David Zapatka Reader, friend, and fellow bridge player, Gayle Covey, writes, “As always, enjoyed your SaddleBrooke word column. I’ve been saying I’d send a word or two. Finally … I’m an English major and a words person. How did I not know this? It just came up in Wordle (and I thought of you!) … verso. And…
Tag: Word of the month
Features, February 2023
Word of the Month: Abecedarian
David Zapatka Reader, friend, and fellow pickleball player Janie Blake-Zunino writes, “While reading Dancing with the Muse in Old Age by Priscilla Long, I read the word abecedarian and found it interesting.” Abecedarian abe·ce·dar·i·an noun a person who is just learning; a novice adjective 1. arranged alphabetically 2. rudimentary; elementary Origin and Etymology—abecedary “alphabet book, primer” (going back to…
Features, January 2023
Word of the Month: Gaslighting
David Zapatka Reader Greg West writes, “Merriam-Webster has announced its word of the year for 2022. Over the past year, this word has increased in the number of lookups it has received at a rate of 1,740% in 2022 compared to its lookup rate in 2021. Oddly enough though, unlike the typical word of the…
Features, December 2022
Word of the Month: Run
David Zapatka Reader Carmela Hopkins writes, “Every month I look for your column in the Splash. Have you considered an article on the word ‘run?’ You’re on a run. I mean roll.” There are more definitions of this word than any word I have researched. Here are a few. Run verb a. to go faster than…
Features, November 2022
Word of the Month: Inutile
David Zapatka Reader Carmela Hopkins writes, “Dear Mr. Zapatka, every month I look for your column in the Splash. Last month’s article particularly grabbed my attention because you mentioned Richard Lederer, whom I read monthly in the Mensa Bulletin. Have you considered an article on the word ‘run?’ It seems like such an obviously…
Clubs & Classes, October 2022
Word of the Month: Luthier and Oud
David Zapatka At a recent Weird Music concert at Stillwell Pianos in Mesa, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a traveling Belgian-Italian guitar duet playing the music of Gurdjieff collaboratively written with Gurdjieff’s musically gifted pupil, Thomas de Hartmann. I have had an appreciation for Gurdjieff’s philosophies since I began reading him in the early ‘70s…
Features, September 2022
Word of the Month: Eggcorn Reader Comments
David Zapatka July’s WOTM word, “eggcorn,” resulted in a flurry of reader comments. “Just read your article in the Pioneer Press about eggcorns, and it made me chuckle. I didn’t realize they were called eggcorns, but I’ve encountered a few of the same “slip of the ears.” One that always annoys me is when people say ‘It’s…
Features, July 2022
Word of the Month: Eggcorn
David Zapatka Is it just me or are you hearing this too? It seems more people are using words or phrases that sound like but are mistakenly used in a semi-logical or seemingly plausible way for the correct word or phrase either on its own or as part of an expression. While at Rudy’s BBQ,…
Features, June 2022
Word of the Month: Capo
David Zapatka While listening to the Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks tune, “I Have a Capo on my Brain,” last night, I thought, how could a “capo” be on a brain, and secondly, haven’t I heard this word used in another context? The movie The Godfather came to mind. This sparked research into this word.…
Features, May 2022
Word of the Month: Emplacement
David Zapatka While watching the last two episodes of The Expanse, I heard significant dialogue about the rail guns being used by Marcos Inaros, the leader of the Belters’ Free Navy, who was intent on destroying the Inners (pronounced Innas), the people residing on Earth, Luna (the moon), and Mars. These rail guns were powerful…