solecism

Dancing is something that I neither know a lot about, nor have done very much of in public, other than the long ago clumsy shuffling of my feet to music. But mental dancing, especially with words and definitions, is something I have done a good bit of and enjoy a great deal.

During a recent time of attempted self-illumination, while mentally tripping the light fantastic through my Webster's, I came eye to page with several cool words that one doesn't see and/or read every day. Many of these individual language units are sui generis (unique, peculiar) but the actions they describe are done everyday, just related in different words.

Please understand that I claim no great sapience (wisdom) or sagacity (the quality of being sagacious) in this area, it's just that I find this type study mentally salubrious (promoting health and well being). Contrary to opinions otherwise, I do have other hobbies besides word play, else I would not be well rounded - except in the physical sense.

These word exercises serve not only to slake (I like that word - but it's not used enough) portions of my mental thirst but also to somewhat push back the effects of senescence (state of being old).

Some words just have a fascinating sound as they roll off the tongue - like skullduggery and sotto voce (under the breath), but some (like this last one) cause questions to appear in the mind, because I wonder if a person can think sotto voce or can this action only be muttered.

My desire in writing is to be succinct (concise) without literary trespasses in the area of solecism (blunder in speech or usage) but normally these desires remain unfilled.

Hopefully the effect of this missive has not been soporific (causing sleepiness) or somniferous (soporific), and by this time you have realized: (a) my recent word journeys have been in the "s" section, (b) there are a lot of odd words that are seldom used, and (c) it doesn't take much to amuse some people - namely me. ec