Scapegrace – November 2021 Wordplay Wednesday™

Families, Traditions, and a Word Twist! 

It’s the month of Thanks and though I'm a tad late posting this, I think you'll agree, after a year of change, twists and turns, it’s time to narrow the gaps with family, consider a day of traditions, and enjoy a word twist … what’s that? A word that sounds benign, even kind, can twist your mind …

SCAPEGRACE (‘skāp-,grās; 1763) n. – an incorrigible rascal. [WW #311-M ~ Monthly Edition]

Did I fool you? Bet you thought it meant a vision of family grace at the Thanksgiving Day feast!

Though scapegrace appears just below “scapegoat” in the dictionary, rather than besmirch the poor goat’s stellar reputation … oh, wait, they can be incorrigible rascals! The two words do kind of go hand-in-hand. Because someone has earned the status of a scapegrace, they may become an unwitting scapegoat (“one that bears the blame for others”), merely by reputation. Perhaps unfair, but …

We all know a scapegrace or two. They can be completely outrageous or quietly mischievous, but scapegrace pals, nonetheless.

Leaning on our big bro site, Blast from Your Past, for a fun correlation with vintage music, this month’s Song of Note ♪ from November 1971, “Lucky Day,” by self-proclaimed The Rascals. Despite the band’s scapegrace name, the song sends us hope and love. ♪ This must be my lucky day, yeah | Woke up and saw the sun shining my way, uh-uh … ♪  KOWN/Escondido, California, music survey ... 50 Years Ago this Month.

Word Challenge: SCAPEGRACE. Consider giving the scallywags in your life a benefit of the doubt this month, as you fit scapegrace into your week of impish writings and casual conversations. Happy Thanksgiving!

Wordplay Wednesday is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! 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 today!

@PenchantForPen
@Irishwriter

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime 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!]

LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as “creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3) Neither I (LinDee Rochelle) nor Penchant for Penning are responsible for how you use information found here, that may result in legal action.
                And please note, I do not receive compensation from any company or person for commercial or commodity links I may include in my posts.

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz  

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Thaumaturgist – Wordplay Wednesday™ 10/06/2021

 Ready for a Wild Night Month?  

Our favorite spooky night is looming on the dark horizon! Wordplay Wednesday’s Halloween words traditionally applied to the mysteries of October each week. Now that it’s a monthly blog, rather than just one word, let’s conjure up a 2-fer for the price of one!

Abracadabra!

THAUMATURGIST (ʹthȯʹmɘ-,tɘr-jist; 1829) n. – a performer of miracles; esp. magician. [WW #310/1-M ~ Monthly Edition]

THAUMATURGY (ʹthȯʹmɘ-,tɘr-jē; ca. 1727) n. – the performance of miracles; spec. magic. [WW #310/2-M ~ Monthly Edition]

Magic performances have fascinated humankind for eons. Although the secrets to many tricks of thaumaturgy have been revealed over time, there are still thaumaturgists who manage to keep their magic mystical.

As Halloween month unfolds, more magicians will emerge from the shadows (of Covid!) to amaze and bemuse. Or maybe they’ll just wear the costume. Either way, thaumaturgists’ tricks seem even more profound and bizarre around Halloween—even those exposed as less than mystical, when performed with flare, can trick the unsuspecting mind.

Did you hear that? ♪ The wild night is callin’ …♪  around Halloween fifty years ago, Van Morrison sang of wild nights and crazy times. Get wild with our Monthly Song of Note* and create your own thaumaturgy spectacle in your writing, or your living room!

Word Challenge: THAUMATURGIST. Give this word and its bag of tricks, thaumaturgy, some comprehensive thought—its definition could apply to a saint or a sinner—as you fit them into your week of spellbinding writings and casual conversations.

* PFP’s Monthly Song of Note: “Wild Night,” by Van Morrison, quickly climbed to #14 on the KFRC/San Francisco music survey, October 4, 1971 50 Years Ago this Month.

Wordplay Wednesday is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! 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 today!

@PenchantForPen
@Irishwriter

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime 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!]

LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as “creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3) Neither I (LinDee Rochelle) nor Penchant for Penning are responsible for how you use information found here, that may result in legal action.
                And please note, I do not receive compensation from any company or person for commercial or commodity links I may include in my posts.

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz  

 

Tintinnabulation – Wordplay Wednesday™ 09/01/2021

Ring My Bell and Color My World! 

Writing with the senses in mind, is a must for text in order to reach the emotions of the reader. Do you hear what I hear …

TINTINNABULATION (,tin-tɘ-,na-byɘ-ʹlā-shɘn; 1831) n. – 1) the ringing or sounding of bells; 2) a jingling or tinkling sounds as if of bells . [WW #309-M ~ Monthly Edition]

You can ring my bell or “Colour My World,” whichever strikes your fancy. Either piques my interest, but together, they surround our basic senses and demand attention … tintinnabulation tickles the ear and September’s Song of Note creates a sensational visual.

Which is most pleasing … the deep resonance of large bells, or the Tinkerbell twinkle of tiny bells? We each have a preference, as to how we respond to tintinnabulation.

If these articles do nothing, I hope that each word presented here prompts readers to think, feel, or visualize its presence in our language. My intention is to urge you to explore a new way of perceiving and using tintinnabulation and other words you see in these articles. You may be familiar with the word, but learn a creative new way to use it, or I hope to inspire you to add it to your vocabulary.“Her ears perked up at the tintinnabulation coming from around the corner. The familiar chimes quickened her pace …” Did she hurry away or closer? Your choice!

And, what color is your world? For our new “Monthly Song of Note,”* we can sing in shades of love to  James Pankow’s, “Colour My World.” A founding member of the band, Chicago, he wrote it (with the British spelling), as a love song. We unconsciously color our worlds with hues that stimulate us. While blue, pink, and white hearts (for example) invigorate our minds, it’s the red hearts that make our hearts go pitty-pat. Writing is all about striking emotions in the reader.

In this month’s Wordplay, we favor blue bells to add color to the sound of tintinnabulation and we could add one more word to further enhance the bells … what tone are the bells?

As writers, combining senses without overloading them with adjectives, can create a more vivid visual in a reader’s mind ...

“Her ears perked up at the tintinnabulation coming from around the corner. The familiar sound of the soft blue chimes quickened her pace …” Again, did she hurry away or closer? And now you’ve added another element that gives character to the titillating tintinnabulation of the formerly anonymous bells. 

Word Challenge: TINTINNABULATION. Give your writing depth and breadth without congesting it, as you fit tintinnabulation into your week of colorful writings and casual conversations.

*Monthly Song of Note: “Colour My World,” a B-side song by Chicago, climbed the charts all the way to #3 on the KING/Seattle, Washington, survey for September 1971 50 Years Ago this Month.

Wordplay Wednesday is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! 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 today!

@PenchantForPen
@Irishwriter

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime 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!]

LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as “creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3) Neither I (LinDee Rochelle) nor Penchant for Penning are responsible for how you use information found here, that may result in legal action.
                And please note, I do not receive compensation from any company or person for commercial or commodity links I may include in my posts.

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz