Lichen is also the name of a skin disease, but let's not go there.
Lichenology is the study of lichens and things which have been lichened.
Personally I pronounce the word litch-in (as in litch-gate which I feel is appropriate because churchyards are a good place to see lichen). The alternative is to say it as though it were written liken.
Lichen forms when something just stands about doing nothing. You can't afford to do that if you want to enter this free crimewriting competition, as it ends at the end of the month. The prize is a two book contract with Avon (an imprint of Harper Collins).
6 comments:
Hi Patsy - it's always interesting see lichen (and I'm a liken person!) ... these earliest of plant growths are so varied ... wonderful artistic patterns. I'm sure one could murder someone with a lichen-cocktail ... but sounds an interesting competition to enter. Cheers Hilary
I’m a litch-in pronouncer. I love to see it on old plant pots as it gives so much character. It speaks of age and immobility and I’m not going to goggle the skin condition lol!!!
Glad there are some other litch-en pronouncers! That was what we always called it in the West Country - it was only much later that I heard the other version. Wasn't sure if 'my' way was a local dialect or not.
Here we just call it moss...
I think you mean moss as we call it here?
@ Hilary – I've never considered them as a murder weapon – they look so friendly.
@ Mags – I agre that a sprinkling does add character to pots and ornaments.
@ Lindsay – There may be regional differences, but I'm not from the West Country so you're way isn't just from that area.
@ Alex and Nasreen – that's interesting. We have moss here, but that's something different (a plant which grows in damp and/or shady places and forms peat). I wonder what you call the stuff we know as moss, or if you use the same word for both.
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