Words, Mots, Palabras... You Get the Picture

 

On Tuesday, Liz wrote about words, which given that this blog is called Word Wranglers, makes perfect sense. She asked us for words we hate to see in books, and I loved seeing some of the answers to that question. I’m continuing the theme today because, well, words… I love words.

I am a word freak, a language maven, a...a vocabularist, if you will. Okay, so maybe vocabularist isn’t actually a real word, but it should be because it describes me to a T. One thing Liz and I share is a love of words. We are both fascinated with language and how we use it, especially unusual or quirky terms.

Several years ago, a friend sent me a note referencing something she’d read in political pundit Charles Krauthammer’s column, where he used the phrase Esprit d’escalier, referencing the fact that a politician had missed an opportunity to have the last word. Esprit d’escalier (“wit of the staircase”) is the French term for the devastating riposte that one should have given at dinner, but thinks of it only on the way out, at the bottom of the staircase.

Esprit d’escalier—wow! What a great term for coming up with the right crushing reply just a little too late. And it has the added bonus of being French, which is always a win for me. Incorporating French into my everyday usage is fun and helps me remember enough of the language that I won’t embarrass myself next time I go to Paris (that is happening!).  

Mon Amie is one my favorite endearments for friends, and I often sign emails to close friends, Bises, which is the word for the French way of kissing each cheek in greeting. C’est la vie, c’est la guerre, c’est la pomme de terre is one of Son’s and my favorites. Translated literally, it’s “that’s life, that’s war, that’s a potato” but it means “That’s the way it goes” or “Dems de breaks,” and sometimes replaces merde (shit) when a disgusted French person is trying to be polite. I use Je ne sais quoi (I don’t know) and je t’aime (I love you) often. Husband and Son simply grin at each other. They know French is part of life with Nan, and that it’s not pretension on my part, but rather just a love of the language. Using French makes me happy.

As a writer and an editor, I have a passion for learning new words and using them. I got it from my mom, who also loved language and insisted we choose our words well. She spent serious time increasing our vocabularies with word games like Scrabble, Boggle, and Probe and crossword puzzles. To this day, family gatherings always include word games. I adore discovering new words and finding ways to use them in my writing.

So talk to me—tell me your favorite foreign phrases—the ones that bring you joy when you have the opportunity to include them in a conversation. Or share a great English word that makes you gleeful when you have the chance to use it.

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This is happening! Check out this summer fun giveaway at Fresh Fiction! 

and this giveaway at BookSweeps! 

Bises, mes amies,