Word of the Week: I’m Bringin’ It Back

 “I read to live and I live to read. That’s my circle of life.”

Greetings Fellow BookNerds!

When I first started this blog about 4 years ago – I can’t believe it’s already been that long! My how time flies – I had several different themes going at once, mostly because I still wasn’t quite sure what the focus of this blog was going to be. One of them was a weekly theme called ‘Word of the Week’, which those of you who have stuck around for a while might still remember. Basically, every week I would post a new word that I had never heard of before, and which I found to be of great interest based on the complexity of the word, its origin and its meaning. The only reason I stopped this particular segment was because I was trying to narrow the focus of my blog on books alone. But you know what? When it comes to books, there will always be words we don’t recognize, no matter how well we think we know our own language.

I also felt rather motivated after spending a great deal of time with my new roommates, both of whom are foreign exchange students, and both of whom speak at least two different languages outside of English. It’s funny how we have a tendency to become more interested in our own native tongue when learning about that of another. That’s been the case for me, anyway. So, in light of bringing back an old favourite, here is a word that may be frightening to some, assuming you have it.

Kakorrhaphiophobia

This is one of those words that took me a few tries before I figured out how it was supposed to be pronounced. If the picture wasn’t enough of a hint, kakorrhaphiophobia is the fear of failure. It’s one of those phobias that I figure most of us – if not everyone – experience at least once every day. Of course, not everyone experiences it to the degree where it could be considered a phobia, but the fear of failing at something is not uncommon. For some, this phobia can be crippling, to the point where those affected are incapable of even attempting to do anything where there is the risk of not succeeding. According to a quick internet search, the name of this phobia is a combination of the Greek word ‘kako’ (bad/evil) and of course phobia (fear). Of course, I am not a linguist, so if there is someone out there among my wonderful followers who happens to know a bit more about this phobia, I would love to hear all about it in the comments below.

I am going to try my utmost best to make this a weekly thing. If you have words that you would like to recommend, or are curious to learn a bit more about them, just leave them in the comments below, or visit the World In Writing Facebook page and leave a comment on my page. Until next time, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd

Word of the Week: Agerasia

Hello Fellow BookNerds!

Have you ever had one of those days where you felt like everything was going just a little too well? Like you were just waiting for an act of karma to put a stop to this unprecedented lucky streak? Well that’s what my day has been like. I made an apple pie for the first time by myself, which is usually a recipe for disaster whenever I’m involved. My hands were not blessed with baking skills, that’s for sure, and yet I somehow managed to make a superb dessert which not even my mother could find fault in. I didn’t break anything, I didn’t stub my toe on that chair which always seems to be right where my foot is, I didn’t burn or over cook any part of diner, and the rain is having little to no impact on the internet signal … what gives? Never before has a day gone so smoothly in my 21 years of being alive, and although I am by no means a pessimist, I have this feeling that I will be paying for this streak of good luck coming morning. I suppose I should just stopping looking this gift horse in the mouth and enjoy it while it lasts 🙂

So today, I felt like learning a new word, and the one I found is actually related to something I tend to think about a lot when I’m watching TV.

AGERASIA

Definition: Someone trying to look younger than they actually are; youthful appearance in an old person.

When I saw this word, the first thing that came to mind was when I used to watch Smallville, the story of Superman before he became a superhero. It used to be one of my favorite series, but I could never quite get past the fact that none of those actors looked anywhere close to the age of high schooler’s. College students, maybe, but that was pushing it considering they all had to be at least in their late twenties or early thirties.

What I can’t stand more is when you see all these celebrities who have to be in their forties or fifties, and yet their faces are decorated with more paint than a car, and their clothes are several sizes too small and shows us things that are best left to the imagination. It’s okay to feel young, but there are ways to achieve the feeling of youth once again without trying to dress the part.

That’s all for today. If you have any other examples for today’s Word of the Week, feel free to leave it in the comments below. Keep on replenishing your word banks, and as always, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd

 

Word of the Week: Earworm … It’s Not What You Think!

Hello Fellow BookNerds!

Once again, I would like to apologize for my blogging absence yesterday. It was my first full day back from school, which I hoped would mean some time to recline and relax, but it ended up being hours of unpacking, cleaning and going to work. Welcome to my summer ^_^

So, there is a very high chance that I will not only neglect to post some days, but they also may come very late in the day, which I suppose isn’t a problem for all of you night owls out there. I’m sure I am not the only one who switches on their reading light once the sun goes down and curls up in bed with a good book.

That said, it’s time to present today’s word of the week, brought to you by Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary.

This word was added to the dictionary back in 2012 as an official word. It does not mean what you’re thinking, assuming that you think it’s an actual worm located within your ear. It’s actually a term which is similar to ‘bookworm’, which is someone who devotes themselves to reading. Not everyone is a bookworm, but everyone can develop an earworm. You know that time when you heard this really annoying song that you never wanted to hear again – for me, it was Friday by Rebbecca Black – but not matter what you did the tune would keep playing itself over and over again in your head? That’s would be an earworm for you. To be more specific, it’s a song which plays repeatedly in your mind, as though the song has bored its way into your brain! Sorry for the gruesome imagery, but I think you get the picture 🙂

Even though this term has only recently found its way into Webster’s dictionary, it has been suggested that the word itself has been around for much longer. This is just what I have read other people say, but I lack the proof to state it as a fact … which is where you guys come in! If you have a research fetish, and find the topic of word origins to be of interest, then I would encourage you to see what you can find out about earworms and where they came from. Leave your findings in the comments, and until next time, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd

Word of the Week

Hello Fellow BookNerds

So I was scrolling along my facebook page, and I stumbled upon a photo which made me smile while simultaneously making me feel sad:

For those of you unfamiliar with these two gentlemen, on the left is british actor Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit, Star Trek, Sherlock), and on the right is fellow British actor Martin Freeman (The Hobbit, Sherlock). The reason this made me smile is because I am so used to seeing them in a much more serious and composed expressions on one of my favourite TV series, Sherlock, on the BBC. Why this also invokes feelings of sadness is because I have waited over a year for the next season to air, and it’s quite possible that I may have to wait yet another year! Not that I can really blame them, though. Both of them have been very busy recently on the big screen: Cumberbatch will be playing the villain in the new Star Trek movie, set to come out in May, as well as the voice of the dragon in the second installment of The Hobbit. Martin Freeman is equally as busy, having taken on the star role of Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, which as you all know has been divided into three separate installments.

You’re probably wondering what this all has to do with the Word of the Week segment. Well, the first word that came to mind when I saw this photo was the German word, Rache, from the first episode of Sherlock “The Lady in Pink”. They had assumed that it was German, but in reality the woman on the floor, in her dying moments, had been trying to write the word …. Oops, don’t want to give away spoilers ^_^

So, the word for this weeks Word of the Week segment is….

Rache/Revenge

Translation: “Revenge” or “Vengeance”

Definition: (noun) “The action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for a wrong suffered at their hands.”

Synonyms: retribution, payback, retaliation, avenge, eye for an eye, vindictiveness.

Origin: Rache is a German word, meaning ‘revenge’ or ‘to take revenge on someone’. The term ‘revenge’ itself originates from 14th century French, more specifically the term ‘revengier’. It is most commonly associated with the old proverb “revenge is a dish best served cold”, although the precise origin of this saying is difficult to pinpoint. Some claim it came about during the Shakespearean era, while others argue that it came about much later in French literature. Either way, it paints an accurate picture of what ‘revenge’ is.

That is all for today. As always, if you have any comments, questions or concerns, feel free to leave them in the comments, and until next time, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd

Word of the Week

Hello Fellow BookNerds!

With another test down, and having completed an essay I was certain would take the rest of my lifetime to finish, I can finally take a moment to rid myself of all this unnecessary stress. So, to start off my day or so of relaxation – that’s university for you – how about we add yet another word to our infinitely expanding Dictionary of Awesome!

Today’s Word of the Week is…..

Quintessence

Definition: “The aspect of something regarded as the intrinsic and central constituent of its character.”

Synonyms: epitome, essence, heart, source, substance, principle.

Origin: This term can be traced as the 15th century, used most commonly in medieval philosophy in order to find meaning in ‘essence’. It was defined as being “”pure essence, substance of which the heavenly bodies are composed,” or even more specifically the fifth essence, as the term ‘quinte’ means ‘five’, and essence … well, I think that’s self explanatory. The other four essences, or ‘elements’ as they are more commonly refered to, are fire, wind, earth and water. This fifth element was added by Aristotle, believing it to be at the center; the purest substance.

My reasoning behind choosing this as my word for this week as due to the constant pounding of philosophical terminology into this brain of mine, which I must admit is not accustomed to perceiving the universe and our existence within it in such abstract and complicated terms. Why is it that knowing I exist is no longer enough to allow me to exist? I suppose I can see the benefit of opening my mind to other possibilities instead of simply accepting the obvious.

That is all for today. Until next time, happy reading!

Cheers,

BookNerd