A Few Words and A Quote

I believe that the American English language could use a little sprucing up. We have really let ourselves go. We often would rather use slang or less accurate words for some reason, in speaking, in writing, in the media and in casual conversation. This politically correct spirit of dumbing everything down to make sure EVERYONE understands what we mean (like instructions on Drano that warn you not to eat it) is going too far sometimes.

I believe that if you sprinkle your spoken and written communications with more technical, rarer, and more eloquent words, you end more interesting to intelligent people and appear more intelligent to simpler people. However, there is a line to cross. We do need to dumb ourselves down sometimes; if you are always using rare and polysyllabic words when a common word will do, you come off like a pompous dork who is desperate for praise and affection. In my opinion.

I love "collecting" rare and technical words. Sometimes, it is a word I have heard used a few times by lofty sources, and I finally look it up to understand its true definition. Sometimes it is a word that has me completely baffled, even in context, and I look it up. Sometimes the word is the only single word to use to describe a concept, and the concept is worth remembering. In any case, I like to write the word on a 3x5 card and place it in a box full of words. I occasionally go through this box and refresh my memory of words that I wanted to remember. In the process, I hope I am expanding my vocabulary and connecting new neurons.

I also love quotes. With ADD, I don't always have the mental focus to read an article or book. Oftentimes in a quote, a brilliant mind is able to convey an idea succinctly and eloquently, making it understandable and memorable. These are the quotes I am after.

Here are three words that I would like to use a little more often:

Susurration: (soo-suh_Ray'-shun) A whispering sound; a soft murmur. (On my drive to Chicago today with a 52 year-old and a 4 year-old, I hope I hear little more than susurrations.

Azygous: Singular; Not one of a pair; odd. (Do you know anyone who is azygous?)

Cynomorphic: The ideas of a dog; the perspective of a dog; the paradigm of a dog. (Is there a better outlook on life than to be cynomorphic? The world is a toilet, the toilet is a drinking fountain, everything is a potential food source, and any leg will do when you are lonely. Cynomorphism is the ultimate form of optimism.)

In light of another weekend away from home, I give you this quote:

"A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you've been taking." Earl Wilson