Plain Vs Plane: Fun with Words

I have to start this post with the same disclaimer I’ve used before: I am not a grammarian. I make mistakes in my writing. I am always learning, growing and (hopefully) honing my craft.

That being said, I do take the time to look up a word if I’m not sure how to use it. When reading a popular fiction blog yesterday, I came across this sentence: 

(MC) felt as if she had been transported to the highest level of the physical plain. Eyes closed, she took a deep breath and considered the possibility that she may have crossed over into the spiritual plain. Intuitively, she knew she must understand how vibration is defined differently on the spiritual plain…

I said to myself – Oh no, not again. 

Homonyms are problematic for many writers. I wrote about some of the usual suspects in these posts: 

Common Words Writers and Bloggers Misuse 

Did that Pique, Peek or Peak Your Interest? 

Regarding plain or plane, here’s a refresher:

Plain: 

Simple, normal, basic 

I’m looking for a plain white t-shirt

Obvious, clear

It was in plain view

Flat, level

He lives near the salt plains of Utah

Plane:

An airplane

A flat or level surface

A carpenter’s tool

Level of existence, consciousness (see above)

It’s confusing because the words plain and plane sound alike. In fact, they both come from the Latin word planus which means flat or clear.

I always have to pause and think when I'm using affect or effect. What about you, are there certain words that trip you up? ____________________________________________________

This post is in participation with the Group Blogging Experience, and this week’s prompt is Oh no, not again. If you want to blog with us, go to the GBE2 Facebook page and request to join the group. Everyone is welcome.

Movie Review: Lincoln

We went to see the movie Lincoln, a Steven Spielberg film, over the holidays. The movie stars Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln, Sally Fields as Mary Todd Lincoln, Hal Holbrook as Lincoln adviser Preston Blair, James Spader as political operative W.N. Bilbo and Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens.

Of course I have to give props to the writers. Tony Kushner's screenplay was tremendous, and was partly based on Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

Most of the movie takes place in January 1865, just after Abraham Lincoln was elected to his second term as president. It was during this time that Lincoln focused on pushing the 13^th Amendment through congress, thereby ending the Civil War and slavery, and uniting the nation.

My favorite thing about this movie: Lincoln’s love of words and storytelling, and how it all sounded coming out of Daniel Day-Lewis’ mouth. Brilliant. Abraham Lincoln often told awkward jokes, went on random tangents, quoted Euclid and the Bible and any other source that gave evidence to the lesson he was offering. 


Daniel Day-Lewis, who normally communicates in a deep baritone, used a high-pitched, reedy tenor voice in the film. Historical sources indicate that this timbre is close to the way Lincoln actually spoke. There were plenty of rambling monologues in the script and Day-Lewis kept my husband and I captivated with this soft, homey cadence.

The language and the delivery were magnificent.

Steven Spielberg did a remarkable job with his depiction of our 16^th president. This is one of the most authentic biographical movies I’ve ever seen.

If you love lyrical words masterfully woven together by some of the finest actors and actresses working, then I recommend this movie. If you love action-packed thrillers with car chases and exploding airplanes, then I do not recommend this movie.

Let me know what you thought of the movie.

An Alternative Look at David Bowie's song, Changes

This post was going to be about David Bowie’s song, Changes. I love the song. It’s brilliant how the lyrics are just vague enough to be open to individual interpretation, of which there are many.

Some believe that the Changes lyrics focus on the obsessive nature of artistic reinvention, which Bowie mastered. More common interpretations include taking a hard look at the process of aging and how you’ll handle the changes that go along with it. Even deeper, the lyrics examine a young man's attempt to figure out how he'll react to moving from the ‘cool, hip’ side of the generation divide to the ‘old, outdated’ side.

My plan was to take an excerpt of the Bowie lyrics and wax academic about the primary text and sub texts, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah.  

BUT…

…this is so much more fun. As I was researching the lyrics I noticed some word discrepancies—especially after the Ch-ch-ch-changes hook. I always thought the lyrics were:

> Turn and face the strain
Ch-ch-changes

It turns out, I may not be correct. Here are some of the alternative suggestions:

> Turn and face the strange
As in - move out and face the unknown.

> Turn and face the change
Which is an obvious repeat of the hook

> Turn and chase the grain
Guessing that Bowie drinks whiskey with a beer chaser

> Turn and get my cane
The refrain Bowie will sing when he gets older

Other notable interpretations:

> Turn and take the train
> Turn and face the stain
> Churn your face in Spain
> Turn and face Loraine
> Time to eat chow mein

Okay, I’m easily amused but these are laugh out loud funny to me. Here, take a listen and tell me what you think the mystery lyrics in David Bowie’s song, Changes are.

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This post was written for The Writers' Post group on Facebook, and this week’s topic is changes.  If you want to connect with other bloggers and join the fun, go to The Writers' Post Facebook page and request to join the group. Everyone is welcome.

French Words that Americans Use: Fun with Words

I've noticed many of my friends peppering their daily conversations with French words and phrases, sometimes unknowingly. I'm sure I do it too. C'est la vie.*

Hors D'oeuvres

Though often mocked and intentionally mispronounced, the French phrase hors d'oeuvre is commonly used by Americans. Translated, hors d'oeuvres means small portions of food served as an appetizer or offered at a cocktail party. If an invitation says 'heavy hors d'oeuvres' you know the party will have plenty to eat but you won't get a sit-down meal. 

Bon Voyage

Before leaving on a long trip you may hear the words bon voyage. Literally translated into the English language, this French phrase means 'good journey.' Bon voyage has been borrowed from the French and is often used by Americans to mean 'have a good trip'.

Déjà Vu

Déjà vu is the feeling of reliving a prior experience. It's a peculiar feeling of familiarity, though you are likely experiencing the event or circumstance for the first time. Déjà vu has become such a common term in the English language that it's hard to describe what it means without using the phrase déjà vu itself. Can you do it? Give it a try in the comments section.

Merci Beaucoup

Americans often use the French word merci or the French phrase merci beaucoup as a substitute for thank you. Merci translates to English as 'thank you' and the translation for merci beaucou' is 'thank you very much.'

Bon Appétit

The French phrase bon appétit is often said to one another before a meal. Bon appétit literally translates to 'good appetite' or 'hearty appetite'. Americans say bon appétit before eating as a way of saying 'enjoy your meal' or 'have a nice meal.'

*The literal translation for C'est la vie is 'it is life.' Many Americans use c'est la vie to mean 'that's life' or—if you want to use the Urban Dictionary as a reference—'oh well, $hit happens'.

For example-

Me: I can't believe I gained 3 pounds!

You: C'est la vie. Get over it.

Speaking of food (weren't we?!), I like my pie a la mode, s'il vous plait. 

 

Common Words Writers and Bloggers Misuse: Fun with Words

Disclaimer: I am not a grammarian. I make mistakes in my writing. I am always learning, growing and (hopefully) honing my craft.

I read a lot of blogs and see common words that even seasoned writers and bloggers misuse. In many cases, online writers and bloggers don’t have editors. We can self-publish with the push of a button. There is danger in that freedom; when words are repeatedly used incorrectly, a writer’s post or article loses credibility.

Homonyms are tricky. They are words that are spelled or pronounced the same way as one or more other words but have different meanings. If you’re writing and you’re unsure about the proper use of a word, take the time to look it up. If you’re in the flow and can’t be bothered, go back and edit before you publish. It matters.

Here are some of the worst offenders:

The Power of Words

I love words, I started collecting them when I was little girl. Some girls collect dolls or stuffed animals. Not me. It was all about words.

As a kid, I had 2 notebooks with me at all times. In one notebook, I’d record new words that I heard or read. If I didn’t understand what the word meant, I’d look it up and write down the definition. Then, I’d try to use the new word casually, in conversation. My (mis)use of these oversized words was hilarious to the grown-ups in my life. In fact, we still laugh about a few of the golden nuggets I stiltedly pushed through my kid-mouth to form an awkward sentence. We call those comical phrases ‘quotable quotes.’

Still, I persevered. Words held power. I wanted to know words, to understand them, to use them properly.   

In the second notebook, I collected quotes. I was (and still am) moved and amazed at the power of the right words strung together to express the perfect thought.

My love of words, quotes, song lyrics and poems comes naturally. My paternal grandmother was a published author and poet. Her first gift to me was a rhyming poem. I still have it, in her handwriting. What a treasure.

Now my 11-year old niece is keeping the tradition alive. She uses the funniest words sometimes, struggling to work them into a cohesive sentence. She has her own notebook full of favorite words. When she grows up, I hope we’ll laugh together about her ‘quotable quotes.’ I hope she’ll use the power of words in a positive way.

Even as a kid I knew that words have power. I wanted to understand the power, harness it and use it well. 

I still want all that.

The pen is mightier than the sword. ~Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." ~Rudyard Kipling

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This post was written for The Writers' Post group on Facebook, and this week’s topic is The Power of Words.  If you want to connect with other bloggers and join the fun, go to The Writers' Post Facebook page and request to join the group. Everyone is welcome.

 

OO Words for Scrabble and Words With Friends Players

Pondering a post with oomph while sipping a mug of oolong tea…

Hmmm, what should I blog about today? Seems I'm oozing oodles of oo-words so I'll go with that. I'll write about one of my favorite games: Scrabble.

As kids, we played a lot of board games. I'm dating myself (not literally) but there were no video games at that time. Scrabble was our go-to game, that and Battleship. My parents instilled a love of words in us at an early age--my mom still rocks the NY Times crossword puzzle in pen!

Some common words that start with oo include: oodles, oomph, ooze, oops, ooh but none of those give high Scrabble scores. As I compile this list, I'm smiling at the fact that oozily is a real word. I'm glad that wazoo and ballyhoo are real words. Also interesting: jackaroo and buckaroo can be spelled with an a or an e. Who knew? See how fun words can be. I digress...

So for those of you who play old-fashioned Scrabble, 3D Scrabble or Scrabble online, here is a list of high scoring words that begin or end in 2 O’s.

Word                        Letters                 Points

oophorectomy                   12                          24

oophorectomies                 14                          23

oozinesses                          10                          19

oophytic                             8                            18

oozily                                 6                            18

oompahing                         9                            17

ooziness                             8                            17

oomiacks                            8                            16

oompahed                          8                            16

oophytes                             8                            16

ooziest                                7                            16

oozing                                6                            16

oozy                                   4                            16

jackaroo                             8                            21

jackeroo                             8                            21

didjeridoo                          10                          20

switcheroo                         10                          18

cockapoo                           8                            18

kazoo                                 5                            18

wazoo                                5                            17

ballyhoo                             8                            16

bazoo                                 5                            16

buckaroo                            8                            16

buckeroo                            8                            16

cockatoo                            8                            16

kerchoo                              7                            16

peekaboo                           8                            16

peekapoo                           8                            16

word source: scrabblelookup.com

For competitive word lovers and competitive Scrabble players, check out Top Ten Words that Start with X and V Words for Scrabble Players.

Play on!

Top Ten Words That Start with X

While considering what to write about for the X-day on the A - Z Blogging Challenge, I came across loads of X-words I'd never heard of. For fun, I tried to use them in (very simple) sentences to see how it felt. While they don't exactly roll off the tongue, it was an interesting exercise, though I doubt I'd ever use these words in real life. See if you can weave a few X-words into your daily vocabulary.

1) Xenodochial - hospitable; kindly to strangers

We liked going to Betty's house, she was always xenodochial.

2) Xanthic - yellow; yellowish

Bill shouldn't have eaten those peanuts, now he looks xanthic.

3) Xenodocheionology - love of hotels

England is the best place to indulge my xenodocheionology.

4) Xebec - small three-masted pirate ship

That almost looks like a xebec in the harbor.

5) Xylopolist - one who sells wood

My dad made a good living as a xylopolist.

6) Xerothermic - dry and hot

Arizona is nice but I find it a bit xerothermic.

7) Xenophobia - fear of foreigners

Jane can't visit France due to her extreme xenophobia.

8) Xanthippe - ill-tempered woman

We avoided Modine at all costs, she was truly a xanthippe.

9) Xenium - gift made to a guest or ambassador; any compulsory gift

After our visit, a xenium was offered.

10) Xerasia - abnormal dryness of the hair

This was my third deep conditioning treatment and I still suffer from xerasia.

Source: The Phrontistery

V Words for Scrabble and Words With Friends Players

Nothing passes time better than a good game of Scrabble. Growing up, we often played board games at the kitchen table. Scrabble was one of our favorites and it instilled a love of words in me, my brother and my sis. Now that good Scrabble games are available online, you can waste more time entertain yourself for hours.

For the A-Z Blogging Challenge I'm providing a list of high scoring V words for you Scrabble players (from scrabblelookup.com). Good luck!

     Word                                          Letters                 Points

ventriloquizing	15	37
ventriloquized	14	36
ventriloquizes	14	35
ventriloquize	13	34
vasectomizing	13	30
ventriloquially	15	30
victimizations	14	30
vanquishable	12	29
vascularization	15	29
vasectomized	12	29
ventriloquistic	15	29
victimization	13	29
vasectomizes	12	28
ventriloquisms	14	28
verbalizations	14	28
victimizing	11	28
vizcachas	9	28
vizierships	11	28
vulcanizations	14	28
vandalizations	14	27
vanquishing	11	27
vaporizable	11	27
vaporizations	13	27
vasectomize	11	27
ventriloquism	13	27
verbalization	13	27
vexillological	14	27
victimized	10	27
victimizers	11	27
vizcacha	8	27
viziership	10	27
vocalizations	13	27
volatilizable	13	27
volatilizations	15	27
vouchsafements	14	27
vulcanization	13	27
vulgarizations	14	27