 |
| Betony |
Prunes. Apparantly that's the best word to mouth silently at someone if you want to look sexy. I have this on the highest authority - a fourteen year old boy who got the whole class doing it once during what was laughingly known as Double Physics.
Double Physics actually consisted of the highly attractive teacher locking the classroom door and telling us about sex every week. No wonder I failed physics three times. The last time I took the exam I wrote my name at the top of the paper, waited ten minutes and then left the room to go home.
I would have fared much better if the questions had been along the lines of 'Please explain what your Physics teacher once did on a visit to a prostitute in Paris' or 'Describe in detail what he did with the used condom afterwards'. I wouldn't have dared to answer 'Describe your innermost feelings when you once stayed behind with your friend and he french-kissed her for ages under some mistletoe'. The Examiner could never have read my wobbly writing.
My favourite word happens to be 'obsequious'. It's also not too bad for mouthing silently, but that's not why I like it. I like the shapes it makes in my mouth, but I also like the visual shapes I see when I say it. A lot of words have visual shapes for me. Each day of the week has a specific shape for instance and a whole 'week' is a kind of block with raised ends.
Despite 'obsequious' being my favourite word it's meaning is something I hate. Who knows, perhaps it once had a positive meaning. Now it conjures up cringing or grovelling. Exaggerated flattery or affection. Protestations of unworthiness. Bootlicking. Fawning. Toadying. Someone bent almost double rubbing their hands together in order to appear more humble, but always for their own ends.
Mr Physics never saw me cast a look in his direction. I never offered to help him in the stock cupboard. I never made eyes at him. I didn't hide a sprig of mistletoe in my blazer at Christmas so he could french kiss me. I didn't care what my homework looked like. I never told him what a great teacher he was. I didn't toady. But oh my God if he'd recognised me I would have been at his feet in an instant with no thought of any personal reward.
So there you have it. Something about the word 'obsequious' with absolutely no mention of Uriah Heep.
Edited Sat 5 Feb 11, 4:43 PM by Betony
| 5 Feb 11, 6:23 PM Malbon UK(LS), 8 yrs  |
A good word. Agree re the fawning, cringing etc, but would want to make an exception for bootlicking, which I have no objection to. I am sitting here watching the rugby silently mouthing away now, but have decided to substitute "prurient" for "prunes", which have certain unwelcome connotations... 'Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?' - Harry M. Warner, 1927 |
| 5 Feb 11, 7:44 PM Ima_Kant UK(PO), 3 yrs |
Cascade... kass.. kayed... yeah that's my favourite sounding word... reminds me of a sword glancing off a shield, clear spring water bubbling over rock... Remembering Physics... I recollect our teacher, a very old crusty fellow, admonishing us all (and threatening to charge our parents) for the high number of breakages, patronisingly demonstrating how to put a thermometer back into its tubular cardboard container... as he slid it in, saying 'like so', it went straight out through the bottom and smashed on the floor. Nobody laughed... much!
|
| 5 Feb 11, 10:13 PM Manson UK(M), 2 yrs |
May I 'umbly say I enjoyed reading this... I always liked physics but we had a student teacher who everyone just threw paper planes at so I just wrote Black Sabbath lyrics in the back of my excercise book. I got an E for physics then again I wasn't quite sober in the exam... No mistletoe, mind you it was a boys' only school, then again...
I like your synaesthesiac relationship with words. Am not sure if I have a favourite word, I quite like putting them together though Thanks for posting. As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. - Goethe. |
| 6 Feb 11, 1:15 PM stormywaters PT, 4 yrs |
Wot's a little girlie girl like you playing with great big words like like, god I've forgotten it now. Being insincerely humble and ingratiating... oh yes obseekwious. Now book ends, or was it week ends, I can understand. obseekwious, goodness that is a big word. I feel quite squashed underneath all that word. Wonder what Freud would have to say about that? Fear of being squashed by large word. Running off quickly before this post engulfs me. Storms. PS Please look for something deep and meanibgful in this post and if you find it let me know, but privately by memo. (So I can add it.) PS Oh Betony I think really I just wanted to say Hi as I am back in Portugal and feeling a bit lost like that bear in darkest... oh yes Peru not Portugal. Anyway I'm sure the feeling is much the same. It's all Foreign here and they talk funny. Much like IC really. Edited 6 Feb 11, 2:31 PM by stormywaters |
