Arlene Miller's Blog, page 20

So Very Busy . . .

You know those people who wear their “busyness” like a badge of honor? “I don’t know when I can do that. I am so booked up!” Well, I am one of those people.

You might be old enough to remember when we didn’t have cell phones — when we didn’t make advance plans on when we were going to call someone. We called and someone answered the phone.  And they could usually talk to us no matter when we called. If they were on another call, we would get a busy signal, and we would try again later. That was even before you could leave a message. And remember when you didn’t even know who was calling you, and you answered the phone anyway?? And back then, they probably weren’t trying to get you to buy an auto warranty!

Now, we need an appointment for a phone call. It seems as if everyone is busy, not just me. What are we all doing? Well, I can only answer for myself. . .

First of all, I am busier since the pandemic began because I go to a lot of virtual things I wouldn’t go to if it required me to buy a ticket and drive somewhere. It is so easy to sign up for something virtual. I have gone to (free) symphony concerts where I used to live — across the country — that I would not be able to attend from where I live now if they hadn’t been doing virtual concerts for a time. I have always attended author signings and book talks at my local bookstores, but I can still attend them on either coast because many are now virtual. I have attended, I think, three writing conferences that I wouldn’t have attended if I had to get on a plane and go somewhere. And because some comedians and other performers have not been able to make a living lately doing live performances, they have begun podcasts or YouTube programs — so I watch/listen to some of those. And now I can meet virtually with friends who are in California. I mean, I always could, but before the pandemic, they would meet in California and I could no longer join them, but I can now. 

I am a type A personality and like to overwhelm myself with things to do. Fortunately, I do not know the meaning of the word bored. And although there is certainly nothing wrong with retiring and playing tennis or golf — or biking or traveling — it’s not for me. 

When I think of all the things we have to do, I am not surprised that I am so busy. After all, there are only so many hours in the day — and I “waste” quite a few of them on social media (which I say is “work,” and some of it truly is), playing games on my phone, and now — Wordle. Thank goodness there is only one Wordle a day. Oh, and I do enjoy computer Ma Jongg.

I bet if you listed all the things you do, you would know why you are so busy. I have done that.

When you are older, there is medical maintenance – dermatology, ophthalmology, etc.Then there is the other kind of maintenance: manicures, pedicures, hair cuts and color.Of course there is the daily maintenance of shower, makeup (maybe), teeth, dressing.Everyone has to  spend time grocery shopping, doing laundry, and cleaning the house.There is home maintenance, car maintenance.I have a dog, so I have to feed her twice a day, take her out several times a day, and make sure I have food, poop bags, etc., and then there are shots and vet appointments, baths, flea treatment, etc.Even if you aren’t a gourmet (and I am not), we need to eat, so there is food preparation involved.Let’ s not forget about those virtual events.I am not a joiner, but I belong to at least six organizations and am on the board of two of them. Two are political, four are author/publisher related. They have meetings, board meetings, webinars, conferences. We need some time to socialize with friends and family.We have to make sure we have enough “stuff”: toiletries, clothes, detergent, etc.I have a business. I write books. I get tons of e-mails to sift through and delete (or reply, or save until they are out of date!).  I write a weekly blog post (right?). I need to keep my money straight. And my sales. We need to pay bills and taxes.We need to make calls to take care of annoying things like banks’ mistakes, etc.We need to watch TV because now there is Netflix, Hulu, Discovery, Disney, HBO, Prime, Paramount, etc. So much to watch, so little time. We need to exercise. Between exercise and stretching, that takes up nearly an hour of my time most days of the week.And we need to read, right? I try to read a couple of hours a day.I am exhausted. Look at all we have to do. No wonder we have no time to answer the phone!Oh, and I guess we need to sleep too.

In addition to being busy, I am a Virgo, and therefore regimented — much too regimented these days. It’s a little me, a little Covid, and a little because of all I have to do, but I have developed quite a rigid schedule! And I am one of those people who always knows what time it is!

I get up around 7:30 and make coffee, go back to bed to read, but I usually end up spending some of the time playing games on my phone, looking at Facebook and Twitter, and checking the weather.

I take the dog out around 8:30 for a really short walk or a sort of short walk.

I chase the dog around the house (she likes that), feed her, and am at my desk by 9. I then check my sales, my banks and credit card, my three e-mail accounts and then post on social media, while I am watching my favorite political show on my phone. 

Finally, I get dressed.

I have all those meetings and zooms I already talked about. I zoom weekly with some writing friends in California. Two Thursdays, one Friday, and one Saturday per month I have regular meetings.

I like to have a reading hour mid afternoon. It is sacred time (popcorn time too).

I will stop there lest you think I am toooo rigid. Okay, you can call it set in my ways. I have been alone for a long time, so I have had to learn not to depend on someone else for entertainment. However, I now live near my daughter and son-in-law, so I am where I should be — I miss my son, though, who is on the other side of the country

So next time you are overwhelmed with things to do, realize it is because — we all have a lot of things to do!

I will end this now, so I can go relax. (Wrong! Time to exercise.)

NEXT WEEK: Back to Grammar – Quotation Marks and Italics

 

How Well Do You Spel???

Remember spelling tests? Do we even need to know how to spell anymore? Autocorrect and other grammar/spelling checkers have eliminated the need. Or have they? Sometimes autocorrect goes haywire and gives you a word far from your intended one. And most grammar checkers cannot tell if you have used the right word as long as you have used a real word. 

But still, spelling seems less important than it used to be.  And some people are just better spellers than others, and it has nothing to do with one’s intelligence. The talent of good spelling seems to be somewhat hereditary. And some learning disabilities that get in the way of spelling. Those who read a lot probably may have better spelling because they see words on the written page and remember how they look. 

In any case, certain words give most people trouble. Here is a spelling quiz for you. Some of the words are spelled correct, and others are not. If you think a word is not spelled correctly, put in the correct spelling:

(Answers below)

harrass _______________________judgement_____________________acheive ________________________occurrence_______________________inoculate________________________relavant________________________mispelled________________________accommodate_____________________canceled_______________________millenium______________________accidently _______________________preseverance ___________________Carribbean ______________________ existance ________________________definitely_______________________embarrass_______________________minuscule_______________________flourescent ______________________seperate________________________copyright (the one in the book) _______________________expresso ______________________liaison________________________mischevious ____________________hors d’oerves ___________________license_________________________

 

Scroll down for the answers

 

 

Scroll down for the answers

 

 

One more time

 

 

harrass ____harass______judgement_correct_______acheive __achieve________occurrence_correct_______inoculate___correct______relavant ____relevant____mispelled _____misspelled_accommodate   correct__canceled____correct (cancelled is also correct, but one L is preferred)_millenium__correct_______accidently __accidentally__preseverance ___perseverance_Carribbean ___Caribbean___ existance  _____existence___definitely__correct________embarrass___correct______minuscule_____miniscule_flourescent __fluorescent____seperate _____separate___copyright (the one in the book) ___correct___expresso _espresso_____liaison_____ correct____mischevious _______mischievous___hors d’oerves _hors d’oeuvres____license_______correct______

 

Looking for Guest Posters? Have something to say that readers of this blog might be interested in? Seen a good movie or read a good book? Review it. Please e-mail me at info@bigwords101.comI had fun this week talking to my second Chilliwack British Columbia, Canada, Rotary Club.  (Virtually, of course). The man who asked me to speak told me he hasn’t seen the group so engaged in a long time. Made my week!

Words of the Year: 2021

Last week I attended the annual Word of the Year competition sponsored by the American Dialect Society. It was my second year participating. I am not sure how I got invited, and I think it might generally be in-person rather than on Zoom, in which case I wouldn’t be able to go. I really enjoy it. The American Dialect Society has been choosing a Word of the Year since the 1990s. 

Some dictionaries also name a word of the year. The word of the year is generally the word that has had the most impact that year. A word that signifies the year. It is not necessarily a new word. The American Dialect Society has ten categories for Word of the Year– sort of like the Academy Awards. 

When you get the invitation to attend, you are also invited to submit some words you think should be considered. Then, I believe, a small committee of word people gets together to get each category down to four to six entries. At the Zoom event, the words in each category are presented. The audience members can then raise their hands to give an opinion on why or why not a word should be selected. Then a poll is put up on the screen with the four to six entries, and we vote. There were nearly 400 people present this time. If no one word (or phrase) gets a majority, there is a runoff between the top two.

P.S. I felt really old because many of the words I had never heard of!

Here are the categories and winners (and what I voted for):

Political Word of the Year:

The Big LieCritical Race Theory (CRT)insurrectionmandate

I voted for insurrection. Insurrection won. The Big Lie came in second. 

Digital Word of the Year

bones day/no bones day (from Noodles the dog on Tik Tok)#FreeBritneyhorny jailparasocialgirl boss

I voted for bones day/no bones day. #Free Britney won. Para social came in second.

Pandemic Word of the Year

boostedbreakthroughDelta/Omriconlong Covidvariantvax/vaxxflurona (added by one of the facilitators last minute)

I voted for variant. Boosted won. Variant came in second.

Financial/Economic Word of the Year

The Great ResignationNFT (non-fungible token)SPA (special-purpose acquisition companies)stimmy (short for stimulus)stonk (deliberate misspelling of stock)supply chain

I voted for supply chain. Supply chain won. The Great Resignation came in second. 

Informal Word of the Year

cheugy (used by Gen Z to poke fun at millennials)down bad (desperate for sex)flop era (unsuccessful period for a pop star)yassify (putting filters to a photo to make it into a cartoon)

I voted for yassify. Yassify won. Cheugy came in second.

Euphemism of the Year

Election integrity (voter suppression)glizzyLet’s Go Brandon (F*** Biden)TFG (The Former Guy, used by those who don’t want to say trump’s name, including Biden)unalive (suicide, or sometimes just death)

I voted for Let’s Go Brandon. Unalive won. Elation integrity came in second.

Most Creative Word of the Year

chin diaper (masks worn below the nose)copium (combination of cope and opium)core (??? Beats me) Fauci ouchie

I voted for chin diaper. Fauci ouchie won. Chin diaper came in second.

Most Likely to Succeed

endemic mid (Gen Z slang for average)NFTsigma male (not alpha, but almost)shrinkflationantiworkThe Great Resignation

I voted for endemic. Antiwork won. The Great Resignation came in second. 

Most Useful Word of the Year

bussin’ (extremely good, such as food)hard pants (work clothes, as opposed to working at home clothes with elastic waists – soft pants)tone indicator (emojs that help illustrate the tone of a text)vibe (means the same as it always did)

I voted for hard pants. Hard pants won. Vibe came in second.

All Around Word of the Year – The Big One!

The Big LieThe Great ResignationInsurrectionantiworklong CovidOmicronvariantvax/vaxx

I voted for insurrection. Insurrection won. Vax/Vaxx came in second.

I think when I suggested words on my invitation, I suggested insurrection, variant…and one or two more that I don’t remember. 

Webster’s Word of the Year: Vaccine

Oxford English Dictionary’s Word of the Year: Vax

More information about the American Dialect Society

 

 

It’s Tense Out Here

Have you ever listened to someone tell a story about something that happened in the past, and they (singular they)  relate it in the present tense? “So I go into the store, and I run into my friend. He says he is having a party, and he invites me.” Sounds awful, huh?

Tense in writing is time. The English language has six main tenses and six related tenses. Then there are some other tenses (conditional tenses), but we don’t need to talk about those. 

Six main tenses:

Simple present: I walk – I walk for an hour every day.Simple past: I walked – I walked to the beach yesterday.Future: I will walk – I will walk to your house tomorrow.Present perfect: I have walked – I have walked a mile every day this week. (repetitive or still continuing)Past perfect: I had walked – I had walked about a mile when I ran into Jill. (happened in the past before anther past event)Future Perfect: I will have walked – I will have walked 10,000 steps before this day is over. (in the future before another future event)

The related six tenses, which are called continuous or progressive:

Present continuous: I am walking – I am walking the dog, so I will have to call you back.Past continuous: I was walking – I was waking along this path when I got stung by a bee.Future continuous: I will be walking – I will be walking to class until my car is fixed.Present perfect continuous: I have been walking – I have been walking to work for years. Past perfect continuous: I had been walking – I had been walking for an hour before my shoe broke. Future perfect continuous: I will have been walking – I will have been walking for four hours before I reach the end of the trail.

In speaking, it seems we actually use the continuous tenses more than the plain tenses. And we tend to avoid the perfect tenses. But each tense does have a different meaning, although sometimes slight.

Here are some tips for using tenses correctly when writing:

Use one tense consistently. Your main tense clearly establishes the time of action. Switching for no reason is confusing to the reader. You don’t want the same time period being described by two different tenses – I saw the writing on the wall and then I pick up my things and leave.The main tense we use is generally either simple past or simple present (or continuous past or present).Use one tense for the main discourse and then indicate changes in time by changing tense relative to the primary tense – I know you students are confused. I know you think you will never understand this, but you will. I thought this was difficult when I was a student too. Stories are usually told using past tense. Dialog is often in present tense with a past tense tag (“I am coming with you,” she said.) Dialog will then revert to past or future to change the timeframe of events.Past tense works well in novels because it indicates that the narrator is telling the story from a distance. On the other hand, present tense creates a sense of immediacy, as if the events are happening in real time. A thriller might be effective written in present tense. Essays are usually written with present tense as the primary tense. And it goes without saying to watch out for those irregular past tense forms! Have eaten, not have ate. Have swum, not have swam. Have drunk, not have drank. And so on.

This short passage is confusing because it switches from present tense to past tense for no reason:

My favorite pastime is reading. I read for hours every day, and love to sit outside when I am reading. While I read, I drank a mocha. 

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An InvitationThis blog has been running since the beginning of 2013. Fifty posts a year. Nine years. That’s 450 posts. I could use some guest posts. I know you have something interesting  to say — about writing or books or language or grammar or anything you think might fit in this blog. Of course, I will the the final judge of that! I reserve the right to edit, and you can link to your website or social media or nothing at all. If you are interested please contact me here.Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s All About New Year Resolutions

Do you still make New Year Resolutions? 

If you want to know more about the history of New Year Resolutions, check out this blog post from 2017.

Here are some of the most popular resolutions. You might be a little surprised at #1:

Exercise moreLose weight. (I would have put that at #1 – maybe in some lists, it is.) – Always one of mine!Get organized. YupLearn a new skill. My piano is still sitting there waiting.Live life to the fullest. Covid limits that one.Save more money. I have been doing pretty well at that one.Quit smoking. Thankfully not an issue for me. Or probably most of you at this point.Spend more time with family and friends.Travel more. Covid affects this one too.Read more. How much more can I possibly read???

I looked up suggestions for fun and funny resolutions. I stopped at the first one because I loved it so much:

Order every drink on the Starbucks menu. I might try that one.

How about resolutions for book lovers?

Never be without a book to read. Done!Return library books on time. (There are no overdue fees any longer in lots of places, but I still try to return my books on time. This can be tricky because I might have ten books out with different due dates. I keep track on the library website and read them in order of due dates, renewing the ones I can if I need to.Join a book club. Still haven’t done this one.Read outdoors.  I live in Florida, so I do this every afternoon. Best part of my day except for my morning coffee.Learn your librarians’ names. Haven’t done this one.Finish books you start unless you don’t like them. Yup. Life is too short to read books you don’t like.Explore more genres.  I need to work harder on this one.Read the book before you see the movie.Have your next book ready to read. Always.Declutter your bookshelves. It’s on my list.Write to authors you like – if they are alive. I do this occasionally.Save favorite passages and quotes in a Reading Journal.Patronize your local bookstores. I live in Florida. What local bookstore?  I did when I was in California.Keep a record of all books you finish. Thank you, Goodreads.Give more books as gifts. Why books make great gifts.Visit all the libraries in your county or library system.Don’t look ahead or read the last  page before you get there.Read with others. Have a reading party. Read aloud with others, or to others.

And resolutions for coffee lovers (that’s me!)

Try a new roast.Start a coffee club.Drink as much water as you do coffee, so you don’t become hydrated. I try.Make your coffee at home. Saves money. Oh, but Starbucks…..Drink it straight – no cream or sugar or syrups. Not quite ready for that.Stop using disposable cups.

No, we didn’t forget you tea lovers:

Invest in a proper tea set.Add new teas to your repertoire.Patronize a tearoom.Try new teatime recipes – sandwiches, sweets, etc. – and see what pairs well.Create a tea escape in your house – or outside.Whatever your resolutions are, or even if you have none – HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE GRAMMAR DIVA BLOG!

It’s All About New Years Resolutions

Do you still make New Years Resolutions? 

If you want to know more about the history of New Years Resolutions, check out this blog post from 2017.

Here are some of the most popular resolutions. You might be a little surprised at #1:

Exercise moreLose weight. (I would have put that at #1 – maybe in some lists, it is.) – Always one of mine!Get organized. YupLearn a new skill. My piano is still sitting there waiting.Live life to the fullest. Covid limits that one.Save more money. I have been doing pretty well at that one.Quit smoking. Thankfully not an issue for me. Or probably most of you at this point.Spend more time with family and friends.Travel more. Covid affects this one too.Read more. How much more can I possibly read???

I looked up suggestions for fun and funny resolutions. I stopped at the first one because I loved it so much:

Order every drink on the Starbucks menu. I might try that one.

How about resolutions for book lovers?

Never be without a book to read. Done!Return library books on time. (There are no overdue fees any longer in lots of places, but I still try to return my books on time. This can be tricky because I might have ten books out with different due dates. I keep track on the library website and read them in order of due dates, renewing the ones I can if I need to.Join a book club. Still haven’t done this one.Read outdoors.  I live in Florida, so I do this every afternoon. Best part of my day except for my morning coffee.Learn your librarians’ names. Haven’t done this one.Finish books you start unless you don’t like them. Yup. Life is too short to read books you don’t like.Explore more genres.  I need to work harder on this one.Read the book before you see the movie.Have your next book ready to read. Always.Declutter your bookshelves. It’s on my list.Write to authors you like – if they are alive. I do this occasionally.Save favorite passages and quotes in a Reading Journal.Patronize your local bookstores. I live in Florida. What local bookstore?  I did when I was in California.Keep a record of all books you finish. Thank you, Goodreads.Give more books as gifts. Why books make great gifts.Visit all the libraries in your county or library system.Don’t look ahead or read the last  page before you get there.Read with others. Have a reading party. Read aloud with others, or to others.

And resolutions for coffee lovers (that’s me!)

Try a new roast.Start a coffee club.Drink as much water as you do coffee, so you don’t become hydrated. I try.Make your coffee at home. Saves money. Oh, but Starbucks…..Drink it straight – no cream or sugar or syrups. Not quite ready for that.Stop using disposable cups.

No, we didn’t forget you tea lovers:

Invest in a proper tea set.Add new teas to your repertoire.Patronize a tearoom.Try new teatime recipes – sandwiches, sweets, etc. – and see what pairs well.Create a tea escape in your house – or outside.Whatever your resolutions are, or even if you have none – HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE GRAMMAR DIVA BLOG!

Christmas Jokes and Quotes

JOKES (OK, Riddles)

 

How do you wash your hands over the holiday? With Santatizer.What do you call a kid who doesn’t believe in Santa? A rebel without a Claus.How much did Santa pay for his sleigh? Nothing. It was on the house.If Santa and Mrs. Claus had a baby, what would he be? A subordinate Claus.What goes “Oh Oh Oh”? Santa walking backwardWhat do you call a bunch of chess players bragging about their games in a hotel lobby? Chess nuts boasting in an open foyer.What do you get when you combine a Christmas tree with an iPad? A pineapple.I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas. She told me that nothing would make her happier than a diamond necklace. So I bought her nothing.A gingerbread man went to the doctor’s complaining of a sore knee. The doctor asked him. “Have you tried icing it?”What do you call a Christmas rom-com about bread? Loaf Actually.What did the third wise man say after his friends had already presented gold and frankincense? “But wait, there’s myrrh!”What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire? Frostbite.What do you call a snowman who vacations in the tropics? A puddle.Why was the snowman looking through the carrots? He was picking his nose.What do you call a snowman with a six pack? An abdominal snowman.Why did the snowman turn yellow? Ask the little boy over there.How is Christmas exactly like your job? You do all the work and some fat guy in a suit gets all the credit.What did Adam say the day before Christmas? “It’s Christmas, Eve!”The three stages of man: He believes in Santa Claus. He doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. He is Santa Claus.What do you call a search engine that singes Christmas songs? Michel Googlé.Quotes

 “The way you spend Christmas is far more important than how much.” — Henry David Thoreau

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.” — Helen Keller

“Christmas will always be as long as we stand heart to heart and hand in hand.” — Dr. Seuss

 “Remembrance, like a candle, burns brightest at Christmastime.” — Charles Dickens

 “Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone.” — Charles M. Schulz

“What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future.” – Agnes M. Pahro

 “We are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

 “Aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa.” — Bart Simpson

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas Day.” — Andy Rooney

 “You know you’re getting old when Santa starts looking younger.” — Robert Paul

 

Happy Holidays to All My Readers! Thank You for Your Support Throughout the Year!

 

New Words for 2021: W

Here are some new ones for you, in this concluding post about 2021 words added to the Oxford English Dictionary:

washikong – (n) A light canvas shoe with a rubber sole; a trainer or running shoe

willie-waught – (n) A large gulp of  liquid, especially alcohol; a swig

witches’ knickers – (n) Discarded plastic bags or shreds of plastic bags that have become snagged in trees, hedges, etc.

wine (not that kind) – (n) A dance move involving rhythmic gyratory movements of the hips and pelvis (can also be a verb, to do that type of movement)

willy waving – (n) Boastful or exaggerated demonstrations of machismo, toughness, or superiority

woofling – (adj) Characterized by a low snuffling, snorting, or growling sound

wuk -(v) To dance with rhythmic gyrating movements of the hips and pelvis

witching – (n) The action, process, or technique of searching for underground water, minerals, objects

willy-boy –  (n) A weak, cowardly or frightened man

waste-youth – (n)  A stupid, contemptible, or useless young person

 

The next two posts: holiday posts

 

Paraprosdokians??

Huh? What is that? A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase (or longer discourse)  doesn’t match the beginning words; it is unexpected, a surprise.  It is often used for dramatic effect, and of course, comedians and satirists love using them. 

Paraprosdokian comes from the Greek  meaning “beyond expectation.” The word first occurs in Greek rhetorical writers of the 1st century BCE and the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, with the meaning “contrary to expectation” or “unexpectedly.” Canadian linguist and etymology author William Gordon Casselman says that, while the word is now in wide circulation, it is not a term of classical Greek or Latin rhetoric, but a late 20th-century neologism; it does not yet appear in the Oxford English Dictionary.  However, the word appeared in print as early as 1891 in a humorous article. 

Paraprosdokians are best illustrated by example:

War does not determine who is right—only who is left. – Bertrand Russell

On the other hand, you have different fingers. – Comedian Steven Wright

I sleep eight hours a day and at least ten at night. – Bill Hicks

On his feet he wore … blisters. – Aristotle

If I could just say a few words … I’d be a better public speaker. – Homer Simpson

Take my wife—please! – Comedian Henny Youngman

If I am reading this graph correctly—I’d be very surprised. – Stephen Colbert

I’ve had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it. – Groucho Marx

There are three kinds of people in the world – those who can count, and those who can’t. –Unknown

I have the heart of a small boy – in a glass jar on my desk. – Stephen King

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. – Einstein

Want to try making one up yourself? If you do, write one in the comments. 

 

Need a gift for a student? Someone preparing for college?  A homeschooler? A job hunter? Here are a few suggestions . . .

Double Header: New Words T, U, and Z, and Why Books Make Great Gifts!

Happy Holidays to All!Here are some new words added to the English Oxford Dictionary recently that begin with T, U, and Z:tabanca –  (n) A state or feeling of depression or melancholy, especially as a result of unrequited love or the end of a romantic relationshiptassa – (n) Usually referred to as tassa drum. A bowl-shaped goatskin drum of north Indian origin which is typically hung from the neck and played with two stickstifoso – (n) A fan or follower, especially an enthusiastic and committed supporter of a particular sport or teamtoo besides – (adv) In addition, as well, moreover, besides that (Ugh! I haven’t heard this one!)trot – (n)  A genre of Korean popular music characterized by repetitive rhythms and emotional lyricsunni – (n) In Korean-speaking contexts, a girl’s or woman’s elder sisterupful –  (adj) Inspiring happiness, optimism, or hope; cheerful or uplifting musiczami –   (n) A lesbianzom-com – (n) A comedy film featuring zombie characters (Is there such a thing as a rom-zom-com??)

 

Here are some reasons why books make excellent holiday gifts and stocking stuffers:Books are easy to get, even in a pandemic because you don’t have to leave the house.  You can get them in a store or online and you can have them delivered anywhere. You can even mail them book rate and save some money.Books are easy to wrap! No weird shapes! That helps people who wrap the way I do! They also fit nicely in gift bags.Books come in a huge variety of prices from the very inexpensive on up.You can buy books for any age recipient, from an infant to a senior — and you can generally tell, or find out, the ages the book was intended for.There are books for any gender of recipient.Everyone is interested in something, and there is always a book for that “something.” If you don’t know what that something is, there are always bestsellers that interest almost everyone.Books keep on giving. If you like a book, you can then share it with someone else, who can then share it with someone else. Then, you can donate it.Books are entertaining. Books can take you into a new world — if even for just a little while.Books are very portable. Especially ebooks. They travel well and fill time well.Books are educational. Take grammar books, for example (hint, hint, shameless promotion). Perfect for a student or someone going off to college!