Skip to main content

It's not what it seems so don't wander

Lazaruz Vault by Tom Harper tells of knights and castles; a 12th century poem kept deep in a Scottish forest. The star character, a gradschool student lured by old world affluence, is wondering about what lies on the 6th floor of her employer's headquarters as much as I furrowed my brow over some words in the story. There could be more as I haven't touched chapters 20 - 53 yet. I make each vocabulary simple with just the obvious term of the definition and reminders intended to warn my mind against wandering off.

1. hauberk is a shirt not a partner in crime

2. bittern is a bird not a betel nut

3. fascia is tissue not a hue

4. vavasour is a tenant not a sour guava

5. breton is a horse not a variant spelling of briton

6. brigand is an outlaw not a brigadier

7. declension is an inflection not necessarily a decline

8. donjon is a keep not a dungeon

9. seneschal is a butler not Senegal in the 2000 FIFA World Cup

10. fewter is a holder not Harry Potter's cauldron

11. letch is a satyr not the grub in Lion King

12. tannoy is a loudspeaker not a tan alloy

13. proscenium is a wall not "Mr Van Helsing, your reputation precedes you."

Megan and Janet hosts Thursday 13.

Comments

Xakara said…
I only recognize 1, 2, 3, 6, 9 and 11. Thanks for expanding my vocabulary!

Happy TT,

~Xakara
13 Quotes from the Coda Series
Hazel said…
Ah good for you. I was clueless you know, lol! But yeah, expand, expand, expand the vocabulary. Not the waistline :D
Anya said…
Never heard from those words :(
Thanks for telling what it means ;)

:-)
I am Harriet said…
I knew I think 2 of those. Too funny.

Have a great day!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2011/02/february-is-american-heart-month/
Mary Quast said…
A Scotsman could speak jibberish to me and I'd still be turned into mush. Thanks for the list.

Happy TT.

http://maryquast.blogspot.com/2011/02/thursday-thirteen-13-love-surprises.html
Anonymous said…
The real feat would be to use one of these words in a real-world conversation with someone. Gives new meaning to "word of the day."
Anonymous said…
Isn't it funny that a brigand is the opposite of brigadier?
Mercy said…
All very new to me, thankyou for sharing. Have a great day and happy T13!
Hazel said…
Anya, I'm glad you now do. I am too :)

Harriet, you better off than i. i knew nothing, lol

Mary, awwww ... now if a Scotsman turned up... :D
Hazel said…
Twobarkingdogs, I've done a similar thing with former classmates (English Literature 101) about using new words in real life conversation. It was sooo much fun.

Alice, exactly!

Rogue, you're welcome. Thanks for stopping by.
Unknown said…
I love 'new to me' words. Great list. I'd only heard a couple of them before.

Popular posts from this blog

Answers through pictures

Genebei invited me to do this picture tag. I must admit I had a lot of fun doing this. It took me a long time though to find Google images that are royalty free or NOT subject to copyright. I don't mean to be boring but I have to be wary of this thing. When I searched for photos I did type copyright free photos of .... (I claim no ownership of these images. I am not in any way selling or earning from these photos). Now for the instructions: "Use Google image to search the answers to the questions below. You must choose a picture from the first page of the results, and post it as your answer." 1. The age of my next birthday 2. Place I'd like to travel to 3. Favorite food 4. Favorite place 5. One of my nicknames 6. Favorite color 7. College major 8. Name of my love 9. Hobby 10. Bad habit 11. My wish list Have fun everyone! --------- I mean innocent fun :)

Whisper your wishes

Cross-cultural misunderstandings are rife among gestures of beckonings and farewells in different parts of our planet. For example, the American gesture for "come here" could mean "good-bye" to Italians. Axtell (1998) observes, "the way people beckon one another around the world can be almost as diverse as the way we greet and bid farewell to one another." Today we look into popular hand gestures to signal farewells and to beckon. 1. In the United States , common gesture for getting someone's attention, as when calling a waiter is to raise a hand about head high with the index finger raised (exactly the girl's hand gesture on Samulli's header ) If an American used that gesture to a waiter in Germany , saying "Water please," the German waiter would bring two glasses of water In Japan it is rude; pointing a finger at anyone is considered impolite 2. Italians and Greeks will often wave goodbye with the arm extended, palm up,...

Main course

Write From Karen For starters, I'd like some milk and whiskey.... A muscle towed my brow upward. "We are talking fine dining, people, and I want you all to go international," I announced to a group of Marketing majors last Sunday. These are what I fancied from their presentation: 1. Red mullet and skordalia (Greek) 2. Salmon sashimi with avocado (Japanese) 3. Braised halibut provencal (French) 4. Chargrilled prawns with lemongrass, tomatoes and coconut (Malaysian) 5. Lamb Steak with tequila and chilli (Mexican) 6. Veal roast with aromatic herbs and potatoes (Italian) 7. Roast mutton with red currant jelly (English) 8. Vermicilli with oyster mushrooms and king prawns (Vietnamese) 9. Somboon crab curry (Thai) 10. Chicken chow mien (Chinese American) 11. Barbecued lamb cutlets with mango and coriander salsa (African) 12. Bulalo (Filipino) 13. Paella vegetarian (Spanish) Never again will I go to work with an empty stomach . Megan and Janet host Thursday Thirteen . Click here ...