This week’s WOW is garniture. You know the rules: No looking up the word on your electronic device or in an actual paper dictionary. Submit your guess in a comment below this post.

Here are my guesses for what garniture could possibly mean:

garniture (ˈgär-ni-chər ) 1. an amount of garnisheed money 2. a piece of furniture that also can be a garnish on your salad (That’s flexible furniture, now!) 3. a caricature of Garth Brooks

I can’t wait to see your guess(es) below!

Note of Thanks: I’m so blessed to have the DSL as my webmaster. Recently, he, just out of the kindness of his heart, moved MIP to his server and added an SSL certificate to MIP to ensure that all who venture here can do so safely. He also changed the social media buttons so that they work better! Many, many thanks to him for his hard work, dedication and selflessness for helping me with all things MIP. He did the same for Compassion Counseling Center’s website and that, too, is so appreciated by all of us associated with my favorite nonprofit counseling center! 

Howdy, Word Lovers! The last WOW was somnolent. Somnolent means: sleepy or drowsy, so I was on the right track for this one! Wonders never cease.

This week’s WOW is uxorial. Here are my definition guesses for it:

uxorial (əkˈsôrēəl) 1. useful 2. janitorial services performed in a less than perfect tuxedo 3. some definition guess that will come to me in my sleep tonight

What are your guesses for uxorial? Comment below to let me know!

Next Post: Yes, YOU Are Invited!

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Howdy, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was jocose. The DD says she knows this one. According to her, it means playful or silly. Let’s see if she’s right.

Merriam-Webster’s definition is: given to joking; merry; characterized by joking, or humorous. Pretty darn close–especially that silly part. Wish I had the daughter’s vocab!

What are your guesses for nescience? Comment below and see if you’re right next week!

Wednesday’s Post: Endless Trim…

Howdy, Word Lovers!

WOW (Word of the Week) is baaaaaaaack! I’m going to start “fresh” and instead of me giving the true definition for the previous WOW, I’m will simply start with my guesses for sacerdotal. Don’t forget to comment below if you have a guess or already know the definition of it!

sacerdotal (sa-sər-ˈdō-tᵊl) 1. doting on a saucer 2. a story involving soccer 3. something tasting like saccharin.

No fair looking up the definition!

Wednesday’s Post: Logging some more Rhythms…

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Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was haplology. Merriam-Webster Online says that the definition for haplology is: contraction of a word by omission of one or more similar sounds or syllables (as inmineralogy for hypothetical mineralology orˈprä-blē for probably).

Since I’m a “probly” kind of person (Is that a midwestern thing???), it’s good to know why I do it!

This week’s WOW is imprimatur. My guesses for it are as follows:

imprimatur (im-prə-ˈmä-tu̇r) 1. an imprint amateur 2. a person knowledgeable about primitive art 3. a connoisseur of impressive food

What’s your guess for imprimatur? Let me know by submitting a comment below this post.

Wednesday’s Post: The Joanna Gaines effect…

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Howdy, Word Nerds! If you’re wondering where my posts have gone, it’s called a busy life on several fronts. So, sue me–I took a brief vacation from writing!

Last week’s WOW was caparison. Merriam-Webster Online says there are 2 definitions:

1. a :  an ornamental covering for a horse b :  decorative trappings and harness

2. rich clothing :  adornment

Quite clearly none of my horse owner friends read this blog! Of course, the fact that I rarely (if ever) reference horse stuff here has absolutely nothing to do with that.

This week’s WOW is cybrarian. Here are my guesses for cybrarian:

cybrarian: (sī-ˈbrer-ē-ən) 1. an employee of a circular library 2. a cyberspace librarian 3. Marion the Libarian’s and Harold Hill’s son, Cy.

What’s your guess for cybrarian? Post a comment below to let me know the REAL definition.

Wednesday’s Post: Logging Miles…

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Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week I chose to salute the 4th of July. So, we need to go back two weeks to Beltane. According to Merriam-Webster Online, Beltane is: the Celtic May Day festival. Remind me of that next May.

Today’s WOW (Word of the Week) really is caparison. No, I didn’t misspell it.

Here are my guesses for caparison:

caparison: (kə-ˈper-ə-sən) 1. a comparison of capes 2. a comparison of Cape Hatteras to Cape Cod 3. a comparison of capitals 4. being stuck on comparisons of words that begin with “ca”

What’s do you think caparison means? Your guess deserves “center stage”, so leave a guess below!

Wednesday’s Post: More Log Rhythms!

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Happy 4th of July, everyone! Happy 240th Birthday, America!

We interrupt my normal Monday posts for a word we all say we know. However, I think that on this special day, it’s smart to remind ourselves what we’re celebrating.

Because our founding fathers (and mothers!) gave us freedom of speech, it’s easy to state how dissatisfied we are with our country currently. There’s a lot of evidence to suggest that we need to change some things about our country. In doing that we often begin to question whether or not our founding principles are still valid.

I suggest they are still as valid today as they were 240 years ago. We still need to guard against tyranny by another regime far, far away from our borders. We still need to keep our government in check when it gets excessive. We still need to allow people to worship whoever and however they like. We still need to promote the general welfare. Is that easily accomplished?

Of course not. It wasn’t 240 years ago, either. People died defending these rights. Friends. Family members. Children. People lost homes and farms and businesses. It was chaos.

But out of chaos came something truly unusual and beautiful. Respecting others and defending this grand experiment we call a democracy.

So, it bears repeating the Merriam-Webster’s Online definition of patriotism:

patriotism: (ˈpā-trē-ə-ˌti-zəm) love for or devotion to one’s country

Despite the rancor of this year’s politics, patriotism is still in the top 10% of popularity for English words. Perhaps even more interesting are some of the synonyms and antonyms for patriotism:

Synonyms: constancy, faithfulness, loyalty, steadfastness, passion

Antonyms: desertion, falseness, treachery

Let’s strive for a few of those synonyms this day and every day especially as we elect a new President this year. The world could use a little constancy, faith, loyalty, steadfastness, and passion.

Be safe!

Wednesday’s Post: More news from Solitude...

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Good morning, Word Nerds! How are you today?

Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was retronym. The definition of retronym, according to Merriam-Webster Online is as follows: a term consisting of a noun and a modifier which specifies the original meaning of the noun. For instance, a film camera is an example of a retronym and there are even web sites dedicated to retronyms. Who knew?!

Today’s WOW is septentrional. My French antennae are going off yet again because sept means seven in French. (In the original version of the Roman calendar, September was the 7th month of the year, not the 9th. Adding January and February to the calendar is why it’s now # 9! You’re welcome for giving you a little known fact that will never be useful Ever.)

septentrional (sep-ˈten-trē-ˌän^əl) 1. purposely grouping things together in 7’s 2. relating to one week’s time 3. having to do with the septum

What’s your guess for septentrional? Submit a comment to this post to let me know!

Wednesday’s Post: Know Your Body…

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Good morning, Friends! Last week’s WOW (Word of the Week) was longueur. This one stumped everybody, so here’s what Merriam-Webster Online had to say about it: a boring part of something (such as a book or play). Hmmm…could WOW be longueur??? I hope not!

Today’s WOW is mellifluous. I feel like I’ve heard this word before, but I can’t pull out the definition from my memory, so here are my guesses for it:

mellifluous (me-ˈli-flə-wəs) 1. full of Mello  Yello 2. a melodic tune 3. infatuated with Mel Gibson

What’s your guess for mellifluous? Submit it in a comment here!

Wednesday’s Post: Sensate Prayer…

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