David Zapatka “Where’s my cellphone?” “Have you seen my cell phone?” “There’s no connection here. It’s so frustrating!” “My phone isn’t working. What am I going to do?” “Honey, will you call my cell phone? I can’t find it.” Have you heard these conversations? Scary, isn’t it? This fear is so prevalent in our society…
Tag: word of the month
Features, February 2023
Word of the Month: Abecedarian
David Zapatka Reader, friend, and fellow pickleball player Janie Blake-Zunino writes, “While reading Dancing with the Muse in Old Age by Priscilla Long, I read the word abecedarian and found it interesting.” Abecedarian abe·ce·dar·i·an noun a person who is just learning; a novice adjective 1. arranged alphabetically 2. rudimentary; elementary Origin and Etymology—abecedary “alphabet book, primer” (going back to…
Features, December 2022
Word of the Month: Run
David Zapatka Reader Carmela Hopkins writes, “Every month I look for your column in the Splash. Have you considered an article on the word ‘run?’ You’re on a run. I mean roll.” There are more definitions of this word than any word I have researched. Here are a few. Run verb a. to go faster than…
Features, November 2022
Word of the Month: Inutile
David Zapatka Reader Carmela Hopkins writes, “Dear Mr. Zapatka, every month I look for your column in the Splash. Last month’s article particularly grabbed my attention because you mentioned Richard Lederer, whom I read monthly in the Mensa Bulletin. Have you considered an article on the word ‘run?’ It seems like such an obviously…
Features, October 2022
Word of the Month: Luthier and Oud
David Zapatka At a recent Weird Music concert at Stillwell Pianos in Mesa, I was pleasantly surprised to hear a traveling Belgian-Italian guitar duet playing the music of Gurdjieff collaboratively written with Gurdjieff’s musically gifted pupil, Thomas de Hartmann. I have had an appreciation for Gurdjieff’s philosophies since I began reading him in the early ‘70s…
Features, September 2022
Word of the Month: Eggcorn Reader Comments
David Zapatka July’s WOTM word, “eggcorn,” resulted in a flurry of reader comments. “Just read your article in the Pioneer Press about eggcorns, and it made me chuckle. I didn’t realize they were called eggcorns, but I’ve encountered a few of the same “slip of the ears.” One that always annoys me is when people say ‘It’s…
Features, August 2022
Word of the Month: Sniglet
David Zapatka Thirteen months ago, we went off the beaten path of dictionary words when reader Debbie M. wrote, “Hello, I enjoy your column and want to offer a suggestion. ‘Orbisculate’ is a word not yet in the dictionary. I think we should help the young people who are trying to get this word into…
Features, July 2022
Word of the Month: Eggcorn
David Zapatka Is it just me or are you hearing this too? It seems more people are using words or phrases that sound like but are mistakenly used in a semi-logical or seemingly plausible way for the correct word or phrase either on its own or as part of an expression. While at Rudy’s BBQ,…
Features, June 2022
Word of the Month: Capo
David Zapatka While listening to the Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks tune, “I Have a Capo on my Brain,” last night, I thought, how could a “capo” be on a brain, and secondly, haven’t I heard this word used in another context? The movie The Godfather came to mind. This sparked research into this word.…
Features, May 2022
Word of the Month: Emplacement
David Zapatka While watching the last two episodes of The Expanse, I heard significant dialogue about the rail guns being used by Marcos Inaros, the leader of the Belters’ Free Navy, who was intent on destroying the Inners (pronounced Innas), the people residing on Earth, Luna (the moon), and Mars. These rail guns were…