Bluebell

A bluebell is a flower with a blue (except when it's white or pink, obviously) bell shaped flower. Which particular flower depends on where in the world you live. 

 These are English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) – which I photographed in Wales.

These are Scottish bluebells (Campanula rotundifolia) known as harebells in England.







These are Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica).

Which flowers do you think of as bluebells? 

Perchance

Perchance is another one of those words my dictionary claims poets are allowed to use whenever they like, but the rest of us should limit to historical works.

It means perhaps, maybe, by chance, or by any chance. For example, 'would you care to buy my book, perchance?'

Hmm, perchance my dictionary is right – it does sound very dated, doesn't it?

Schedule

This post has been scheduled as I'll be at sea when it's due to go out and won't be able to do it then. I do a lot of travelling, so it's not that uncommon for me to be without wi-fi access. Even so, I do sometimes feel a little insecure if I can't easily contact other people. Maybe that's the writer's need to communicate?

I'm sure writers are very familiar with schedules. When we make a list of things we intend to do, we're scheduling our time, we might schedule social media posts to promote a book, and the publications we write for may have a payment schedule.

Other meanings of schedule include making an inventory or table of contents, or including something, for example a rare bird, for preservation or protection and anything which runs to a published timetable. For example this ferry was exactly to schedule.

It's appropriate that my need to schedule this post is connected with an insecurity as this is the first Wednesday of the month and therefore an Insecure Writer'sSupport Group post.

Does being disconnected from the World Wide Web make you feel insecure?

Do you pronounce the first syllable of schedule as shed, or sked?

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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.