Wednesday 25 March 2015

Lugubrious

Lugubrious means, doleful, mornful or dismal. It sounds as though it should be something fun, doesn't it?

As far as I can recall I've only ever come across it in relation to speech, but characters needn't just speak lugubriously, the could show their inner lugubriousness through a sad expression and dejected manner.

Much as I like the sound of foghorns, I think it would be fair to describe the noise they make as lugubrious.

Thanks to Beatrice!!!!

Wednesday 18 March 2015

Hyperbole

According to my dictionary, hyperbole (pronounced hyperbollee) is 'an exaggerated statement not meant to be taken literally'. I wish someone would tell the media (especially the local news) and marketeers that.

People are never a bit upset and mildly inconvenienced when a bus service changes or the lift is out of order, they're devastated, trapped and stranded. When there's a mistake on their gas bill they're not a bit surprised and then glad when it's sorted out, they're shocked, dismayed and horrified then hugely relieved.

Food manufacturers don't release a new flavour, instead it's an exciting new recipe or unique taste sensation. Products are never quite a good idea which might be useful, they're innovative and life changing.

TV programmes are never quite amusing, they're always hilarious and slide-splittingly funny. Presumably 'they' watch the director's cut, leaving me with the version which got slightly lost in translation ... either that or I'm just a complete and total misery. Yeah, could be that.

Here's a picture of a deadly poisonous fungi I risked life and limb to photograph for you. Or, without the hyperbole, here's a fungi which might not be good to eat and which was growing on a slope of wet grass, meaning that had I not been careful I could have slipped a bit as I walked up to it.

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Stopple

A stopple is a stopper or plug, usually for a bottle. We seem to have quite a few. I've no idea if they work - once our wine is open, we drink it rather than go round stoppling it.

Actually stopple is the verb as well as the noun, but however you say it, it seems an odd thing to do.