Wednesday's word of the week is celerity. I hadn't heard of it until a couple of days ago. I was at the day job doing the crossword (it was lunchtime, honest) and my colleague made up this word. When we consulted the dictionary we found it was a real word - that's not the first time such a thing has happened. The word means swiftness, especially of a living creature. I'm guessing it might be connected to the word accelerate in some way, but I'm not sure.Write with speed and you'll have time to enter this free to enter writing competition and win yourself a safari in Botswana (where you're sure to see living creatures) or this also free one where the prize is £250 plus publication. Don't go making stuff up though as both these are for non fiction.
Sometimes moving swiftly isn't the best plan - we'd be better advised to slow down and look properly so we can see the dangers ahead. Winning these will allow you to take a good look at what you're doing.
18 comments:
You'll definitely expand your vocabulary with crossword puzzles. And my wife makes up words all the time and darn if they aren't real words half the time!
Another new word! I'd never heard of celerity. It has a nice ring to it x
I knew that word! Do I get a prize? I think it comes from the Latin celer for swift (as in fast, not bird!), but may be wrong.
Alex, I find loads of great words through the puzzles - then usually forget them again. I'm hoping blogging about them will help me to remember.
It's a good word, isn't it, Teresa? Think it deserves to be much more widely known.
Sorry, Frances, no prize this time, but I'm impressed by your incredible vocabulary.
I find the programme Pointless is good at teaching me new words, like the one I heard today - kludge
means a patch in a computer programme.
Those lamps are gorgeous!! Thanks for the info to that - I read the blurb, answered the question and filled in my details! LOL! Well you never know!!!
Oh Patsy! I thought - hang on a minute - you've not spelled celebrity right! LOL!! What a great word! Thank you!
p.s. I also say I do most of my blogging at work during my lunchtimes. Honest!!! Take care
x
I did know "celerity," though I always think of eating celery really fast when I see it.
Your blog has become very educational Patsy. I am learning lots of new words :-)
Ah yes indeed. Crossword puzzles. Then I moved to Britain from Canada. A circular rubber thing that your car moves on. Ah easy, 'tire' Huh?! Oh, 'tyre' :)
I am always looking to increase my vocabulary. Shakespeare had a vocabulary of 54,000. The average person today has an average vocabulary of 3,000. Now, I know 3,001. Thanks!
Shirley, I've not come across Pointless, but if it teaches words like Kludge it can't be all bad. I'd not heard that one before.
Hope you win the lamps, Kitty as it sounds like they'd brighten your day (see what I did there?)
If it came up as a captcha word, that'd be it's definition I suspect, Linda.
Thanks, Diane - glad to be of service.
klahanie, I can see how the differences in spelling could be particularly confusing whilst doing crosswords.
Crack your whip, you've now made me wonder how many words I know. Maybe I should by a huge dictionary and tick them off like some people do when bird spotting?
Celerity is a great word - I'll look out for it in one of your stories (it may creep into one of mine!) The lamps look very good - I pounced on that competition entry form with great celerity!
Botswana? What a cool win! Thank you. What's with the captchas? Now I have to type in two words?
Now that's a Bonza word. It would make a great title for a sci fi fantasy YA novel. I love your posts and your competition finds. x
Linda, I am tempted to sneak in a few of my words of the week when the opportunity arises.
Clarissa, it's getting more difficult to read them too. I'd like to remove the requirement for them on this blog, but can't see how to do it.
Madeleine, it certainly would be a great sci-fi title.
I'd love to win either one of these prizes. Too bad I mostly write fiction.
Thanks for stopping by my blog! Great to see you!
Celerity is a character's name in one of my favorite trilogies--Robin Hobb's Golden Man books. All the noble characters have adjective names that describe the personalities their parents want to evoke. I thought that was kind of cool. I think it's a pretty word.
Lauren, some of the fiction comps have great prizes too.
Colleen, what a great way to name characters.
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