their work until the very last minute. Eventually, this constant buildup of responsibilities will cause this person to stress out about remembering to do projects and whether or not they will be able to meet certain deadlines. The moment they dig themselves out of their temporary grave, they swear up and down that they will never let time slip through their fingers like that again. A week later they can be seen repeating the same miserable process.
Hopefully with this blog I have been able to enlighten each and every single one of you when it comes to feeling weightless and as though you have no worries in the world. I strongly suggest that each and every person in our cohort try something new this week. It doesn't have to be anything major, just something that will sate your soul. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and succeeding will make you feel alive even if it is for a brief moment in time. I hope all of you are able to lead fredacious yet responsible lives; you are all very deserving of it.
I liked how you were very confident in your blog post because whenever I see you in school you are so relaxed. I think that your word made a lot of sense because I think you have lived your entire life with a bunch of "fredaciousness".
DeleteJasmine, you are the type of person that I want to invite to my wedding (10-15 years from now) because I would want to see you again. You always have this awesome sort of fredaciousness in you. I can imagine it now. It's my wedding day, and I am sitting next to my husband at the reception, and you walk up and say, "Oh hey Gabbay Cruz! Look at you and that handsome piece of meat of yours."
DeleteI hope you enjoyed that. Anyway, I looked up your word on google because I wanted to see if it was a slang term or something and google said "Do you mean: define predacious" so I clicked on it and the definition said "(of an animal) predatory." I was dying of laughter. I was like "oh my god. This is so fitting because boys are meat and Jasmine loves boys."
I love feeling fredacious like it feels like everything is just going right, almost euphoric and its so amazing. thank you for defining this feeling for me hahaha i really like how you listed the draw backs too!
DeleteI can totally relate to your blog! This is awesome! Theres not enough time in the day to be upset!
DeleteFredacious, sometimes we need words like these to qualify ourselves for greater things. I believe in this word because you are the type of person, that makes relaxation a priority and I think it is time for us Ap langers to create time to relax our Spec minds. SYNONYM : Jas-pateson. lol... hope you approve of this synonym.
DeleteJasmine I like the word that you because it's a lot like you unique, different, and just really cool. I also like that the word seems to describe the way you live your life and that you think others should live the same way because its true I think sometimes people spend way to much time just coasting through life.
DeleteI really admire your word it's quirky but it has a nice ring to it. I think this word is something that everyone could relate to one way or another because everyone always seems to find themselves in a state of going through the motions in life instead of living it to the fullest. The feeling of fredaciousness is something that we should all strive for.
DeleteIf there is one thing I have always seemed incapable of doing, it has been finding the right words to say. I am absolutely horrific at figuring out what to say to a person. Whether it’s an encouragement, or a confrontation I could play in my head what to say for hours and still manage to say the exact opposite of what I probably should have. That being said, I have a high regard for those that are great speakers, especially those that can develop intricate thoughts on the spot. Words have always been a tender subject for me because I feel like there are never enough. I could talk forever but still feel as though that’s not enough to describe any one thing. Humans are much too complex for that. It seems as though my whole life has consisted partly of things I wish I could have said or things I have that haven’t made sense or hurt someone or weren’t the right words. Therefore to describe one occurrence would be a pathetic fraction of the sum. That being said, if I had to use one word to describe the indescribable it would be a mere four letter word “merp”. I’m sure many of you have heard me say it multiple times. It seems to be one that always comes up in conversation as awkward as it sounds. However, now that I think of it, it doesn’t describe a situation so much as it describes how I feel about a situation. It has had both positive and negative connotations but always reflects my emotional rollercoaster of a mind. I have also used it to describe situations I have been a spectator of. Even something like describing the way I feel about the plot of a movie or a book I often end my description with the word. I’m not sure where it came from or why I have selected it but I feel in a lot of ways the words we say choose us. I’m not sure if that makes sense but I say this as a person incapable of really expressing situations verbally. If and when I seem to find a string of words describing a situation minimally I have no idea where the words come from. I almost feel lucky like saying the right thing is something that only graces a few people. Nevertheless, I am happy to have my short and silly word which represents me in a nutshell; a silly word capable of feeling more than one thing and expressing situations and feelings in ways that don’t need to be spoken. Well that’s all I gotta say about that. Merp :)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel in regards to regretting a lot of things you have said, or never got a chance to say. Words have a lot of power- they are our main form of communication, after all. The wrong words really can destroy someone's life and that's sort of scary. But I love your idea for having a word to describe a loss of words. Certainly it's something we all experience- this entire blog is modeled after that concept, after all!
DeleteThis is such an inspiring blog! You're awesome Francesca!
DeleteI’m also not the best with words. I constantly can’t think off the right words to say to people either so I definitely know what you mean. I envy those who can just give a speech off the top of their head and deliver it perfectly. I also really like the word you came up with! I will definitely use it the next time I can’t think of the right word to say in a conversation.
DeleteI’m definitely not good with thinking of words when I need them most. Sometimes I’ve considered carrying around a dictionary to help me out when I’m stumped but that would be a hassle. But I like your word merp very much. It’s nice that you have a word to follow you around to take the place in describing what you feel and its funny how you bring it in to conversations.
DeleteI totally know what you mean when you comment about no being good with words because sometimes I feel like I should be having a conversation with someone but everything I can think to say just seems so trivial. And I really don't want to bother people with empty words because I feel like life is filled with things we don't mean or things just said to feel the time. And I also think your word is really simple and cute.
DeleteSup dawg. So I've known you for like 4 years now and I've heard you say this word on multiple occasions. You say it when there's an awkward pause, a romantic moment, a sad story or just shaking a bad time off. This is literally the perfect word for you. It's weird, but it's also adaptable to any situation like you. It's a great word for a great person like you, so keep on merping (yeah I just made it a verb, get at me) and good blog post blondie!
DeleteThis word is definitely a good one. Everyone is bad with words at one time or another, and having a word to describe that would be absolutely vital. I thought this blog was really awesome, and I wish I could have had this kind of word sooner. Awesome post!
DeleteFrancesca great job on this blog. I have never heard you say merp so I guess I should talk to you more. I also have trouble coming up with words and if I do come up with a word I feel like it is never right so I understand how you feel. Merp is a funny word. Would you mind if I use it sometimes? Overall great job on the blog Francesca.
DeleteThis blog took me the longest time to think about something to write about. I know that throughout my life I’ve gone through many situations that I couldn’t find any words to describe. But for some reason none of these instances stuck out in my mind. I couldn’t think of any indescribable situation worthy enough to write an entire blog post about. I want to say that I couldn’t think of any circumstance great enough because I’m only 16 and I haven’t experienced one yet but that’s definitely not a good excuse. I thought about all the things that mean a lot to me in my life and maybe I could come up with something from there. I thought of some things that I like, science, Chinese food, summer, swimming, music, but there’s one thing in my life that’s different, dance. I don’t just like dancing; I wouldn’t even say that I love dancing. To me dance is the most unexplainable, thing in my life. There is no specific word to capture how I feel about dance. I want to say that I love dance and that it makes me extremely happy but that is not always the case. When I’m dancing I get this feeling that I just can’t describe. It’s like I feel free, and I feel like I’m living. Obviously I’m always living but dance makes me actually feel more alive than anything else I’ve ever done. Dancing gives me this huge adrenaline rush like I’m on a really scary rollercoaster. While I’m dancing I go through a million different feelings. I feel sad if I’m portraying a sad story. I feel angry when I miss a step or don’t hit a movement like I wanted to. I feel scared if I have to complete a complicated turn sequence or a difficult move that I may miss. I feel focused and concentrated on the next move I have to accomplish. I feel worried that a hair pin or a piece of my costume will fall off, or that the judges won’t like my dance. Dance makes me feel all of these emotions and even more. Out of all of these emotions and feelings there’s not just one that I can pinpoint and say that’s how dance makes me feel.
ReplyDeleteNow that I’ve come up with something that I can’t describe I have to make up my own word to describe it. I didn’t think this would be very hard considering the fact that I make up words on a daily basis. But this task was more challenging then I imagined. My word to describe dance would be argherberg. This word is more of the sound that I make when someone asks me to describe dance. I make this sound because there’s not a specific way to accurately describe dance. The best synonym for this word is love. Love because love is really difficult to define as well. Love is amazing but it’s also horrible, it’s difficult and challenging yet everyone wants it. Love is an indescribable feeling just like how I feel about dance. Although love is a good synonym to describe the way dance makes me feel, the word love doesn’t completely fit this feeling. It’s more than just love. So since love doesn’t completely describe my feeling for dance, argherberg will have to do.
I find that people over use words, I’ll even go as far to say we talk too much. We overuse words such as “sorry, beautiful, good” simple words. It’s like we become desensitize to their impact, but I feel like those words are the words we can directly feel. When you see someone attractive you get a feeling inside you and the word beautiful caught up in your throat. Or when you eat a satisfying, homemade meal, you just recline in your chair rubbing your belly and think “Mmm. Yes, very good.” I use these words cautiously and appropriately; I only say sorry when I truly mean it. However, being a fan of simple words, I have come up with a rather complex one as this blog has forced me to do so. There’s a feeling I experience enough to really put a word to it but seldom enough to long for it almost every day. You’re alone and in a very good mood, everything has been going your way and you just take a seat. Anywhere where you can feel the breeze and the fresh air surround you, where you can hear nature. It envelopes you, like you can feel the stardust you are made out of and you feel like your aura is the entire world, you feel one with the earth and the goodness in life. I guess a synonym would be nirvana? But that feels too strong and long lasting to be this word. Invigorating would be a closer match. But the word I find that describes this sense of unity with the universe is “selenoquince”. I really like how it sounds and the “qui” sound makes it sound peaceful. So yes, you are sitting there in selenoquince, never happier.
ReplyDeleteYour whole blog reminds me of our conversation earlier and as you know I completely agree that people talk to much people describe things without careful consideration and they also feel the ridiculous need to fill silence, which has its own beauty that people tend not to appreciate.
DeleteWow, your post was very interesting for me. I didn’t think about words that way until you said it, but I definitely agree with you. People over use so many words that they start to lose their meaning. It’s like listening to a really good song and then they overplay on the radio so much until the greatness of the song is lost. Really good post Danielle!
DeleteI completely agree with your notion that we talk too much. Our overuse of words has hindered us from being able to express ourselves in different ways. I always love reading your blog responses because you have the ability to make me feel at peace even when I am stressed to the max, and this blog was no deviation. I absolutely love the word that you came up with, it just sounds relaxing and tranquil.
DeleteI love the word you came up with it sounds real not like mine which now after reading yours makes me feel totally unoriginal. It sounds like a real word something a really smart person would say to explain the feeling you've just described so yeah I think you've accomplished the goal. I also like how you like to use simple words I think sometimes we like to make things really complex when the situation doesn't require it.
DeleteThe first part really interested me. The notion that we actually overuse words is odd but true. As humans we use words that should mean a lot and make them casual everyday language. Life seems harder that way, when all the good words are taken, what's left? Also, your later feeling is one I can relate to, I've felt it on multiple occasions but I've also felt the opposite. When everything is right and you're alone but something's still wrong. I wish I read your blog before I wrote mine so I could do the feeling you just made me think of, oh well. Next time, anyways great post. I love your word. It sounds so peaceful
DeleteI have also noticed that many people tend to overuse words to the point where it's almost meaningless. I grow tired of these words because I hear them so often. Your word has certain type dulcet sound to it and I think it really does it's meaning justice.
DeleteI like the fact that you said we can become desensitized to words. 'Desensitized' is kind of an awesome word actually. But it's true. When people say what they really feel, it is kind of common to just use a simple word so the world can know our feelings right away, but those simple words are precious. It seems like a lot of people picked happiness words. Woo! Selenoquince is quite a unique one though. But I am having a little bit of an issue thinking how that would be pronounced. Ah. Whatever. Peacefulness is cool.
DeleteDanielle your blog is wonderful. You are right that we really overuse words to the point that it has no impact. That we have to create new words to just say happy because happy no longer has its impact. Your word is really amazing in that selenoquince sound like a peaceful word. Overall great job on this blog Danielle.
DeleteI’ve always gone through life with the most positive attitude I could. I hate seeing people upset, and I always try to make the very best out of the most terrible situations. If I could control it, everyone in this world would be happy and carefree, kind of like me. I was never one to sweat the small things, and if something happens that brings me down, I think to my self, “people have it way worse, I have more then one thousand reasons to smile, don’t let this one thing bring you down.” I am just a happy go lucky girl. So with that, I never really have bad situations. I have a wonderful support system behind me, and I have the most amazing friend group that I surround myself with. Without these people I could never live the way I do. I’ve been in the worst situations, but I can’t remember any of them turning out bad, because of the people that love me, I was always able to get out of these situations. I don’t have a perfect life, but its pretty close.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that the word I would use to describe my life would be “blethful.” Sure, it sounds like a weird and maybe a little bit on the gross side, but to me this fictional word has a much deeper meaning. The word “blethful” means blessed, thankful, and wonderful all summoned in one single word. That is by far the best word to describe me. I am truly blessed with everything a girl could ask for and more, I’m more than thankful for whee life has brought me to this day, and I couldn’t ask for anything better, and finally wonderful. Everyone and everything I surround myself with is wonderful. I have the best family, the best friends, and the most awesome surroundings. You can give me a basket full of hand picked flowers and I would be happy for the rest of my life. I’m just so in love with the beauty in everything, and thats definitely what makes me, me! I wouldn’t want my life any other way!
The English Language is one dysfunction. It combines some of the vocabulary (and a lot of grammar) of the phlegmy Germans and combines it with ridiculous Latin roots. Latin was spoken by the most overly glorified empire that consisted of a bunch of useless intellectuals who actually weren’t very intellectual. And so you have English. English, by extension, is a useless phlegmy language. Unfortunately, Web 2.0 cannot describe any of my own experiences. Nor can any Latin root really. That would be a pain anyway. Using every Latin root would just be a pain. The equator would be technically called the circum-equa-terra. Latin is dead and so we should leave it to rot in the ground. But back to the just as tedious English language.
ReplyDeleteThere is a certain feeling I have in mind. The circumstances under which it occurs is perfectly explainable. The feeling, however, is not. It sort of parallels Tommi’s experience as it is a musical one. However, my music more appropriately reflects my messy hair and often rough face. I love hard rock n roll. But I like it served a certain way. Music is most enjoyable to me when you take blues or funk and completely push it to the limit with respect to the volume at which it is played. There is something absolutely hypnotic when someone takes a heavy Gibson guitar and plug into a fully driven Marshall amplifier. The guitarist holds his pick up in the air like his weapon in combat. And as a metal pick strikes cobalt strings, electrical current is picked up through tall and dense humbuckers. The result is a bone crushing vibration that destroys everything in its. When this beast is tamed to play in a twelve bar pattern along with some pentatonic licks.
Despite this definable sensation, the perception is undeniable. Well, I lied. Some people hate it with a blunt intensity. However, it strikes me with a feeling I can’t describe as anything besides good. If I were to come up with some synonym, I would just call it “rock and roll.” Now I know that this the name of the actual music but if you’re one of those diehard fans it’s not just music. It’s fashion, culture, and synonymous with sex and sexy. If this elastic term can be applied to pretty much anything, why can’t it be extended to the actual sensation?
Necocapit is my fabricated word for this phenomenon. It’s derived from the Latin roots that mean “kill” and “head.” I feel this is appropriate because I already feel like my hearing has declined in the past couple of years. In its due time, it will kill my head, so why not be honest about it. Though this a relatively abstract feeling that I know isn’t exactly universal, I found it most appropriate to describe this feeling. It’s something that has become a part of me. If I don’t wake up with my daily recommended dosage of raw music, I feel distant and removed. It’s ironic that such a feeling remains indescribable with such regular exposure.
Dave, Yes, I love this word. Necocapit is the word that attacks my African accent make a meal of it. Seriously, fantastic ideology. I like the brief information on Latin roots. Latin is dead but only great minds like you could resurrect it. I have the same feeling of trying to increase the volume to the limit at which it is played when I am listening to the Europe band (famous song: final countdown) GREAT JOB.
DeleteHahaha the Jews is one of the best rock songs ever written for sure. You also derived your word from Latin roots so go us, and I would also like to say that your music preferences are superb and we shall continue to rock out together on guitars til our heads do get killed
DeleteNecocapit hahahaha, are we Roman Deadheads now? It's very easy to say music is part of who you are (it has always been), so it is fitting that you would choose that word.
DeleteIn my OP I talked about one of my favorite things in the world. Not all of you are in period 12 though so I will describe it again. When you stand outside or near a window and you look up at the sun and close your eyes and your eyelids light up in a brilliant orange because of the sunlight shinning through them and even if it’s freezing outside your whole body becomes warm as the sunlight lays over you like a blanket of natural energy. That is the experience that I cannot put a word to, honestly I don’t think I want to because in doing that I would simplify the beauty of the whole experience but even so, I will try. First I wanted to choose the word radiance as the synonym to this sensation but that implies light being omitted and not the taking in of sunlight so that one got scrapped. After dismissing a couple other possibilities I decided that the best synonym for this experience is opalescent because the light is slightly blocked by my eyelids when I feel this, also opaque suggests that something is hard to understand which is very fitting to this who blog because these experiences are in themselves hard to understand which is shown by our difficulty describing them! Now for my own word, at first I wanted to find words that relate to the sun from other languages but that wouldn’t be as fun as just smashing a bunch of English words that all relate to this feeling, in order to make the ultimate sun word! So my word for this feeling is Flourpaquedescence, which is a mash up of fluorescent, opaque and incandescent. Fluorescent because when the sun hits you this way it makes it as if your are giving off light in the sensation, opaque for the same reason I chose the synonym for my feeling, and incandescent because it means warm or glowing which you feel both of when you feel Flourpaquedescence and all of its glory! So next time you are outside I hope you stop close your eyes and raise your head towards the sun so that you too can feel the warm comfort of Flourpaquedescence!
ReplyDeleteThe past few days have been nothing but full of stress and tension and worry. Unfortunatley this is due to my mother being sick in the hospital. I’ve only seen her twice in the last 5 days or so and her situation is very serious even though she smiles at me. And since she’s been gone my life taken quite the turn. My days now consist of replacing my mother until she returns, while my sister stays in the hospital with her. My father, older brother and me have running our family business together. While I also starting learning to prepare real dinners that don’t just consist of pasta, rice, and pizza. I also have been completing every chore so everyone can rest after traveling around to mother and doing errands. Doing the jobs my mother does is unbelievably difficult and exhausting that I’m surprised I haven’t collapsed in the middle of shopping for our restaurant. It’s amazing how my mom is able to juggle so many responsibilities in just one day. I admire her so much for her strength and stamina. I also admire my father who has done a wonderful job as acting as both parents while completing a million other tasks of his own.
ReplyDeleteBut my emotions from all the craziness is slowly building up especially since I don’t when I’ll be able to see her again since now she is hospitalized out of state. I’m extremely worried every second, stressed with my lack of sleep to concentrate, and irritated beyond comprehension with all the miscommunications. If there was a word to explain what I’m feeling in this situation it would be strepentcritic! It means, a time of unhappiness and extreme stress, worry and confusion. Strepentcritic is that feeling you get when your just about ready to collapse and cry. You feel the sharp pinch of tears at the corners of your eyes, and your chest tightens. It’s that moment when tensions are too thick to even cut. Strepentcritic isn’t my greatest creation of the imagination but it’s a combination of words. Stress, tension, and critical is the words I threw in a blender to create strepentcritic. And it is certainly the best word to describe how I’m feeling right now.
This is going to be corny, lame, over dramatic, and might want to make some of you throw up but hey, I'm a girl and I've got some times where I get butterflies and all starry-eyed too. I've never been one to be spoiled, and I've never been one to be put on a pedestal. Usually I'M the one spoiling my friends and boosting them up, etc. I'm a really confusing, double standard, wishy-washy kind of person. I love some things, hate certain things and none of them could even make any sense to you, but it makes up who I am. I love sitting on the beach with no worries and listening to the big rasta man himself- Mr. Marley- but I also enjoy immensely walking through the city being adventurous and clueless about my surroundings. I can dress up one day, and the next be completely "bummed out." I care about my health and keeping in shape because I love sports and all athletics, but then again I'll eat whatever I want. My point is- I'm confusing. Not many people get me or even try to understand why I do the things I do and why I feel what I feel about the world. I'm so self reliant and dependent and I like to tell myself I can do anything and everything on my own- which I can. However, when you start to get close to somebody, you start to share your happiness with them. Well an experience that left me in awe was very recent. I looked and still do look at this person as perfect, and never even thought we'd end up where we are now. About a month and a half ago, anonymous, (wink, you all know who) picked me up from school and we went to this place where it was the first time we spent hours talking on New Years, so I guess you could say it was kind of symbolic. Well after a bunch of talking and me being all nervous and awkward he hands me a bunch of stuff. A stuffed animal beagle named Milo. (we went to the pet store and fell in love with a beagle.) A peace bracelet from one of my favorite little boutiques. A Celtics tee shirt because that's my favorite basketball team, (hate on it.) And a Bob Marley band flag because I adore him. The point wasn't all of the gifts and him spending money, it was that all of the things he put into one gift, were all little things I would tell him that I liked without even doing it on purpose. It's the fact that he remembered everything I said and put everything I said to him into his head for thought. Nobody has ever taken effort to try and do that. He knows what I like, what I hate, my awkward habits, and even why I get too nervous to talk in front of people. That day left me in awe and all lovey dovey and happy and filled with butterflies. But none of those words or phrases could do me any justice. If I could make up a word to describe how I felt it would be haspery. I combined letters and vowels from the words happy, and share. I chose share because I'm choosing to share my happiness with another person, which is scary but exciting and happy.
ReplyDeleteHaspery- Adjective: when you're full of utter happiness because of another's actions or words.
It is very hard for me to think of a word to describe abstract things. Partially because I know a lot of words, secondly because I don't usually think about my feelings. But some crap happened recently that actually made me remember that I have some, and I'll spare all of you the details for fear of sounding whiny, but it was like a jolt of electricity straight into my heart. Due to my ADHD, I always think about a lot of things at once, all the time. That being said, when something goes wrong in my life, all those thoughts start spreading to how things could go worse in that particular endeavor, and this one was especially bad. While I'm typing this, my brain feels like it is full of static. Nothing makes sense and all I can think is just a slew of negative thoughts that I can't even write down on here. If I had to use a word to describe it that could nowhere near do it justice it would be anxious. It is similar, but it would be like comparing a lake to the pacific ocean in magnitude. I can't think, I can barely breathe, and I long for the chance to be a sociopath so I couldn't feel anything, or at the very least to hibernate for a few months. I'm drowning in my own thoughts and the only boat is the one I fell off of and I can see it getting farther and farther away every second. If I could make it relatable to everyone, it would be like having a tv that only played those aspca ads on repeat and the power button is broken.
ReplyDeleteWell enough analogies, I guess I have to do the whole thing where I make up a word. I guess the word I'm going to use is contrabulation. It sounds cluttered and awkward and a word someone would say after a particularly wild fever dream, which I guess fits because that would be exactly how I feel. Well, now if you excuse me I have some reading logs to do. Not that I was going to get any sleep anyway.
There are few instances where I have experienced that true sense of something that cannot be described. I rarely put out the effort for such things to be considered before high school the only thing that truly occupied my time was school and even that required minimal effort. School just happened to be one of those things that came easy for me so when I aced a test it wasn’t a huge momentous event more like something that just occurred. But when high school came along that all changed with marching band and crew. Activities that require a team effort an instance where everyone was as responsible for a win just as they would be for a failure. So these were instances where I did have to try because I didn’t want to be that one person that caused everyone else failure. Which brings me to this year’s marching band season. It was probably the most intense situation I’ve ever encountered because I have never been so invested in a season as I was in the one that most recently passed. Never have I practiced more, tried more, or played louder. There wasn’t one time where I thought “Okay I’ll just won’t try my hardest.” I always made sure I was aware of what was going on and how I was stacking up in the big picture. So when it came time for championships and the only band that stood in our way was one that had beaten us so many times before I had never felt more nervous or determined as I was in that moment where we took the field. So when all was said in done and we were announced as the champions I had never experienced such a feeling of pure happiness that seem to ingrain itself into my very being. So one of my synonyms is happiness because I can’t think of any other synonym that better fits a feeling that just paints a smile on your face for hours on end. Another scenario where I felt all my effort was coming to a head was last year during the crew season which was especially tough considering I was a sophomore in the varsity category and it seemed my boat was always the underdog. It didn’t help that I stand at barely five two and there were boats out there with girls almost a foot taller than me. If there is one thing to know about crew it’s that height is a big factor. So every race my boat would go out there and kill it but it seemed it was never enough not when there was a boat out there with girls that were quite literally monsters they killed every one in their path they were so good. So when one race resulted in my little boat placing I have never experienced a greater moment of speechlessness (my other synonym). With these two instance in mind I construct my word which is pridesome, pride being a part of it because nothing explains it better than when you know you’ve tried your best and it finally pays off and I think that’s the true reason for most of our happiness. Awesome because awe is that whole jaw dropping feeling you get when something really goes your way.
ReplyDeleteAn odd feeling that I have always loved is the feeling I get when I click with someone new. There's always that one moment with somebody when you officially become friends. That one thing he says, that funny thing that happened nearby, that mutual friend you can both make fun of. It's a different thing with everyone. I love getting close to people. I love making friends. There's a feeling I get when I know that I've made a new a friend. It's hard to describe, it's just small accomplishment. It's the fact that I've positively impacted this person's life in some way and I will continue to do so. It's the same feeling I get when I realize that I've gotten closer to people. This year in particular I have gotten closer to several people, especially people in Lang and drama. I've experienced this feeling of, well, I guess the feeling of being alive. Living is a wonderful gift, and being a good part in someone's day is a part of that. So, for this feeling, I'd say it would be gratitude. Although this doesn't fill all the requirements of what the feeling is, it is a sort of gratitude of being able to meet this person. In my own words? I'd call it "amigratness" which is a mixture of two Latin words. "Amicus" which means friend and "gratus" which means thankful or pleasing. The feeling is to be thankful that I have a new friend. That's what I love feeling, I love the feeling amigratness. The feeling of thankfulness for a new friend.
ReplyDeleteI agree, making new friends is the most awesome thing ever. Nothing quite measures up to that good feeling of when you realize that a person has just become a new person that you can share your life with. And I certainly agree that you have made some from drama, and I'm glad that i have become one of those new friends that you have made this year. Great post!
DeleteDan I understand the feeling of making news friends is great feeling. When I first moved here to Mays landing I had trouble making new friends and so when I click with someone I was so happy. I truly understand that is wonderful feeling. So great job on this blog Dan and what a great word, amigratness.
DeleteSomething that I do a lot, more often than I like, is shut down when I get upset. If I hear something that makes me sad, I don't say anything, and leave the situation completely without addressing it. However, this always comes back to bite me due to the fact that when I finally try to explain myself, I explode in a flurry of confusion, anger, sadness and frazzled thoughts. This happens in such a rush that I end up not even saying what I wanted to say in the first place. This feeling of frustration and inadequacy of being able to articulate what I want to say because I have so much to say all at once is definitely a scenario that I immediately thought of when reading this prompt.
ReplyDeleteI guess synonyms for this feeling following that type of situation could be an explosion, because after all the words come out, you're left in ruins because your point was not put across the precise way you wanted it. So, a word I can come up with to describe this feeling of having so much to say but not even being able to get it out the way you want to is "wordmerged."
Okay. That sounded really dumb, but let me explain myself. As I said, sometimes having all these things to say, but not saying what was intended, only leaves you drowning in your bottled up thoughts even more. So...drowning. You're submerged in words. WORD-MERGED.
While this is depressing enough, I guess my fellow langers could use this new word in a positive way too. Maybe one of you guys are so in love with someone, when you express your feelings towards them, you realize that all you could get out was a rambling run on statement about the sparkles in the significant other's eyes or how enamored you seem to be by the dimple on their cheek. You're wordmerged and didn't get what you wanted out because youre oh so in love.
So there you have it, my word. "Wordmerged."
I think I could actually use that word sometimes, only because it seems so integral to the human experience, and by extension so ubiquitous that it could actually become mainstream. It's like a unique feeling of being overwhelmed, but far too specific for being overwhelmed to do it justice.
DeleteTo begin, I would like to make the point that I believe there is a distinct reason why we often find ourselves at a loss for words. And that reason is that we rely far too greatly on words to express what we're thinking or how we're feeling. I see no problem with being unable to find the right word to describe a situation or a thought or a feeling. To me, that just signifies that whatever I am experiencing at that moment in time is too wonderful or too horrific to put a label on. Leaving certain things unnamed is perfectly fine by me, if I can't think of the words to say then that probably means that I shouldn't say anything at all.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway, I should be focusing on the purpose of this blog, which of course has to be to invent a word for the things that I firmly believe should be left undescribed. I combed through my mind for quite a while attempting to pinpoint a specific time or situation when I was at a loss for words, but I unfortunately found myself unsuccessful. So instead I've opted to coming up with a word to describe one of my most favorite feelings. I will do my best to describe this feeling rightly and without making myself appear weird or crazy. I don't know if anyone in Lang has ever explored Lake Lenape, but if you haven't, you should. A few years ago my parents bought my sister and I kayaks so we could go out on the water alone whenever we wanted. And I honestly never expected a kayak to be able to bring me as much joy as they have. Every time I go out on the lake, I kayak as far back as I can possibly go without feeling like I'd never find my way back home. I discovered a little cove once, I don't remember exactly when, but it has become my desired destination ever since. The water gets too shallow to be able to paddle anymore, so I push the kayak up onto the sand bank and sit down in the middle of the water. It's always really warm because it's so shallow, the bottom is covered in smooth rocks that bounce brilliant colors of sunlight into your eyes when you look directly at them. There are always hundreds (not an exaggeration) of turtles that don't mind my company lying around on every surface visible. I can see fish swimming around my legs and all I can hear is the sound of the wind in the trees and the soft gurgle of the water against the rocks. I put my hands behind me in the water and lean my head back toward the sky. I never feel so big and yet so insignificant than in those precious moments. It is a feeling of such perfectly balanced opposition that often times I become so overwhelmed tears form in my eyes completely uncontrollably. Sitting in the midst of a tranquil lake, completely alone aside from the companionship of a few docile creatures. I feel then that my worth is no more important than theirs, in that place I have nothing more to offer to the world than they do. Being in that place is so humbling, it reminds me of my importance and the reason for my existence. The feelings that rush over me in those moments are truly indescribable, but that will not suffice for this blog. So the word that I would use to describe that feeling is 'pacilence'. I really don't have a reason as to why that it the word, except that it was the first one that came to my mind when I contemplated the emotions that overcome me when I'm alone in that place. To me, 'pacilence' is a beautiful combination of all of the other insignificant synonyms that I would typically use to describe that feeling. Peaceful, tranquil, humbled, amity, serenity, 'pacilence' serves as the harmonious joining of all of those different words.
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DeleteThe many and numerous intersections between serenity and harmony and unity that provide essentially an entire new realm that we are not able to fully describe due to our limited exposure to it. Yet somehow when you are on the lake, through that experience, you stumble upon one of these "crossroads of bliss" that is distinct and unique to that situation and perhaps even to you. I guess by naming it, you now own it, and you've validated its existence.
DeleteI am probably taking this blog way more seriously than need be, because I just kind of ‘have a thing’ about words. Numbers too, but lately words. Maybe it’s something I’ve mentioned before, but I have a bit of an OCD – like thing that it’s kind of difficult to describe. But oddly enough, that’s not what I want to write about to find a word for. Just to explain that lately I have been obsessed with letters and combinations, and I really want to find a 4 letter word that I can rearrange so that 4 different words are made with each letter being in each spot only once- if anyone else understands that. The closest I’ve come to is the letters in the word STOP.
ReplyDeleteThis all leads me to the point that the English language needs more words. I need to be able to make these combinations and be satisfied. So here we are arbitrarily assigning new words to feelings and sensations, and my mind gives me the task of finding the perfect word to describe a perfect feeling.
And well I failed miserably. But dammit I tried. The sensation I can’t describe, out of all the feelings that there are in world (meeting someone that you swear could be your true love, how you get forced into doing someone a favor because you ask one too many times out of politeness, or the way taking one of someone else’s chips always tastes better than if you got your own.. etc.) I decided to go with something that’s probably a lot more uninteresting – the way I feel about playing tennis.
The sucky thing about making a word for a feeling that is indescribable, is that it’s indescribable. Big surprise. But whatever. Tennis is my most favorite thing in existence. I have played for about two years, and even though I am incredibly terrible and my only chance at making varsity is really one of those ‘best of the worst’ things, I love it anyway. I would let it completely consume my life if it was possible. It is life, and love, and greatness, and despite the fact that there’s more drama in it than need be, and it destroyed my GPA and ability to learn in a time where I was supposed to be learning all the fundamentals I’d need for this year, and pretty much generally set me up for academic failure because it’s all I want to do all the time and it killed my motivation to do anything else, I don’t care.
The closest word I can think of, that I learned last year and is one of those ridiculously beautiful Brosetti words, is halcyon, but what I feel for tennis is more possessive and all-encompassing than that. So the word I’m going to use instead is obsereal. It’s really not a very creative word because I just combined obsession and ethereal, both of which have latin roots (woo), but that’s essentially what it feels like. Plus it sounds nice. For me, tennis is other-worldly and takes over my entire life for two months, so it works. Whenever I look outside and it’s nice out I annoy people by groaning about how I want to go play tennis, but I’m stuck doing work and such, and the ache never really goes away. It’s not something I can indulge in as often as I like, but maybe that’s part of what makes it special? But I don’t really think any amount of playing would make me love it less. I always say that I’m jealous of people that have one great calling and skill, but I found one thing I really love and even if it’s something I’m not great at, that’s good enough.
Your love for tennis is truly beyond describable and your passion for the sport is truly admirable. Even though it's not something that has been in your life for a very long time I think it's great that it has brought you such a grand amount of joy, especially because you are always sad, anxious, and self-depricating. With the help of your passion and a few more years you will be a tennis superstar. Your new word does a fabulous job at describing this feeling of passion and happiness that comes with such a sport. Keep it up chica because tennis is definitely your calling.
DeleteSometimes I have a difficult time understanding why you love tennis so much because I haven't had a love for competition in while, but I realized that I don't have to understand that. I just have to understand that general feeling of obsereal and stelaucity. I'm really glad that you have tennis as an outlet for happiness because we all need some kind of outlet.
DeleteThere are virtually limitless experiences that can be encapsulated into a word. By that reasoning, we have a limitless capacity to make as many words as we want. Yet, we aren’t spontaneously generating new words every day at the rate of expansion of the universe! When a word comes into existence, it is vindication that the concept has been experienced or contemplated by the minds of many humans -- that is to say, this phenomena or feeling or concept is important enough to be consolidated into a word to facilitate the more effective transfer of ideas, i.e. communication.
ReplyDeleteSo, in contemplating the generation of this new word, I have to be sure that the word or concept is readily accessible to my fellow humans. For language to work, at its most primal level, the person you are communicating with must have an understanding of the concept of the word you are saying, or else he or she will not understand. As language developed, with it came the innate ability to be able to describe other words, and with it, other phenomena, feelings, or concepts, using words already previously created and used. This power – the power of description – is what gives human communication such richness, beyond body language or sign language or any other form of communication.
There deserves to be a word that addresses the feelings associated with solving a difficult, meaningful problem. As my psychology textbook describes, when the brain experiences the phenomenon called the insight solution. As defined by the book, insight is the sudden and often novel realization of the solution to a problem. When your brain is churning to find a solution to a problem and you suddenly realize it – why is there not adequate word to describe that moment? My psych book tries its best to describe it, calling it the “Aha! Moment”, eerily similar to Jimmy Neutron’s “brain blasts”. An image from a joint observation by Northwestern and Drexel laboratories graphs brain activity at the moment of these insight solution discoveries (GAH! Why is there no good word for that?). There is a violent burst of right temporal activity and energy that accompanies any of these Aha! Moments. So now that we know that these events are universal, can we please think of a better word than Aha!, Eureka!, or Brain Blast!?
Yet this is still not the concept I am trying to describe. I want a word that describes the feelings that are associated with the Aha! Moment following the insight solution to a meaningful problem. The closest word I can come to that feeling is that feeling of brilliance, but I know this synonym does not do it justice. It is important to note that this feeling only comes when this Aha Moment! (this word is seriously annoying me) is associated with the solution to something you care about. When the problem is meaningful is the feeling I am trying to capture.
The problem can, by its very nature be anything that you can receive immediate insight to solve. This can be an academic problem or a life situation or even just when you are trying to find the right word to describe something (drown me in irony).
Some words to describe this ubiquitous experience would be wonderful. For now, I’ll call that word Apaplexy, not to be confused with apoplexy. Apaplexy would contrast with the aforementioned homonym. Also, I just think it sounds cool.
I’m often irritated at the fact that I am almost always at a loss for words when there are practically an endless amount of words in existence. The things we experience on a daily basis or even on an occasion cannot be justified by basic, everyday words. It’s interesting to think that the feelings that come with the most simplistic actions are often indescribable. What do you use to describe the feeling you get when you have no work to do so you sleep in until noon? Or the feeling you get when you take the first bite of your favorite meal? How about the feeling you get when you dive into the pool for the first time during a summer vacation? For lack of a better word, most of us would just describe these feelings as simple, pure happiness. However, in the moment of these events, your feelings are beyond happiness. It almost seems ridiculous to get such joy out of such little things but at the same time it’s also something beautiful. Having an appreciation for tiny things is a way for us to look past our bigger, uglier issues in life and escape into bliss by focusing in on smaller, positive aspects.
ReplyDeleteOver the years, I have learned to gain a better appreciation for these small phenomenas, especially because I have realized that happiness has become harder and harder to come by. I indulge in the blissful feelings that come with these little things in life. Whether it be the feeling of wearing a sweater fresh out of the dryer or getting a compliment from a stranger, I make sure I remember these moments and the positive vibes that come with it. Of all the little bundles of joy in life, my favorite positive feeling is the one I get whenever I travel. I think the reason why I love this feeling so much is because it is an escape from home and everyday life. It’s a great way of temporarily fleeing all of my responsibilities and other stressors that I face on a daily basis. Whenever I go on long trips, I like to think of it as a way of finally gaining freedom. Not only am I traveling away from my physical home, I am also traveling farther and farther away from all of life’s burdens. I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my chest during these travels. Instead of being in a constant state of stress, I can comfortably lay in the back of a car, stare at the sky, bathe in the radiance provided by the sun, and listen to music. This is the ultimate escape to my own, carefree little world. As much as I would like this little feeling of overwhelming bliss to last forever, I know that it’s temporary existence is what makes the feeling even more special and sacred. Sometimes we all need an escape from daily life. It serves as a great way to relax and unwind in those times of desperation and anxiety.
These little feelings of joy that come with minor phenomena have never been describable with just one word. However, I can instantly identify them as something “blissful” or “euphoric” but then again, these words simply don’t do these feelings any justice. My new word is “mellifluescent” which is a combination of the words “mellifluous,” meaning smooth or sweet, and the suffix “-escent,” which is used for adjectives denoting a developing state or action. This word essentially describes a very dulcet feeling that is constantly growing sweeter over a great period of time. These feelings aren’t always appreciated right away but as time goes by we start to gradually develop admiration for these little things. Happiness is hard to come by so it’s best if we take it while we can. Indulge in the little phenomena because the feelings attached to it will bring you an indescribable amount of mellifluescence.
We picked such happy words. I'm kind of pleased. Hahah. I didn't know mellifluous was a word either - it's a really nice one. Smoothness. But I said something of the same thing in mine about how the shortness makes things better. "Beauty is fleeting" and all. Most good things are. Appreciation is key!
DeleteDisney was always been a big influence on my life. When I was younger, I wanted to become a Disney star. I wanted to be as fashionable as Raven and have a boy best friend and a girl best friend like Lizzie and then end up falling in love with the boy best friend. The scenarios in the shows were so ridiculously perfect that it would be a miracle if it ever happened to an average person, and when I was a little kid, I knew that to be true. In order to have those Disney-esque moments that don’t ever seem to happen in real life, I would have to become an actress. But I came to the realization that it isn’t necessarily true. You just have to get off of your fluffy butts and do something as Papa Bear would say (Shrek reference sorry).
ReplyDeleteAs I got older, I began to think that I would never have a shot at being a Disney star, so I just gave up and pursued new interests. I was still interested in performing, but not as a career, so I joined the drama club at Oakcrest. I never thought anything of the possibility of those picture perfect moments coming to life anywhere other on Disney channel until I experienced it Freshman year during One Acts when I played Mercy the Monkey. It was as if everyone in the cast was transformed into the characters Mikey G. created. It didn’t seem real. It seemed like a dream. And then it happened again during Annie last year. It was like I was transformed into a five year old again except this time I was an orphan, but I still had a family (the other orphans) that loved me. I could feel the warm spot light on my face and the welcoming arms of Annie (Olivia) comforting me, an orphan missing her mommy. Even though that was a sad moment, I still felt at home. We all loved each other and had each others’ backs like a real family. I didn’t think it would be possible to feel that way again in drama because the seniors are no longer at Oakcrest, but I was wrong. I think the small group of friends I made over the course of the Crucible and Shrek came pretty close, and I mainly have Brandon and Taty to thank for that. Sure, I might not have had any of those script written Disney-esque moments like I did in Annie, but the unscripted moments I had with Taty, Brandon, and the rest of my friends were everything I could ever wish for.
So there it is. That feeling of being at home in complete bliss. I don’t know if I could possibly do this feeling justice, but I’m going to try. I created a portmanteau of my favorite word (audacity), name (lucy), and topic (stars so stellar) and came up with stelaucity. I specifically used the word stellar because I went through a rough couple of months at the end of eighth grade and into freshman year, but there was always one thing on my side and that was hope. Hope for better days and I saw that in the stars. I saw them as the better days that I would soon reach. I imagined myself sitting on the moon looking out at the stars light years away from me as I pondered the concept of the ability of some greater force holding gas particles together to create this light that shines light even in the darkest of times. When stars die, they emit this beautiful orange color until all of the particles disperse, but the human eye doesn’t see that. The star leaves an imprint in our night sky that lasts for maybe a few months or years (I don’t remember). Those spotlights that shine onto the stage remind me of the stars in the night sky that shine light in the enclosed auditorium and I feel at home.
When I was younger my aunt worked at the Disney store, and I lived with her for a while, so Disney was my life until I was around 10. I had a Disney-themed princess party when I turned 8. I was kind of obsessed. The movies were all so perfect, and actually I remember reading about how that's why teens are dramatic - all the movies we are so perfect and our own lives are boring - so while I doubt I'll ever have a true feeling of stelaucity, it'd probably be nice.
DeleteI am sure a lot of people have gone through experience that they cant really describe it or just cant find the right word to fully address the situation. For me there is one situation that I have experience countless time and there isn’t a specific word to describe the state I was in …until now. My situation is that people will experience hard times that will sometime physically and mentally break them but they will always get better. However in that state of brokenness people will want to never ever feel broken again and that they want to simplicity. They don’t want to feel any pressure, they don’t want any responsibility, and they just want simple and fun. For me life is tough and very exhausting right now. I am sure things are only going to get harder and tougher as we travel on this journey called life. But what about the times we left behind. The times when things are fun, stress free, and most importantly simple. People would want to go back in time to a stress free world like their childhood. In psychology I recently learned of a thing called a defense mechanism that people unconscious deployed to lower their anxiety. Now there is one specific defense mechanism that I want to mention and that is regression. Regression is a defense mechanism that a person will unconsciously go back to a comfortable childhood day when they feel stressful situation. These people will act like a child to overcome situation-involving anxiety. Regression is a close word to what I would be feeling however I am not acting to go back to a simpler time. My feeling wants to go back to a simpler time to get away from the anxiety not to act simpler. So my word is a combination of three words childhood, regress, and simplicity. My word is chigressicity and this word is the feeling of wanting to go back to a simpler time to avoid stressful situation and anxiety. It doesn’t have to be childhood it just has to be a time when people are happy, stress free, and simple. So chigressicity is my word to describe the feeling of wanting to go back to a simpler time to get away from the stress and anxiety. Personally I fee that everybody has felt this feeling from staying up all night, working a job, or even raising a kid. Well now there is a word to describe the feeling of wanting to go back to a simpler time.
ReplyDeleteThe Rule of Four
ReplyDeleteA) Four jobs I have had in my life:
1. babysitting
2. Working at Delias
3. Reffing
4. Chores
B) Four movies I would watch over and over (in no particular order):
1. 21 Jump Street
2. New Years Eve
3. The Proposal
4. Parent Trap
C) Four places I have lived:
1. Mays Landing
2. Williamstown
3. EHT
4.
D) Four TV shows that I watch:
1. Chicago Fire
2. Chicago PD
3. Pretty Little Liars
4. Keeping up With the Kardasians
E) Four Interesting Places I've been:
1. Florida
2. Boston
3. Vermont
4. North Carolina
F) Four people who email me (pretty regularly)
1. MY DAD (YES I AM NOT KIDDING)
2. Victoria’s Secret
3. Christian Mingle
4. Captain U
G) Four of my favorite foods:
1. FRIED CHICKEN
2. Mashed Potatoes
3. ANY ASIAN FOOD
4. Ampanadas
H) Four places I'd rather be than freezing my butt off in sunny, south JRZ:
1. Cali
2. Tampa, FL
3. Puerto Rico
4. Venice Beach
Four things I am looking forward to this year:
1. my junior year being over
2. completing everything on my bucket list
3. summer
4. PROM (SINCE IT WAS A GIFT TO BE ABLE TO GO)
Favorite quote :
“Good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” - Unknown