Tag Archives: comments

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’25 A To Z Challenge – Y

 

This week’s A to Z challenge is to honor a request of – though, hopefully, not to honor the memory of – yet another blogger who seems to have quietly disappeared.  A couple of years ago, one of my regular visitors/commenters, who named himself Daniel Digby, requested that I do a challenge for the letter Y, with the word

YCLEPT

The all-too-often-late, great, blogger named Archon, finally got around to it, just after the nick of time.

Yclept is a word that means “named” or “called.” It is an archaic term that was commonly used in Old English and Middle English, but it has largely fallen out of use in modern English.

The word “yclept” is derived from the Old English word “cylt,” which meant “called” or “named.” This word was often used in phrases such as “yclept by name” or “yclept after his name,” to indicate that someone had been given a specific name or title.

In modern English, we might use the word “called” or “named” instead of “yclept,” so for example: “He was called John” or “She was named Sarah.” However, “yclept” can add a more formal or archaic touch to writing, and it can be used to create a sense of historical or literary context.

Archon was never called to the bar, but has been sent home from a few in a taxi.  Y’all come back in a coupla days.  We havin’ barbecue and Coors Lite.  CU then.

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Contest Without Rules

Echoing Pensitivity101’s Three Things posts, I am issuing a challenge. Below are three words.  I would like you to create a composition using one, two, or all three of the words.  It can be prose, or poetry, even blank verse.  It can be 33 words, 50 words, 100 words, or any other random number.

Download it directly into my comments section, or leave a comment with a link, so that others can read it.  Erickson could probably do this in his sleep.  Any attempt I make would look like I did it in my sleep.  If anyone other than me has fun with this, I may repeat it.  Be warned.  Be creative.

DISC
CAKE
RULES

I’ll be back, next week, with my first attempt.

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SSSHHHhh

ARCHON is napping.
I need all the beauty sleep I can get.
I received a letter of complaint from Medusa.
Please don’t clomp noisily around the blog-site.
Leave all comments and compliments quietly.

Feel free to pet the cat.
Lint/hair rollers issued separately.
You may feed, or give him treats, if you know where I store them.
If not, he will be happy to show you.
If a handsome prince kisses me, I should be awake by Friday.
CU then.

😉   😎

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Concept Blog

When I first began blogging, an online friend told me that I was in for some free psychiatric therapy.  I was reminded of his comment recently, when I accessed and read the following post which said, in its entirety:

CONCEPTUALIZE and understand
the storage of memories
many curves
mostly uphill
where are you going with your thoughts?
winged chariots
strong medications
long preserved virginity
how small the dead look
a fistful or two
people argue space
too little
for the great sweeps of time
colorless in death
the view from the grave
a different pattern of imagery

This looks like a shopping list of discussion topics for someone’s next psychiatrist, or psychologist, therapy session.  Maybe I’m too linear.  I know what every word means, but I have no idea what the author is attempting to say – or why.  I quickly exited the site, before some AI algorithm sieve got me listed in a potential terrorist watch-list, or tagged me for involuntary mental observation.

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Placeholder

LET IT ALL OUT!

I have nothing to rant or comment about, so this week it’s your turn.  Just lie down on the couch, and tell kindly, old Doctor Archon all about it.

It’s your opportunity to vent about whatever it is that drives you crazy – a husband who wears socks with holes in the toes, a wife whose recipe for chicken stew should have been banned by the Geneva Convention, a Karen neighbor who desperately needs a smack in the head with a diarrhea-filled diaper, a boss who’s risen to the Peter Principle level of incompetence, Taylor Swift, MAGA, influencers.  😮

Your blood pressure, and fellow-readers, will thank you.   😀

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’24 A To Z Challenge – Z

PLANS AND SCHEMES AND HOPES AND DREAMS

When I first ventured out into the blogosphere, I was amazed at how many bloggers had written books, or were writing books – or who wanted to write a book.  Of course, self-publishing has diluted the overall average somewhat.  It’s interesting how many people feel that they have The Great American Novel in their head, just waiting to burst out.  Me??  I don’t even have a user’s manual for an air fryer inside of me.

Then there are people who compose, just to please themselves, and hold their stories within their heads and hearts– or in notebooks, or (finally) on electronic devices….  At least, I assume there are.  How would you know, for sure??  Such a one is the current Sage of Ohio, Commenter Supreme, my online buddy, John Erickson – and that brings us to

ZENARU

She is the class ship of three battleships used by the Empire, in John’s little space opera, the mightiest interstellar Starship to never come out of Chicago, in the most masterfully-woven tale never to be published.  She’s obsolete, because he’s been using the story of her non-existent crew and their non-existent adventures for over 40 years, occasionally hauling it out for contemplation and meditation, patiently adding, editing and smoothing for personal enjoyment.

How about you, my gentle readers, do any of you have an unpublished book as an ongoing hobby/project?  Do you know anyone who does?
😕

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’24 A To Z Challenge – X

I’ve already done a “Thanks For The Mammaries” post, so, if I’m gonna talk about melons, they better be the kind that grow on vines.  I once used Jimmy Durante’s sign-off line, Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are, to respond to a commenter.  It caused some confusion because, unlike me, not many bloggers were born during the Industrial Revolution.  Calabash is a type of long, hard-shelled melon or gourd.

Words beginning with the letter X are thin on the ground – and up in the air – and in trees – and even in dictionaries.  INTERESTING words beginning with the letter X are even rarer.  After much debate, I decided on

XIGUA

When I first researched it, it was described as an African melon, but when I dived in deeper, it became an Asian melon.  Okay, – what kind of melon?  Large?  Small?  Long?  Round?  Soft-shell?  Hard-shell?  It turns out that it is a Chinese watermelon.  You know – the only fruit that you can eat, drink, and wash your face in.  The main difference between it and American watermelons, is that, instead of the inner flesh being red, it can be lemon-yellow, or a bright, lime-green.

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To Put It Another Way III

 

Another (hopefully humorous), headshaking report about the havoc that some folks wreak upon the poor English language.  One blogger tried to justify using ‘affect’, instead of ’effect,’ “because I’m a bad speller.”  ‘Neice’ instead of ‘niece’ is bad spelling.  Many of the following examples are the wrong words – the wrong meanings!   Some of them aren’t really words at all.  Hang on, here we go.   😮

Pros

He inhaled the oleo of aromas – Olio, olio – oxen free

The most reknown of all battle cries – It was well-known that the word was renowned.

A beam of light shown from the open door – It’s been shown that it shone.

The Panzer tanks were arranged in a leaguer around the camp – I’ll bet a lager it was a laager.

Coyotes develop an infinity for beer and motorsports – and an affinity for misusage.

With the advent of chemical dies – I would die if I didn’t spell it dyes.

What a thoroughly incite full commentary – full of something – just not insight

Security guard gets paper sprayed – I take that with a grain of salt

Amateurs

Clear ants sale – I’m glad we got rid of them.

Out of hot chocolate.  Sorry for the innocence – But you’re guilty of no hot chocolate.

The pickup had the right away – Right away, look up right of way.

You are stupid and a literate – takes one to know one

I read his a bitch you worried in the paper – I almost died too.

Don’t let the past make you’re dicisions four today – That home-school decision sucks

She ordered chicken sees her salad – and I almost had a seizure, laughing.

He was in otter shock – If he was a cow, he’d be in udder shock.

If you eat peanut butter, you go into intergalactic shock. – I know I’m shocked!

That joke was a Larry us – but not as hilarious as that phrase

Is that toe food? – No, that’s tofu.

I was sick, and coughing up flame – because the cold was dragon on.

I’m an avoid reader – I can see that you avoid reading.

I’ll snatch you ball-headed – If you pull out all my hair, I’ll be bald-headed.

I tolled him about his mistake – did you toll him about yours?

Bicycle for seal – my seal prefers a scooter

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’24 A To Z Challenge – F

Fee, Fie, Foe, F**k
I smell the scent of a French-fry truck.

I am famished!
I want some food.
I want it soon
I want it in a hurry
I want some food – fast.
I want some fast-food.
But most of all, I want some food at no cost, because

FREE

is my favorite flavor.
Sadly, as Robert Heinlein said, TANSTAAFL.
There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.

Everything comes at a cost.  Like the sign in many a truck says, “Ass, gas or grass – Nobody rides free.”

Now that I’ve doled out all this folksy lore, BUCKSHEE – a term I picked up from a Newfie, deriving from the Indian expression, baksheesh – a tip, present, gratuity, or alms – roughly speaking, fer free – I would appreciate it if you paid me back with some visits, likes and comments.   😀

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’24 A To Z Challenge – C

As the housewife said to the kettle, when she saw that it had boiled dry….

O I C U R MT

Once upon a time, the definition of “Dictionary”, in the dictionary, was not “Dictionary.”  Despite three similar but different religions – Greek, Eastern Orthodox (Russian), and Roman – using it to identify themselves, the word Catholic means universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.

Five Hundred years or more ago, The (Roman) Catholic Church compiled definitions and meanings of ALL the words and phrases – at least all the Holy, Religious ones – let the peasant rabble speak what vernacular they wished.  Since all the important meanings were included, they called it The

CATHOLICON

It was more than a mere book, or single volume.  Copies of it consisted of small libraries.  Like Samuel Johnson’s later Dictionary, social, political, and religious commentary was added to the meanings.  Johnson’s definition of Oats was, a cereal grass, which in England feeds horses, but in Scotland, it feeds the men.  An English baron exclaimed, “But what horses!  And what men!

What I’m going to do is Decide on a suitable word choice for the letter D.  I would be de-lighted (placed in the dark) if one of my readers made a suggestion.  D-cells?  D-cups??!  Defenestrate??  No, that one’s out the window.  😉