This enchanting scene, painted over a century ago by a gent named Ludwig Knauss, instantly leaves me feeling afflated to begin planning for planting and picking flowers, lots and lots of flowers …

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Afflated (uh-FLEY-tid): having inspiration; inspired

What flower afflated you to start dreaming of spring?

When I set out to share a word for today (word of the day), I realized it would be more effective to show, really show you than to tell you. Just as well not to tell sometimes, you know? Some words are easier to explain by showing than telling. Everyone’s always telling, you know? Telling this. Telling that. Don’t you think that also sometimes? If you think so too, you know, you most likely do, so why don’t we just go ahead and go with that?

In case you’re beginning to wonder, and who in their right mind doesn’t wonder now and then? You should understand—please understand—I haven’t lost mine. Mind you, I don’t know though, do you really mind about my mind in particular or can you simply muster mind over matter? Ha, or does it even matter?

I’m simply attempting to exemplify the peculiar, very peculiar pathology of verbigeration (ver-bij-uh-REY-shuhn), in which one engages in the constant or obsessive repetition of meaningless words or phrases. Super meaningless words or phrases, like you know, I don’t know, know what I mean? Lots of unnecessary little words thrown in, sometimes every other word it seemingly seems. Like, really meaningless words or phrases, you know? Like, taking, like, forever ever to say almost nothing. Interestingly, “verbigeration” entered English in the late 1800s from the Latin verbigerāre, meaning “to chat, converse.” Chat or converse, or not chatty and then, you know, like wham bam, conversely chatty? What do you think about that, my little mockingbird? Mocking, mocking, mocking, but only maybe so so mocking, you know? Right?

Photo of a mockingbird by benjamint444 via Wikimedia Commons

Please do not disturb.

Photo by Phrontis via Wikimedia Commons

I’m apricating.

Photo by Keagiles via Wikimedia Commons

Cats know comfort, don’t they? I mean, who doesn’t love to apricate this time of year? The warmth of the sun in winter is worth more than gold.

Photo by diana2020 via Wikimedia Commons

Now, as if you hadn’t guessed already, apricate means “to bask in the sun.”

Ahhh …

Photo by TM via Wikimedia Commons

Back to basking I go. We’ve had unseasonably sunny days lately.

Stop with me for a moment, and let’s enjoy the vespertide …

Photo by Alofok via Wikimedia Commons

Vespertide (ves-per-tide) is the “period of vespers” (evening), and it is never more enchanting than in the winter, when the world is cast in hues of snow-lit blue.

Photo by Marcus Vegas via Wikimedia Commons

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,  

But I have promises to keep,  

And miles to go before I sleep,  

And miles to go before I sleep.

– Robert Frost, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

When it comes to apostrophes, “it” is probably the most misused, misunderstood, but ironically, simple usage in the English language.

In a nutshell … only use an apostrophe with “it” when it’s contracting “it is” to one word, “it’s” …

see, it’s simple (it IS simple)! Its usage (no apostrophe) is only confusing when you remember that the apostrophe, in other instances, is a way to signify possession: “She’s very good at punctuation.” Or “He’s a good speller.” But, when you’re talking “it,” the apostrophe never shows possession: “I love my new truck. Its truck bed is just the size I need.”

So, when in doubt, just see if you would use “is” in your sentence (following “it”) if you’re trying to use it’s or its. If you can use an “is,” then use an apostrophe. If not, you can’t. It’s downright easy to remember its proper usage.

Recently, I noticed a new store in Moscow called Ampersand. According to their website, it’s an “Oil & Vinegar Tap House.” They offer infused oils and vinegar from around the world on tap, along with other specialty grocery items. But the name seems to stump some passersby. I overheard two people trying to pronounce it and wondering aloud what it could mean.

Ampersand is a fancy word for a common symbol … the “and” sign.

photo, http://blog.dictionary.com/ampersand/

And, seems like it’s been everywhere lately … it popped up on Dictionary.com the other day when I was checking the spelling of some obscure word under a heading titled “What Character Was Removed from the Alphabet?”. Dictionary.com goes on to tell us that the symbol “&” was first used by Roman scribes in the 1st century, when they linked the two letters of “and” in Latin, “et,” in a kind of early shorthand. And the symbol was actually part of the alphabet in early English, coming after the Z at the end of the alphabet (X, Y, Z, &). But when reciting the alphabet, it was confusing to have the word “and” at the end … and … what?

So students reciting the alphabet used the words “per se” (by itself) to clarify: “X, Y, Z, and per se &.”

and-per-se-and … ampersand!