Word-Wednesday for November 27, 2019

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac for Word-Wednesday, November 27, 2019, the 48th Wednesday of the year, and the 331st day of the year, with 34 days remaining.


Earth/Moon Almanac for November 27, 2019
Sunrise: 7:50am; Sunset: 4:33pm; 2 minutes, 4 seconds less daylight today
Moonrise: 8:51am; Moonset: 5:30pm, waxing crescent


Temperature Almanac for November 27, 2019
                Average           Record           Today
High             26                   51                   25
Low               11                  -29                  16


November 27 Celebrations from National Day Calendar

• National Indian Pudding Day
• World Kindness Day
• Name Your PC Day
• National Day of Listening

November 27 Riddle
A word of one syllable, easy and short, read backward and forward the same, expresses the sentiments warm from the heart, and to beauty lays principal claim.*



November 27 Pun

a picture of Dory in Gray

November 27 Notable Historic Events, Literary or Otherwise, from On This Day

• 1895 Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel's will establishes the Nobel Prize.
• 1896 Also Sprach Zarathustra (Thus Spake Zarathustra) by Richard Strauss, inspired by Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophical novel, debuts in Frankfurt.
• 1991 Undertaker beats Hulk Hogan to become new WWF champ.

November 27 Author/Artist/Character Birthdays, from On This Day

• 1909 James Agee.
• 1937 Gail Sheehy.
• 1942 Jimi Hendrix.
• 1955 Bill Nye.

Words-I-Looked-Up-This-Week Writer's Challenge
Make a single sentence (or poem) from the following words:

• benthic: of, relating to, or occurring at the bottom of a body of water.
• calliblephary: a cosmetic for enhancing the appearance of the eyes; eyeshadow.
• lacustrine: relating to or associated with lakes.
• misprision: the deliberate concealment of one’s knowledge of a treasonable act or a felony; erroneous judgment, especially of the value or identity of something.
• niggle: cause slight but persistent annoyance, discomfort, or anxiety.
• shag: a dance originating in the US in the 1930s and 1940s, characterized by vigorous hopping from one foot to the other.
• springe: active, agile.
• supervenient: coming or occurring as something additional, extraneous, or unexpected.
• thaumocrat: a member or supporter of a particular form of government or rule by magic.
• zyzzyva: a genus of tropical weevils (family Curculionidae) native to South America and typically found on or near palm trees.

November 27, 2019 Word-Wednesday Feature
Characterization Words
The English language has a panoply amazing words to capture the character of characters - amazing because the words are so often colorful and sound like the characterization when pronounced. Just in time for the holidays, whether you’re writing your own Christmas Carol or simply socializing with the usual suspects, here’s a marvelous set of words to match against your character/guest lists.

• bedswerver: an adulterer.

• blatherskite: a person who talks foolishly at length.

• cacafuego: a swaggering braggart or boaster.

• cockalorum: a boastful and self-important person; as strutting little fellow.

• crepehanger: killjoy; someone who takes a pessimistic view of things.

• flibbertigibbet: a nosy gossip.

• foozle: a conservative, out-of-date person, especially an old man.

• fopdoodle: a person of little significance.

• gobermouch: a meddler.

• gnashnab: someone who constantly complains.

• hobbledehoy: an awkward, gawky young person.

• klazomaniac: a person who can only speak BY SHOUTING!

• lickspittle: a fawning subordinate; a brown noser.

• loblolly: a lout; a stupid, rude, or awkward person.

• mafflard: a stammering or blundering fool.

• muckspout: a potty mouth.

• mumblecrust: a toothless, haggard beggar.

• mumpsimus: a stubborn person who insists on making an error in spite of being shown that it is wrong.

• milksop: an unmanly man; a mollycoddle (a pampered or effeminate boy or man).

• ninnyhammer: a simpleton; fool.

• pettifogger: shyster; a lawyer whose methods are underhanded or disreputable.

• pilgarlic: a man looke upon with humorous contempt or mock pity.

• pillock: a very stupid or foolish person.

• poltroon: a spiritless coward.

• saltimbanco: a mountebank; a person who sells quack medicines from a platform.

• scobberlotcher: someone who avoids hard work as if it was their job to do so.

• shot-clog: person who always tags along on group outings.

• slubberdegullion: a dirty rascal; scoundrel; wretch.

• snollygoster: an unprincipled but shrewd person.

• snoutband: someone who always interrupts a conversation to correct or contradict the person speaking.

• zounderkite: an idiot.

From A Year with Rilke, November 27 Entry
The Care in a Human Gesture, from the Second Duino Elegy.

Haven’t you been moved, in those early Greek carvings,
by the care you see in human gesture?
Weren’t love and loss so gently laid upon the shoulders
that people seemed made of different stuff
than in our day?

Think of the hands, how they touch without pressure,
although there is strength in the torso.
These figures seem to know,
“We have come this far.
This is given to us, to touch
each other in this way.
The gods may lean on us more strongly,
but it is their nature.”



Be better than yesterday,
learn a new word today,
try to stay out of trouble - at least until tomorrow,
and write when you have the time.


*eye.