Tassel

A tassel is generally a tuft of wool, or other thread used as a decoration on cushions, scarves etc. Some plant heads or flowers are also refered to as tassels, if their stamens or other parts appear tassel like. Young sweetcorn cobs are an example.

A tassel can also refer to a piece of wood or stone supporting a joist or beam.

Jackie Sayle indulged in a spot of tasselling when she created my druid initiate*, as she tasselled yarn for the hair. She makes lots of brilliant knitted characters which she sells to raise money for a charity which helps people with cancer.

*originally a gnome, but she and her friends are converting.
Happy hallowe'en!

Vegetably

Today's word of the week was suggested by Carolyn Henderson, after I used it in reply to a question she asked on Facebook – What does pumpkin taste like? My response was 'faintly vegetably'. That's about right, isn't it?








Vegetably means, of or relating to plants, reminiscent of vegetables, or with vegetative properties. I wonder what they are? That bit made me think of a caped swede (as opposed to Alexander Skarsgård who is sometimes a caped Swede and who I don't think of as often as you might imagine).










The word can also mean containing vegetables. Eg the beef pie was very vegetably, or with respect to vegetables.













My most recent book cover is rather vegetably, and the vegetables are pumpkins, so that all ties in very neatly and gives me an excuse to mention that Slightly Spooky Stories II is available now as a paperback or ebook and free to read if you have Kindle Unlimited.

Acanthus

An acanthus is a herbaceaous plant or shrub of the genus Acanthus. They have spiny leaves and tend to be big and noticeable. The kind of plant you'd describe as handsome, architectural or impressive, rather than pretty.

Talking of architecture, acanthus leaves are often the inspiration for stylized representations of plant life, often created from stone, used to decorate buildings, especially the tops of columns. Those can be called acanthus too.

Hare

A hare is any member of the animal family Leporidae.

They can run really fast, which is why my second shot is a bit blurry! It's also the reason the lures used in dog racing are called hares. I'm not sure, but the fact these go round in circles might be why people who dash about all over the place are said to be haring around.


To be hare-brained is to act in a rash or wild manner.

Should you try to remain on good terms with both parties during a difficult situation, you may be described as running with the hare and hunting with the hounds.

The Hare and Hounds sounds to me like one of those pubs which looks all nice and traditional on the outside, then tries to sell you 'deconstructed' food and refuses to serve it on plates.

To start a hare can be to open up a lively discussion or to set something in motion.  Hmmm... what do you think about restaurant food you have to assemble yourself, or which is served in a shoe, on a bat, or wrapped in a nappy?

Muselet

A muselet is the little wire cage thingy which holds the cork into a bottle of fizzy (and usually alcoholic) liquid. I know this because my lovely husband told me, adding, "Did you know there was a word for that?"

My reply was, "Yes, love, I did. There's a word for everything. Do you not read my blog?"

He then suggested he remove the muselet from a bottle he'd previously put in the fridge, so that was OK. (The photo shows more than one night's 'research' – honest!)

Talking of liquid, for those who've not yet read my small taster collection of short stories, Not A Drop To Drink, it's still available as a free download.

Tod

To be on your tod means to be alone. If you're British, the chances are you knew that – but did you know the phrase originated as Cockney rhyming slang? The Tod in question was a jockey called Tod Sloan. Whether he was most often alone at the front or the back of the field, I can't tell you.

Alternatives are on your pat (Pat Malone) and on your Jack (Jack Jones). Who Pat and Jack were is something else I can't tell you. Maybe that's something you can tell me?

Here's me apparently on my tod in Rhodes.

Mull

Mull can mean to think ponderously or deeply. E.g. Patsy mulled over an idea for her next novel. I do a lot of mulling.












Alternatively it's a soft muslin fabric, a layer of humus, or the practice of heating liquid, usually wine, with spices to make a delicious warming drink.

There's a good reason for Mull being today's word of the week – it's the Scottish island in the inner Hebrides where the mobile writing retreat is currently located.

Kyle

A kyle is the term for a narrow channel between islands, or an island and the mainland – but only in Scotland. There's one between the island of Skye and the Scottish mainland, called the Kyle of Lochalsh (because it's at the end of Loch Alsh). I think this is it ...

There's also a village called the Kyle of Lochalsh. There are other places in the area with Kyle in the name, such as Kylerhea and Kyleakin. My navigation is haphazard at best, so we sometimes visit places we hadn't intended too. Luckily the whole area is so beautiful that we're rarely disappointed, wherever we end up.

A reminder – my new short story collection, Perfect Timing is currently on offer for 99p / 99c.

Oddity

An oddity is a strange thing, person, occurrence or a peculiar trait. It can also mean the state of being odd.

When I was a kid, some people considered me a bit of an oddity, but they didn't know I was going to become a writer. As writers go, I don't think I'm especially weird. I'm barely eccentric really, if you catch me on a good day.

Are you an oddity?