Big C, Little C, What Begins With C?

Yesterday during a local college graduation, I heard one woman's story with 'C' words. In her case, the words were Cancer and Cookies - words that make us cringe and smile. You may wonder, as her audience did, what message connects pediatric cancer with baking and how, or indeed if, that translates to a take-away for the Class of 2010. But, the two things are connected and the connection is germane to the graduates. And it's a message I think you'll appreciate as well.

The speaker was Gretchen Holt who founded a charity to raise money for pediatric cancer research after her son was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. She discovered the secret of cancer economics - new and better treatments will only be discovered if more money is spent on research. And from this sobering truth an idea was born for a giant bake sale - 96,000 cookies baked and sold in a few weeks. This raised over $400,000 and the idea for a more permanent method of raising funds and awareness was born.

Today Cookies for Kids' Cancer is a well-known charity. Like many brilliant ideas it's simple: hold local bake sales and pool the proceeds. You can get involved by hosting your own bake sale or purchasing cookies (gift packages are available): www.cookiesforkidscancer.org.

So what was Gretchen's message for the graduates? That we can't know what our future will hold, but the skills we develop along the way can stand us in good stead when we face life's inevitable crises. She specifically spoke to the skills learned in four years at a small college - researching a situation/problem at the onset, finding mentors who will offer their expertise and support, giving 100%, and approaching problems creatively. Gretchen's message was much more eloquent, but I hope I've conveyed a bit of its spirit.

I'm thinking of a word . . .

Laura of White Spray Paint fame asked a simple question about the plants pictured on my post yesterday. Her question exposes the reason I'll never have a true garden blog - I don't always know the names of the plants in our garden! In my mind, I'm the kind of gardener who keeps a fabulous garden journal - complete with notes, drawings, little seed packets, maybe even pressed flowers . . . you know the type of journal. In reality, I have three journals - each one containing some sketchy notes and lots of empty pages. One year I actually did great drawings of several beds, but as fate would have it those beds were redesigned when we hired a landscape designer the following spring and I've yet to capture the new beds. It's only been five years though . . .

But, back to Laura's question about the plants - what are they? I know the general name of all but one - the one pictured above. And it's not that easy to identify a plant if you don't already know the name - it's like finding a word in the dictionary if you don't know how to spell it. What's especially annoying is that I have known - and should know - the name of this because it's not some exotic plant - it's as common as jasmine or a Lady Banks rose!

This train of thought took me back to middle school and our perennial substitute teacher Mrs. Harris (I've changed her name for obvious reasons). Whenever a teacher was absent, Mrs. Harris filled in. She was an elderly lady who came to school dressed for church - suit with matching shoes, perfectly applied makeup (and by perfect I don't mean lightly), handbag with scarf tied to the handle. She never looked at a lesson plan, but rather had her own diversions to keep us busy. One was the Dictionary Race. She'd say a word and the first student to find it in the dictionary won. I loved this game - my secret was to start with with the dictionary opened at the middle. But, mostly we 'worked on' Spelling - remember Spelling? The purpose is to learn new words - definitions and spelling. Well, the way we studied Spelling with Mrs. Harris was for her to sit serenely at her desk and say, "I'm thinking of a word . . ." Then we would guess until someone correctly named the word and she'd check it off her list and say, "I'm thinking of a word . . ." as if she was saying that phrase for the first time. Even 5th graders knew how pointless this was, but it was a fun break from routine studying. So today I'm recreating this by sitting at my desk and saying, "I'm thinking of a plant . . ." And, I'll be waiting for someone out there to shout out the right word! And if you don't hurry I'll have to touch up my foundation or rouge!

As for the other plants, they are: Cherry Laurel (Otto Luyken), Camellia (this was already planted when we moved in and I don't know the variety, but it's a late bloomer and not as susceptible to blight as our December bloomers), Hawthorn (again not sure of the variety - I thought it was a Winter King, but when I looked it up in Dirr's the foliage is different).

So, Laura thanks for the question that led me down memory lane (that's M.E.M.O.R.Y., memory). Let's see who answers . . .

"Everything" Bagel

Did you know that next Thursday is National Grammar Day? Fans of good grammar will perhaps celebrate by reading the classic Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynne Truss, or by viewing the many websites devoted to grammar and punctuation. Some of these sites feature hilarious photos of signs with blatant mistakes - you know the ones, the rules we all learn in 4th grade and then sometimes forget.

My favorites are the misused quotation marks. Who hasn't seen funny signs for "stamps" or "beef" or "Thank You"? (The "Thank You" ones are the most snarky, don't you think?) And that brings me to my bagel - take a good look at it. It's actually an everything bagel, but instead of being covered with seeds and salt, it's almost bare. I bought this at the only "gourmet" market in town (see how handy the "" are when irony is intended?) and as the bread is self-serve, I selected the best one. So, I'm thinking of this as an "everything" bagel instead of a yummy everything bagel!

If you're in the mood for some funny quotation mark usage, check out the Blog of Unnecessary Quotation Marks. Here's one of their best:

More about National Grammar Day next week! Right now, I'm off to "toast" my bagel.

"Ciao!"

If the Moon's made of cheese, Pluto must be nougat

Okay, how did you learn the names and order of the planets? Did your 7th grade science teacher use the usual mnemonic device? Mine did, and that's still how I remember the correct sequence: My very educated mother just served us nine pies. Some people learned the 'nine pizzas' version - perhaps that was for kids living above the Mason Dixon Line? And one version has the educated mother just showing the pies to the kids . . . that doesn't sound very smart, and, in fact, it's rather mean! Anyway, we learned the planets thanks to whichever saying we used: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto! Then a few years ago, Pluto was downgraded leaving only eight planets.

The devolution of Pluto resulted in a new mnemonic: My very educated mother just served us nougat. Nougat? Really . . . nougat? Who eats nougat - besides the Italians and the French? Was that really the best word that starts with 'N'?

I'm hoping that the people who are trying to get Pluto reinstated will be successful - it has lots of supporters and in some circles is even being called "The People's Planet", so maybe we can drop the nougat and return to the nine pies! According to National Geographic, Pluto was demoted because "it does not dominate its neighborhood" and it has an "untidy" orbit. Perhaps with a bit of counseling, it can become more aggressive and sweep up some of the asteroids and comets in its path - then we can once again consider it a planet!

Until then we're stuck with nougat . . . and what two candy bars have nougat (I know, it's not real nougat, but it's close enough)? Mars and Milky Way! So nougat has a space connection after all and maybe it is a good choice for the the very educated mother to serve . . . what do you think?

Portmanteau Words from the Brilliant LC

Did you snortle as you read the title of this post? Are you feeling like Scrooge after a burst of holiday spending? If so, perhaps you guessed the identity of LC? It's Lewis Carroll - who remains a favorite for so many reasons. Among his myriad legacies is this one: the Portmanteau Word. In Through the Looking Glass Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice that "slithy" means "lithe and slimy" and he gives these words that are created from two words the name portmanteau because the two meanings are packed into one word.

Carroll's contemporaries were accustomed to packing their clothes into portmanteaus - so this definition was more clever for them than it might be for modern readers. Many portmanteau words are familiar for us though: snortle, of course, is a snort/chortle which is really a second-generation Portmanteau because chortle is a combination of chuckle and snort.

Charles Dickens, who is known for his memorable character names, created Scrooge from 'screw' and 'gouge'. I love the painting below which imagines Dickens dreaming of his characters. It's unfinished which adds to the dream-like quality. Perhaps it captures the exact moment when a new portmanteau word is drifting into his mind . . .

Here's a brief list of some familiar portmanteau words:

Yowl = yell & howl (okay, this may not be widely used, but at our house it's heard pretty often!)
Docudrama = documentary & drama
Edutainment = education & entertainment (usually weighted toward the entertainment!)
Breathalyzer = breathe & analyzer
Tanzania = Tanganyika & Zanzibar
Smog = smoke & fog
Emoticon = emotion & icon :-)

Can you think of others? Perhaps you've coined your own? Must galumph away to watch a rockumentary that's simulcast in several countries - I hope it's not just agitprop!

Irresolute in 2010!

Happy New Year! I realize it's a few days past the 1st, but it seems tidier for a new year - not to mention a new decade - to begin on a Monday. Did you make resolutions for 2010? As you may guess from the title of this post, I did not. Of course, I'm stretching the definition of irresolute just a tad, but I was feeling a bit irresolute (in the true sense) over the holidays so we'll think of it as an all-encompassing word that indicates both the lack of direction and the absence of official resolutions. I don't usually make New Year resolutions because it's inevitable that they fall by the wayside (perhaps you're more diligent . . .), but last year I did make the mistake of taking some things for granted and being a bit lazy on the professional front. So, this year my motto is diligence - in most things!

And on the blog front there is some exciting news - a Tea Giveaway will begin later this week so check back for details. Hope your new year is off to a good start - I'm off to catch up on some of my favorite blogs!

The Luxury of the Unexpressed Thought

This time of year we often think of luxuries - either to indulge in ourselves or to give to loved ones. Luxuries are relative, perhaps a night without the kids or an afternoon to spend with friends at a favorite holiday spot are your luxuries. Or maybe a special food or drink that you only prepare or buy during this season. Or maybe you are contemplating luxury on a bigger scale with this Cupcake Car (!!!) from the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog.



Wow! I don't want to get sidetracked, but wouldn't that be great in your driveway? For a mere $25,000 you get your choice of decorations . . . (did I say Wow! already?)

The luxury I have in mind today is a bit different - it's the luxury of the unexpressed thought. I wish I could take credit for coining that phrase - don't you love it? (Well, obviously not as much as the cupcake cars . . .) The phrase is a quote from US Senator Everett Dirksen - who's apparently known mostly for saying that. (Apologies to those political history buffs who know and like Dirksen for other things . . . but given the current political climate, being remembered for one positive, clever thing at the end of your Senate career is pretty impressive.)

In today's tell-all, 24/7 reality show, blogging/texting/tweeting climate an unexpressed thought is indeed rare. But, what's luxurious about it? If you don't say it, you can't be sorry you said it! It can't be repeated to an unintended listener. You don't have to explain it . . . and so on.

Now that's luxurious - and it doesn't cost a cent.

Hope your weekend has a few quiet moments!

Word Up! Please don't unfriend me just because I'm intexticated!

No, this isn't a blogosphere tell-all about Facebook friends who turn on each other. Rather, it's a cheery tale about a word who struggled all year and was finally rewarded. The word? Unfriend. The reward? Being selected as the New Oxford American Dictionary's Word of the Year! If you're one of the 115 million monthly visitors to social networking sites, you already know the definition of unfriend. For the rest of us, it sounds rather ominous - like something that might be pasted onto a blank page and slipped through the letter box on a dark night:

Actually it's a verb meaning to remove someone as a social networking friend. There were other great words in the running for the Word of the Year. Here are some of my faves:

• intexticated - distracted while driving due to texting
• funemployed - turning your unemployment into something fun
• tramp stamp - tattoo on a woman's lower back

I didn't make these up - these are real words that have been added to the dictionary. Who knew? Thinking back to school days - can you use these new vocabulary words in a sentence? There are some nice possibilities . . .

On the tea front, yesterday I mentioned that I am trying different varieties of tea from Two Leaves and a Bud. Today I'm going with a Red Tea (a la The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) and a Peppermint Tea (because I'm feeling a bit tired). Over the weekend we'll chat about the teas I've tried thus far.

Hope you discover a few new words this week - maybe one that will become next year's WOTY!

Let's Go Retro!

Retro? Yes, as in retronyms! A retronym is a term created to clarify an existing word whose meaning has become unclear due to societal or technological changes. For example, 'snail-mail' is a retronym used to distinguish electronic communications from traditional postal service. The word 'retronym' was popularized by William Safire (who passed away earlier this year), and first appeared in the American Heritage Dictionary in 2000. Here are some popular retronyms:

• free-range chicken
• black & white photograph
• summer Olympics
• acoustic guitar
• classical music
• push mower
• whole milk
• pocket watch
• dirt road
• manual transmission
• propeller airplane
• hardback book
• organic food

I hope you enjoyed this little look at retronyms. If you know any interesting ones, please send them in a comment or email. To close, here's a photo I took from the car a few days ago. It's a bit blurry, but I think this gives it a dreamy quality (it's a beautiful house on the Battery in Charleston).

Tom Swift Discovers Radium - What?!

Do you know Tom Swift? How about Tom Swiftie? Tom Swift is a fictional character created by Edward L. Stratemeyer in 1910. If you were ever a fan of Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, or the Bobbsey Twins, you've read Stratemeyer's work - he was a very industrious writer and publisher who had the clever idea to create series of books for boys and girls. And not just any books - books where kids were the heroes and had exciting adventures - a really novel idea at the time (sorry for the pun, but it's leading us to our main topic!). He outlined the plots and ghost writers did most of the actual writing. Tom Swift was the hero of over 100 books spanning nine decades. I confess I haven't read any of Tom's adventures, but my brother had some of the books in the series, although I think his favorite Stratemeyer characters were the Hardy Boys. I, too liked the Hardy Boys for a few years when Shaun Cassidy played the younger brother in the television series . . . but, that's another story.





But the Tom Swift books contained more than adventure - they were noted for a style of adverbial puns that have come to be known as Tom Swifties. The Tom Swift writers replaced the word 'said' in dialog with adverbs that related to the statement. As in "I hate milking cows," Tom uttered. Or the writers added the modifier after the word 'said', as in "I shall not leave you a penny when I die," said Tom willfully. As someone who really likes a good pun, I am a fan of Tom Swifties. While Tom is the standard speaker, sometimes another person is substituted to complete the joke. One of the best-known Tom Swifties falls into this group:


"Who discovered radium?" asked Marie curiously.


So, here are a few Tom Swifties - warning, one is a bit risque, but too funny to omit:

• "Look out! A golf ball!" Tom forewarned.


• "I can't believe my car was towed!" Tom expounded.


• “I have a BA in social work,” said Tom with a degree of concern.


• "My grape juice has fermented," Tom whined.


• "I'm impotent," Tom said softly.


• "I dropped my toothpaste," Tom said crestfallen.


• “Hallelujah,” Tom said handily.


• “I’ve struck oil!” said Tom crudely.


• “May I introduce the family Stone?” Tom asked slyly.


• “This is mutiny!” said Tom bountifully.


• "I was caught stealing in Iran", said Tom offhandedly.


• "Y'all I'm leavin'", said Dolly, partin'.


• "It's 9:59", said Tom pretentiously.
  
• "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", said Clark Gable rhetorically.

"If you liked these Tom Swifties, try writing some of your own," said Leah authoritatively. (Must stop myself from more sentences like that - so, good-bye!)