That’s odd
Oddment is a word I don’t think I have ever seen before last week. It was used in an essay submitted by a writer in my two writers’ critique groups. Oddments are odds and ends. Another definition of...
View ArticleGhostwriting–what is it?
At a recent writers’ critique group, the subject of ghostwriting came up. One of the members has been hired to write a book for someone else. In her online bio she mentioned that she is ghostwriting...
View ArticleBollards are no bull
Bollard is a word that came up at a meeting I attended recently. A small utility building needed protection so it was not struck by cars. The people in charge said it would have bollards around it....
View ArticlePocket lint — what the heck is it?
Pocket lint is a term that I saw recently in a submission by someone in my writers’ critique group. In the written submission, the writer was talking about pocket lint in the context of pet euthanasia....
View ArticleDucat — That’s the ticket
Ducat (rhymes with bucket) is an old word. Today, you hear it used to mean a ticket to an event—especially a sporting event. The word ducat is probably from the 14th Century. It was used to describe...
View ArticleCafetoriums have been around for a while
Cafetoriums have been around for years. The work originates from a combination of two words—cafeteria and auditorium. If you read wordsbybob regularly, you will recognize this word as a portmanteau....
View ArticleConsanguinity — close enough
Consanguinity is a new word for me. I was scanning a website where it was mentioned relating to membership in a group. This is a military veterans group and it is not only for veterans, but those...
View ArticleOenophile — I’ll drink to that
Oenophile is a word that is new to me. I saw it the other day in a trivia column written by my buddy Jim Willard. (He is an oenophile, by the way.) I now know that an oenophile is one … Continue...
View ArticleObsolete words
Words are fun–that’s what wordsbybob.com is all about. One of my fellow writers, and also a good friend, Maryjo Morgan alerted me to this article on obsolete words. It appeared on a website called...
View ArticleSay what — How you say it depends where you live
Words are pronounced differently in different areas of the United States. Thanks to http://www.businessinsider.com for showing us how we as Americans pronounce or label a variety of words. The map...
View ArticleRestaurateur vs restauranteur
Restaurateur is not a word I had typed before the other day. I was doing a restaurant review for the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor. The word seemed to fit the person who owned the restaurant I was writing...
View ArticleHow food secure are you?
Food insecurity is a new term to me. I had to do some research to find its meaning after I saw it used in a newspaper article. (Yes, I still read newspapers.) Food insecurity refers to the...
View ArticleGaslighting — what does it mean?
While waiting for my car to be serviced, I was reading some magazine articles. One on bullying referred to a term called gaslighting. It turns out that gaslighting is a form of mental abuse which...
View ArticleNew words are really old words
We are so clever with our words–or at least we think we are. People are always coining new words to fit a situation. Some words that we think are old have been around for a long time. Thanks to …...
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FEBRILE Febrile is not a word I have ever used. I saw it in an article I was reading, and it jumped off the page at me. Not literally, of course. Since I just learned it, I thought you might like …...
View ArticleFreeganism — What is it?
Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freeganism is the practice of...
View ArticleIs this a good thing or bad?
Some of the signage I use for wordsbybob.com are from the web–others I see in person. This one caught my eye yesterday as I was driving around Loveland, Colorado. I think the business means they are...
View ArticleSuburb or exurb
We have all heard of the word suburb. Some of us even live in a suburb. If you live in a suburb, you are in an outlying part of the city. Sometimes, the suburb can be a smaller community to … Continue...
View ArticleFlier vs. Flier
Typing up the minutes for a recent meeting I attended, I was faced with a spelling dilemma. I was commenting on brochure or piece of paper one of the members was designing. I type in flyer but...
View ArticleClean bill of health
In the last two, weeks, I have had an annual visit to my family doctor and my cardiologist. Funny how that works, as you get older. In both visits, I was told everything is fine. I remember when this...
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