The Daily Bug

WORD again....

Posted by: palmettobug53, 8:45 PM GMT on January 22, 2012

As many of you know, I'm a big reader. Being a big reader, I like to think that I have a larger than average number of words (and their definitions) in my lexicon.

I don't have to run for the dictionary as often as I did in my younger years. Even then, sometimes I couldn't be bothered to stop reading long enough to look things up. I could get the general idea, if not the specific meaning, just from the context of what I was reading.

I have worked more crossword puzzles than I can shake a stick at. I have played innumerable games of Scrabble. The Word Power quiz in Readers Digest is one of the first things I look for when the new issues arrive in the mail.

At work, I receive a 'Word of the Day' from Merriam-Webster. It helps to start my day off with something other than a work email and I often learn something new. They give the definition, the use in a sentence and the origin. They also include a quiz, using a word that was in an earlier email. A little brain exercise!

Words intrigue me.

While reading the Sunday paper today, I ran across an article about Wayne State University's Word Warriors. They are "retrieving some of the English language's most expressive words from the dank closet of neglect, in hopes of boosting their chances of a return to conversation and narrative."

Here are their top 10 words for 2012:

Antediluvian

Erstwhile

Execrable

Frisson

Parlous (I really like this one!)

Penultimate

Sisyphean

Supercilious

Transmogrify

Truckle

To see the list and their definitions, click here.

Aren't those cool? LOL

How many of them could you define before you looked at the website?

Truckle threw me. I knew the definition as a noun but I didn't know it was also a verb.

At their website, you can nominate words to be considered for revival.

As for us, let's share our favourite words and see how many we can come up with?

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Updated: 5:08 PM GMT on February 17, 2012

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Kitty in the House!

Posted by: palmettobug53, 1:47 PM GMT on January 01, 2012

Greetings and Happy 2012 to everyone! It's the biggest white rabbits X3 month of the year!

Thanks to Sandi, Rob, Pros, Karen, weatheringpoints and ylee for their last posts on my previous thread.

Due to some type of outage here at WU yesterday a.m., I could not make my usual morning post. The rest of the day was very busy. I nodded out in my chair and missed the midnight countdown. I woke up about 12:15, said "Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit" and crawled off to bed.

It has been almost 2 years since we put Thor down and 1 1/2 since Daisy. We have been pet free since. Though it's been a bit lonely without someone to talk to after Hubby goes to bed, it has been nice not having all the feeding, the litter pan scooping, the cat hair.... Not to mention buying food, litter and, of course, the vet bills. I had not really wanted to get another pet for the foreseeable future.

We always seem to have strays in and out of the neighborhood. Probably attracted by the large number of fast food places nearby. All of them run like blazes when they see or hear you. I have always resisted the urge to put food out for them. If you do that, you have to keep it up and I can't afford to feed every stray within miles.

I've been seeing this white and orange cat flitting around since late summer/early fall. Friday night, he was lingering in the neighbor's carport across the street. He's been doing a lot of that at night, lately. I had taken papers to the recycling bin. I said, "Puss. Puss," like I always do when I see a cat. Instead of hightailing it off, he started walking directly to me, crying and crying. The next thing I knew, he was rubbing around my ankles. I sat on the steps and he climbed into my lap, crying and kneading his paws. I could feel every bone in his body.

That was it. I fed him some warm milk and diced sandwich meat (turkey)..

Yesterday a.m. he was waiting for me when I went out to get the paper.

I scooped him up, brought him inside and fed him again. Got showered, dressed and took him to the vet for shots and checkup.

He is young ( approx 1 to 2 years?), leukemia free, heart/lungs/teeth/ears good. My vet said he is basically healthy except for being underweight. He's only about 5 1/2 lbs. He's already neutered. He has white legs, belly, chest, chin and lower face. The rest is orange tabby. His tail has distinctive looking rings of orange and white. He's shorthaired.

I got all his shots and bought flea meds, though I have to take him back in 3 weeks for a leukemia booster.

As yet, he's unnamed. He's still skittish and hides a lot in the front bedroom closet. Jumps and runs at sudden noises or movements.

Once he does get up the nerve to come out, he's very sweet and loving. He was in my lap for several hours last night and loves being brushed. He even got up in Hubby's lap, loved on him and slept for a while.

The only thing that concerns me is that I'm not sure just how litter trained he is. He had one accident yesterday a.m. before leaving for the vet's. I should have put him in the carrier, as I was getting ready to go.

I've gotten him to use the pan twice by putting him in it. I've checked this a.m. but it doesn't look like he's used it again. I've walked the house, checking for boo-boo's. If he's gone outside the pan, I can't find it. Cross your fingers for me. Hubby doesn't have any patience at all with that sort of thing. I don't like it but I've got a little more patience, as I know it will probably happen a few times, until the light bulb goes on over the cat's head.

I'll just have to watch him closely and keep working with him. I'm hoping that the litter training won't take long. I'm glad I have Monday off. That's an extra day to work with him. If I have to put him in the carrier when I go to work, I'll do it. Hubby can let him out and watch him when he gets home.

So, I'm starting 2012 off with a furry, four legged child. Wish me luck.

Now, we just have to come up with a name. We can't have him as "Cat" on his vet chart forever!

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Updated: 3:16 AM GMT on January 03, 2012

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About palmettobug53

WU member since Oct. 2005. I enjoy reading, crafts, crosswords, puttering in the yard, old movies and hanging out with my friends on WU.

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