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Thursday, February 17

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.

10 comments:

  1. Ah good for you. I was clueless you know, lol! But yeah, expand, expand, expand the vocabulary. Not the waistline :D

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  2. Never heard from those words :(
    Thanks for telling what it means ;)

    :-)

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  3. I knew I think 2 of those. Too funny.

    Have a great day!
    http://harrietandfriends.com/2011/02/february-is-american-heart-month/

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  4. 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

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  5. 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."

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  6. Isn't it funny that a brigand is the opposite of brigadier?

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  7. All very new to me, thankyou for sharing. Have a great day and happy T13!

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  8. 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

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  9. 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.

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  10. I love 'new to me' words. Great list. I'd only heard a couple of them before.

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