Wednesday, November 14, 2018

WORD RIFF OF THE DAY


"So I'd like to know where, you got the notion…"

My brain likes to sing. I know that sounds like fun--except it's not. My brain gets stuck on one phrase, singing it over and over without any help from mouth or vocal cords. How does it do that? Is this what madness sounds like? When King Lear said that a person's notion weakens he meant they were losing their grip on reality. It shouldn't be surprising then that an antonym for notion is reality.

"Don't rock the boat, don't rock the boat, baby"

Notion comes from the Latin word notio (idea) and from notus (known) and is remarkably similar when translated into a number of languages, all of which use a variation of the word notion or idea. Seems like everyone has notions, wherever they live. Only in North America does notion also mean a sewing item, like buttons, pins, zippers, and hooks.

"Our love is like a ship on the ocean
We've been sailing with a cargo full of love and devotion."

A cargo full of love and devotion. Ah! Who wouldn't want that? We have The Hues Corporation to thank for this catchy song and lovely rhyme. What other words could they have picked to rhyme with ocean? Not as many you would think: Emotion or potion could have worked, but I don't see any possibilities when it comes to commotion, promotion, demotion, or lotion. Personally, I would have loved to see them try to use Laotian.

A notion can simply be an idea or it can be so much more. A notion can be an idea that springs to life because of your beliefs, your impressions, your opinions, and most importantly, your perception of the world. There's a Spanish phrase, cada cabeza es un mundo, which translates to each head is its own world. In other words, your perception of reality is your reality.

A notion can also be an impulse or desire, especially the whimsical kind. Oh, whimsical, you're one of my favorite words but, Shh…don't tell the others.

According to vocabulary.com, a notion is lighter than a theory and embraces a whimsy that a simple idea never could. If you share a far-fetched idea with others, someone might respond with where did you get that notion?

You just tell them, "Be quiet, I'm singing."

Friday, November 2, 2018

HOBBIES FOR EVERYONE!


Everyone has a hobby, no matter how strange
It may seem to others who think you're deranged.
Collectors especially are looked at askew,
What's normal for them seems crazy to you.
An oologist collects eggs, which makes them quite reckless
Especially when they're eyeing your breakfast.
A dipterist collects flies, much like a spider.
If they spin their own webs, does that make them a writer? (Some pig!)
My hobby is harmless, I collect funny words.
And I'm gobsmacked by the ones I find most absurd.
English is chockablock with odd words, I'm chuffed to say.
I feel panurgic, like I could do this all day.
I'm not knackered or peckish, though it seems dodgy to you
I could lollygag all night on a word like jejeune.
The world is on fire and it may seem Quixotic
To spend my time on words so exotic.
If you prefer someone who seems like they care  
Find an arctophile, they collect teddy bears.
But I'm a logophile and I won't apologize.
Just be grateful I don't collect flies,