Floccinaucinihilipilification

Definition:  The art of estimating something as worthless.

Talk about onomatopoeia.

We come from a family that loves words and language.  My mom and dad were two of the most linguistically gifted people I have ever known. Delighting in the crazy words in this crazy language of ours continues to be a delightful pastime. 

It happens less frequently, the older I get, but I do love it when I come across a word I’ve never heard before.  And floccinaucinihilipilification is definitely a new one.

I love that the definition is exactly what the word is – why have a word that has almost as many letters as the definition?  Unless it is a word you can bribe children with, to learn their spelling.  My Uncle Vic did that with me with the word antidisestablishmentarianism.  I would get $5 if I could spell it correctly.  I practiced a lot, and by the time I was about 12, I could do it in my sleep.

Let’s discuss.  Think of the word swamp.  Is there another word that is spelled that way that is said that way?  Lamp? Clamp? Cramp? Why isn’t it swomp?  Like thwomp or clomp?

How is the word colonel pronounced ‘kernal?’  What’s up with ‘through?’ I didn’t know how to say the word respite until my 20’s and why isn’t it pronounced respite instead of respit.  Then the obvious ones – envelope v. awnvelope – vase v. vahs.  It’s a silly language.  I got into a discussion the other day about the rule ‘I before e except after c’ and how it isn’t a very good rule because there are so many exceptions!

My beloved daughter-in-law has taken on the challenge of the NY Times crossword puzzles.  A worthy exercise for anyone, but even though she is incredibly fluent, English isn’t her first language. The thing about crossword puzzles is it isn’t so much language knowledge that you need, it is tricky language knowledge. The exceptions and the weird antonyms. The words with multiple meanings like ‘hide’ or ‘vintage’ or ‘sub’.  The amazing thing is that she is really good at it!  I’m beyond impressed.

I had a dream for a long time to become a cruciverbalist – one who creates crossword puzzles.  I started on the path to this dream about 5 years ago, when everything was calm and bright in my world.  I was getting close – really utilizing my brain cells, and feeling the wrinkles in my brain deepening.  I was on the brink of success  – had even submitted two puzzles to the NY Times and had been in touch with the editor of the puzzles, but then, a couple years ago, the world blew up, and I lost my focus.  It is only now that I feel the glimmer of brain cells begin to line up in some semblance of order again.

It’s time to throw my hat back into the ring (another ridiculous phrase) and try again.  Keep your eyes open – when it finally gets published, I will put it here first!