Word-Wednesday for August 6, 2025

And here is the Wannaskan Almanac with Word-Wednesday for August 6, 2025, the twenty-fifth Wednesday of the year, the seventh Wednesday of summer, the first Wednesday of August, and the two-hundred eighteenth day of the year, with one-hundred forty-seven days remaining. 

 
Wannaska Phenology Update for August 6, 2025
Bluebead Lily
Clintonia borealis, waabigwan in Anishinaabe, is a perennial forb [/fôrb/ n., a herbaceous flowering plant other than a grass] native to the shady coniferous, deciduous, or mixed woods; wooded bogs; and swamps of Wannaska. Waabigwan is now sporting its bluebeads. Bluebead lily fruit fortunately becomes blue only at the end of blueberry picking season, but that doesn't stop some humans from picking and eating these bigger, shinier, blue spheres. These misguided humans generally spit the bluebeads out right away; the beads are not sweet.

The waabigwan rhizome [/ˈrīˌzōm/ n., a continuously growing horizontal underground stem which puts out lateral shoots and adventitious roots at intervals] contains diosgenin, a saponin steroid with estrogenic effects; the bluebead can be mildly toxic and feminizing. According to a Mi'kmaq tale, when a grass snake eats a poisonous toad, it slithers in rapid circles around a shoot of the bluebead lily to transfer the poison to the plant.

August 6 Fickle Pickle Wednesday Menu Special: Potato Dumpling


August 6 Nordhem Wednesday Lunch: Updated daily, occasionally.


Earth/Moon Almanac for August 6, 2025
Sunrise: 6:09am; Sunset: 8:55pm; 2 minutes, 59 seconds less daylight today
Moonrise: 7:59pm; Moonset: 2:24am, waxing gibbous, 88% illuminated.


Temperature Almanac for August 6, 2025
                Average            Record              Today
High             79                     97                     79
Low              56                    38                     63

Flower in the Crannied Wall
by Alfred Lord Tennysball

Flower in the crannied wall,
I pluck you out of the crannies,
I hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower—but if I could understand
What you are, root and all, all in all,
I should know what God and man is.

August 6 Celebrations from National Day Calendar

• National Social Engineering Day
• National Fresh Breath Day
• National Root Beer Float Day
• National Wiggle Your Toes Day

August 6 Word Pun

August 6 Word Riddle
Why couldn't the jalapeño practice archery?


August 6 The Devil’s Dictionary Word-Pram
CARMELITE, n. A mendicant friar of the order of Mount Carmel.

    As Death was a-riding out one day,
    Across Mount Carmel he took his way,
    Where he met a mendicant monk,
    Some three or four quarters drunk,
    With a holy leer and a pious grin,
    Ragged and fat and as saucy as sin,
    Who held out his hands and cried:
    "Give, give in Charity's name, I pray.
    Give in the name of the Church. O give,
    Give that her holy sons may live!"
    And Death replied,
    Smiling long and wide:
    "I'll give, holy father, I'll give thee—a ride."

    With a rattle and bang
    Of his bones, he sprang
    From his famous Pale Horse, with his spear;
    By the neck and the foot
    Seized the fellow, and put
    Him astride with his face to the rear.

    The Monarch laughed loud with a sound that fell
    Like clods on the coffin's sounding shell:
    "Ho, ho! A beggar on horseback, they say,
    Will ride to the devil!"—and thump
    Fell the flat of his dart on the rump
    Of the charger, which galloped away.

    Faster and faster and faster it flew,
    Till the rocks and the flocks and the trees that grew
    By the road were dim and blended and blue
    To the wild, wide eyes
    Of the rider—in size
    Resembling a couple of blackberry pies.
    Death laughed again, as a tomb might laugh
    At a burial service spoiled,
    And the mourners' intentions foiled
    By the body erecting
    Its head and objecting
    To further proceedings in its behalf.

    Many a year and many a day
    Have passed since these events away.
    The monk has long been a dusty corse,
    And Death has never recovered his horse.
    For the friar got hold of its tail,
    And steered it within the pale
    Of the monastery gray,
    Where the beast was stabled and fed
    With barley and oil and bread
    Till fatter it grew than the fattest friar,
    And so in due course was appointed Prior.
                                                        —G.J.


August 6 Etymology Word of the Week
pram
/pram/ n., a four-wheeled carriage for a baby, pushed by a person on foot, from 1881, a colloquial shortening of perambulator, perhaps influenced by pram "flat-bottomed boat" (1540s), especially a type used in Baltic ports for loading and unloading merchant vessels, from Old Norse pramr, from Balto-Slavic (compare Polish prom, Russian poromu "ferryboat," Czech pram "raft"), from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from root per- (1) "forward," hence "in front of, toward, through." The "Victorian Poets" sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus first aired on October 20, 1970, with the first use of pram meaning poem, when mispronounced as such by Graham Chapman, playing an female poetry reading host a bit tipsy from too much Shelley, er sherry.


August 6 Historic Events, Literary or Otherwise, from On This Day

• 1181 Supernova SN 1181 in the constellation Cassiopeia is observed by Chinese and Japanese astronomers and is visible for 185 days to February 6, 1182.
• 1856 The Great Bell is cast for the Great Clock of Westminster, London (Big Ben).
• 1909 Alice Ramsey and three friends become the first women to complete a transcontinental automobile trip.
• 1926 American Gertrude Ederle (20) becomes the first woman to swim across the English Channel from Cap Gris-Nez, France, to Kingsdown, England, in 14 hours and 39 minutes, setting a record for males and females.
• 1961 First case of motion sickness in space reported (blurp).

August 6 Author/Artist/Character Birthdays, from On This Day

• 1619 Barbara Strozzi, Italian singer, theorbo player, and composer.
• 1651 François Fénelon, French writer.
• 1651 Johann Michael Zächer, Austrian composer.
• 1664 Johann Christoph Schmidt, German composer.
• 1665 Jean-Baptiste Lully fils, French musician.
• 1715 Luc de Clapiers, marquis de Vauvenargues, French writer.
• 1748 Bernhard Haltenberger, German compose.
• 1800 Catherine Beecher, American educator.
• 1809 Alfred Tennysball, British Poet Laureate.
• 1826 Thomas Alexander Browne, Australian writer.
• 1841 Dinny Delaney, Irish musician.
• 1858 Albert Fuchs, Swiss-German composer.
• 1860 Fernando Canon, Filipino poet.
• 1868 Paul Claudel, French poet and playwright.
• 1871 Emanuel Querido, Dutch author.
• 1873 John Wesley Work Jr., first African-American collector of folk songs and spirituals.
• 1873 Mary Carr Moore, American composer.
• 1874 Charles Fort, American writer.
• 1875 Marcel Labey, French composer.
• 1883 Francesco Santoliquido, Italian composer.
• 1886 Edward Ballantine, American composer.
• 1886 Inez Milholland, American suffragist.
• 1888 Heinrich Schlusnus, German baritone.
• 1889 John Middleton Murry, English poet.
• 1902 Michal Vilec, Slovak composer.
• 1908 George Singer, Czech-Israeli pianist, composer.
• 1908 James Lees-Milne, English writer.
• 1908 Svend Erik Tarp, Danish composer.
• 1917 Hidayat Inayat Khan, British-French violinist, classical composer.
• 1921 Lucy Richardo, from I Love Lucy.
• 1924 Ella Jenkins, American folk singer-songwriter, and ukulele player.
• 1925 Leland Smith, American composer, bassoonist, and computer coder.
• 1926 Christa Reinig, German poet and writer.
• 1926 Adriena Šimotová, Czech artist.
• 1926 Janet Asimov (née Janet Opal Jeppson), American science fiction writer.
• 1928 Andy Warhol, American pop artist.
• 1930 Abbey Lincoln [Anna Wooldridge], American jazz vocalist, songwriter.
• 1932 Dorothy Ashby (née Thompson), American jazz harpist, singer, and composer.
• 1932 Howard Hodgkin, British abstract painter.
• 1934 Piers Anthony, English science fiction author.
• 1936 Joe McCarthy, Irish musician.
• 1937 Baden Powell de Aquino, Brazilian jazz and bossa nova guitarist.
• 1937 Charlie Haden, American jazz double-bassist.
• 1937 Paul Griffin, American session musician and pianist.
• 1938 Igor Mikhailovich Luchenok, Belarusian composer.
• 1940 Egil Kapstad, Norwegian pianist and composer.
• 1941 (Doris) "Sorrel" Hays, American pianist and composer.
• 1948 Michael Peters, American choreographer and dancer.
• 1954 Elma Miller, Canadian contemporary classical composer.
• 1966 Regina Carter, American composer.
• 1971 Conor McPherson, Irish playwright.
• 1980 Václav Vonášek, Czech fagottist.

Hendecasyllabics
by Alfred Lord Tennysball

O you chorus of indolent reviewers,
Irresponsible, indolent reviewers,
Look, I come to the test, a tiny poem
All composed in a metre of Catullus,
All in quantity, careful of my motion,
Like the skater on ice that hardly bears him,
Lest I fall unawares before the people,
Waking laughter in indolent reviewers.
Should I flounder awhile without a tumble
Thro' this metrification of Catullus,
They should speak to me not without a welcome,
All that chorus of indolent reviewers.
Hard, hard, hard it is, only not to tumble,
So fantastical is the dainty meter.
Wherefore slight me not wholly, nor believe me
Too presumptuous, indolent reviewers.
O blatant Magazines, regard me rather -
Since I blush to belaud myself a moment -
As some rare little rose, a piece of inmost
Horticultural art, or half-coquette-like
Maiden, not to be greeted unbenignly

Words-I-Looked-Up-This-Week Writer's Challenge 
Write a story or pram from the following words:

• boketto: /boh-KEHT-toh/ n., JAPANESE, the act of gazing vacantly into the distance, lost in thought or in no thought at all. A still, wordless space where the mind wanders like mist, unburdened by purpose.
• bumfly: /BUM-flee/ adj., of clothing, fabric, etc.: rumpled, puckered; bulging; of a person: wearing such clothing; untidy in appearance.
• diseuse: /dēZo͝oZ/ n., a female entertainer who performs monologues.
• fagottist: /fə-GÄ-tə̇st/ n., a bassoonist.
• gunnen: /KHUH-nuhn/ n., DUTCH, the happiness found in someone else's happiness because that's how much you love them.
• hendecasyllabics: /hen-DE-kə-sil-ə-bə-LIS-tiks/ n., the act of writing a line of verse containing eleven syllables.
• mafting: adj./adv., of fog, etc.: drifting; uncomfortably or oppressively hot, sweltering; (of a person) oppressed or stifled by the heat.
• peninsuninsula: /pə-ˈnin-s(ə)-NIN-s(ə)-lə/ n., a piece of land almost surrounded by water or projecting out from a larger piece of land almost surrounded by water into a body of water.
• renegacy: /REN-ih-guh-see/ n., the act of betraying or abandoning revolutionary principles, especially socialist or communist ideals, carrying a moral and political condemnation of individuals who once professed revolutionary beliefs but later capitulated to reformism, Stalinism, bourgeois politics, or anti-communist sentiments; the act of being a renegade with regard to other systems of dogma.
• skep: /skep/ n., a straw or wicker beehive; a wooden or wicker basket.

August 6, 2025 Word-Wednesday Feature
Cooking and Eating Words
As we begin the harvest from our gardens, we might try new recipes that require new implements or techniques for preparing our food. Many of the words used by chefs or gourmands have other meanings in common English parlance, and other words are entirely unique to cooking and eating. Today Word-Wednesday presents a few culinary words to prepare you for encounters with the uppity househusband: 

• à la carte: /ä-lə-KÄRT/ adv. according to a menu or list that prices items separately.  
• bain-marie: /ban-mə-RĒ/ n., a container holding hot water into which a pan is placed for slow cooking.
• bard: /bärd/ v., cover (meat or game) with slices of bacon.
• baton: /bə-TÄN/ n., evenly cut pieces of vegetables that are shaped like batons, usually about 1/4" width. A good example of a baton is a french fry or a carrot stick.
• blanche: /blanch/ v., to scald or parboil in water or steam in order to remove the skin from, whiten, or stop enzymatic action in (such as food for freezing).
• bouquet garni: /bō-KĀ ɡär-NĒ/ n., a bunch of herbs, typically encased in a cheesecloth bag, used for flavoring a stew or soup.
• bruise: /bro͞oz/ v., to tear apart or gently crush food items, usually herbs or vegetables, to bring out their full flavor.
• butterfly: /Bə-dər-flī/ v., to split (a piece of meat or fish) almost in two and spread it out flat.
• chiffonade: /SHi-fə-NÄD/ n., a preparation of shredded or finely cut leaf vegetables, used as a garnish for soup.
• cloche: /klōSH/ n., a dome-shaped bread baker that helps the bread retain moisture while getting a nice crust during baking.
• cocotte: /kō-KÄT/ n., a small heatproof dish in which individual portions of food can be cooked and served; a Dutch oven.
• coddle: /KÄ-d(ə)l/ v., to cook a food, generally eggs, very gently in water that is just below the boiling point.
• coulis: /Ko͞o-lē/ n., a strained or pureed fruit sauce made with raw or cooked fruit.
• deglaze: /dē-GLĀZ/ v., dilute meat sediments in (a pan) in order to make a gravy or sauce, typically using wine.
• en croûte: /än KRo͞oT/ adj., (of food) baked in a pastry crust.
• en papillote: /ɒN pa-pē-YŌT/ adj., (of food) cooked and served in a paper wrapper.
• fool: /fo͞ol/ n., a cold dessert made of pureed fruit mixed or served with cream or custard.
• fricassee: /frik-ə-SĒ/ n., a dish of stewed or fried pieces of meat served in a thick white sauce; v., make a fricassee of (something).
• grunt: /ɡrənt/ n., a dessert made of fruit topped with dough; an edible shoaling fish of tropical inshore waters and coral reefs, able to make a loud noise by grinding its teeth and amplifying the sound in the swim bladder.
• macédoine: /ˈmä-sə-dwän/ n., a mixture of vegetables or fruit cut into small pieces.
• mandoline: /MAN-də-lin/ n., a kitchen utensil consisting of a flat frame with adjustable blades, for slicing vegetables.
• mezzaluna: /ˌmet-sə-Lo͞oNə/ n., a utensil for chopping herbs, vegetables, etc., with a semicircular blade and a handle at each end.
• muddler: /MəD-(ə)-lər/ n., a pestle tool used by bartenders to crush herbs and fruits in a glass before pouring in liquids.
• parboil: /PÄR-boil/ v., to partially boil foods to prepare them for cooking to remove bad tastes, salt, or other unwanted items in the food.
• pearl: /pərl/ n., in candy making, the stage of cooking sugar when the syrup coves of the metal spoon and drops.
• pith: /piTH/ n., spongy white tissue lining the rind of an orange, lemon, and other citrus fruits; v., to remove the rind.
• poach: /pōCH/ v., to cook a food completely submerged in liquid and not bringing it to a boil.
• ramekin: /RAM-ə-kən/ n., a small dish for baking and serving an individual portion of food.
• reconstitute: /rē-KÄN-stə-to͞ot/ v., to add water or other fluid to bring condensed food, like soup, to its former consistency.
• refresh: /rə-FRESH/ v., to pour cold water on hot cooked vegetables to stop the cooking process.
• render: /REND-ər/ v., to cook meats to obtain the fatty juices.
• roux: /ro͞o/ n., a thickening agent for sauces, made from equal amounts of a fat (usually butter) and flour.
• spatchcock: /SPACH-käk/ n., a chicken or game bird split open and grilled; v., split open (a poultry or game bird) to prepare it for grilling.
• sweat: /swet/ v., heat (chopped vegetables) slowly in a pan with a small amount of fat, so that they cook in their own juices.
• tagine: /tə-ZHĒN/ n., a North African stew of spiced meat and vegetables prepared by slow cooking in a shallow earthenware cooking dish with a tall, conical lid.
• temper: /TEM-pər/ v., to mix cold and hot liquids gradually, so the cold ingredients don't get ruined.
• toque: /tōk/ n., a chef's white hat.

From A Year with Rilke, August 6 Entry
Try to Be Close to Things, Rome, December 23, 1903, Letters to a Young Poet

When you feel no commonality between yourself and other people, try to be close to Things, which will not abandon you. Nights are still there and winds that blow through the trees and over many lands. Amidst  the things and beings of this world so much is happening that you can take part in. And children are still the way you were as a child, that happy and that sad, and when you think of your childhood you live it again with them, the lonely childhood, and grown-ups count for nothing.

Child with a Straw Hat 
by Paul Cézanne 

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.







*Because she didn't habanero.