Digraph – Wordplay Wednesday™ 11/28/18

New Word Game for your Holiday Party!

This week, wordsmiths, we’re featuring a school word! It’s likely you only heard it in school, and in my day (oh so long ago) only if you took English classes that dissected words and sentence structure to the nth degree. Ugh.

Has it been a while since you heard a school bell rudely awaken you from your desk-nap? Let me remind you … (really loud) brrrrrriinnnngggg!

DIGRAPH (dīʹgrafʹ) n. – a combination of two letters functioning as a unit to represent one sound (Ex.: read, bread, chin, graphic.) [WW #192] 

Sound boring? Let’s jazz it up. Are you hosting or attending any Holiday parties for family or friends? Introduce a new word game! Who can identify the most digraphs in a Holiday related paragraph, in record time? It isn’t as easy to spot them as you might think.

You’ll be surprised to notice that for a word we rarely use, there are numerous digraphs in just a few sentences. Make it more difficult—wait ‘til halfway through your party after everyone has enjoyed a few eggnogs!

Feel free to use the sample below or create your own, specific to your festive party goers. Ideas: compile a list of Holiday song titles or lyrics; winter theme words; or dream of summertime with beach words!

Sample paragraph with digraphs in italics: “The Holidays” hold different meaning for each of us. Bringing people of diverse backgrounds and unique mores together, offers a window into optional attitudes to explore new philosophies in a non-threatening setting. Cherish your family and friends, and urge them to enjoy and celebrate their differences. It’s what makes us human.

I counted eighteen. Did I miss any? The tricky part is there are two words—philosophies and Cherish—that are multiples. The former not only has three digraphs, but two of those are next to each other, and the latter has two. Have fun!

Word Challenge: DIGRAPH. Hum a happy Holiday tune, as you fit digraph into your week of festive writings.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

                       

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. The true behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz

Thankfulness – Wordplay Wednesday™ 11/21/18

BFYP BULLETIN 11/26/18: BFYP EBOOKS ON #AmazonGIVEAWAYS! Roll your fuzzy dice and click the links here! You might WIN Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959 OR Book 2 – … The Swinging Sixties! Giveaway ends Friday Nov. 30^th, so hurry on over!
     Now, on with the week ... 

Plentiful … in Thought, Deed, and Hope

Oxford University, Oxford England

Sadly, Oxford University Press’s 2018 official word of the year is “toxic.” Did they judge too harshly?

There were many tragedies over the year through which sprang much compassion, generosity, and warmth. Wouldn’t “thankfulness” for the gentleness of people and their actions, who are not toxic, been a kinder selection? Feel free to comment below, or in a private email: LinDee @ PenchantForPenning.com (Remove spaces before/after @ sign.)

With that in mind, let’s not focus on the noxious, choosing instead, to carry this week’s annual words, thoughts, deeds of gratitude and appreciation into the New Year, with …

THANKFULNESS (thaŋkʹfɘl nɘs) n. – state, quality, or instance of being … feeling or expressing thanks; grateful.  [WW #191] 

No, this certainly isn’t an unknown or obscure word, but it is often overlooked and taken for granted. This season, explore the true meaning of thankfulness for what you have, rather than what is perceived as lacking. You’ll likely be pleasantly surprised and enjoy a much happier Holiday Season.

And, what better way to begin a New Year? Thankful for that which brought you to another new beginning, and

thankfulness that you are able to start with a positive step of advance gratitude for that which will come.

Word Challenge: THANKFULNESS. We can’t help but think about it while going about our Thanksgiving and Christmas Holiday Season. How do you feel about it? Ponder, as you fit thankfulness into your week of appreciative writings.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

                       

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. The true behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz