Grandiloquent Word of the Day
What is a grandiloquent word? Well, to put it simply, it’s a big, fancy word. These days, a good many of them are obscure, so you don’t frequently hear them in daily conversation. The reason that the word becomes or remains obscure is usually because there is another smaller and easier to pronounce word (or phrase) with the same meaning, and so people default to using that.
Our reality is defined to a large extent by the words we have at our disposal to describe it. So, the more words we have, the richer and more clearly defined our world becomes. An example of this is how Hawaiians have multiple words to describe lava flow formations. Another example lies in the many words used to describe a windstorm: mistral, gale, whirlwind, hurricane, tornado, typhoon, cyclone, williwaw and simoom. I’m certain there are more, but this illustrates my meaning. Each of these are windstorms, but most of us are aware of how a tornado differs from a hurricane. Without these different words, our very reality would lack definition where windstorms were concerned. The same applies to all facets of our lives. Imagine for a moment if we only had one single word for automobile. “I have a car,” one might say. “What kind of car?” another may be prompted to ask. “A blue car. A fast car. A fast blue car with four doors.” This demonstration elucidates the serious limitations on one’s ability to define reality when vocabulary is lacking. So imagine what may be missing from one’s day to day life, going about one’s business and missing the bigger picture. Increasing one’s vocabulary is like putting on a pair of glasses and suddenly seeing the world in all its grandeur for the first time!
My goal with G.W.O.T.D. is to create an entertaining way to teach people words that they may not have known even existed. I always love it when I discover a new word and I’m thinking “There’s a word for that? I had no idea…” I want people to go out and start using these words in their daily conversations. People may get a funny look, but that’s okay because that’s part of the fun! And it will prod other people to begin paying a bit more attention and maybe they will in turn learn something that they can go and use. I’m hoping for a huge snowball effect that will end with the whole world being just a bit more eloquent! Wouldn’t that be just so beguiling?
So, let’s commence!
Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Quockerwodger
A wooden toy / puppet that moves when a string is pulled. Has also come to mean a politician who is easily manipulated.
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