Dictionaries are Adorkable

I am entering into the second week of my first Master's class in English and Creative Writing and thought it might be fun to share some of the discussions in class. This week we are talking about the value dictionaries hold, and how specialized dictionaries provide us with unique perspectives on our ever-evolving language. An online dictionary that offer not only traditional words, but also words in popular culture is the perfect choice for this geek girl. Here's my offering on the discussion:

I chose to explore Wordnik (https://www.wordnik.com/), which operates in both a conventional and unconventional manner when providing information about words. Wordnik offers definitions from multiple sources, so you can see as many different takes on a word's meaning as possible. It showcases a word’s etymology if available as well, so the user can get a sense of the word’s evolution. Wordnik presents examples of how the word is used including examples from major news media and from books.

This online dictionary also presents information about word relationships. It presents synonyms, but in this dictionary you will also find hypernyms (words that are more generic or abstract than the given word) and hyponyms (words that are more specific). Wordnik also functions as a community. Registered users can create lists of words, discuss words with others, and leave comments on word definitions. Users can also find audio files of pronunciations, visual representations of word meanings, and for fun how many points the word is worth in Scrabble.

This dictionary can be an invaluable tool for me as I write some of my new-adult or young adult contemporary romances in a variety of ways.  It offers me alternative words for the word I am thinking of using, but that doesn’t quite fit the situation. For example, if I am writing a sentence where I want to use the word “kerfuffle” but it doesn’t sound like something my character would say, I can use the Wordnik to find similar words like “racket”, which might fit better in the context of the sentence I am using and the character who is speaking.

Another way this tool can be beneficial is to find words that aren’t necessarily in the more establish dictionaries, but are used frequently in communicating both in person and in situations like social media conversations. A great example of this is the use of the term “adorkable”. Wordnik defines it as “adorable in a socially awkward manner” (Wordnik). Adorkable might not be found in a traditional dictionary, or be a valid Scrabble word, but it is being more often. The examples Wordnik offers of its usage illustrate that as well as the fact that the word is on numerous user lists, and has been looked up 2,468 times.

The English language is ever-changing and growing. I believe Wordnik is a dictionary that mirrors that fluidity by combining conventional elements of word meanings with interactive, community-driven ones.

 

"Adorkable." Wordnik..com. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2014.<https://www.wordnik.com/words/adorkable>.

 

What It Takes...

It took me:
seven months
72 sleepless nights
moving away
Trying to love someone else
74,730 words in an unread manuscript
301 replays of the same playlist
2 bottles of Essie Soul Mate nail polish
7 dozen Tim Horton’s vanilla dipped donuts
Mentally disabling myself
Being tied in knots
Hating you
Mourning you
Emotionally shutting myself down
Punishing my soul
Being consumed by fear
Burning Madame Bovary
Just so that I could figure out, that happiness is not caring if I will ever see you again. Finally after all this time I can let go...

I thought for the longest time that there wouldn't ever come a point where I could just walk away and seriously not care anymore but it has. It's interesting to think that when we love something so hard it will never lose its meaning, it didn't have to. The time spent and memories made will never lose its importance but I think I made you out to be something you weren't....good for me. Thank you for making me work so hard, and hurting me so very deeply because without that I wouldn't have the motivation to never put myself in that position again, and to never lose myself in someone else’s opinion of me.

Vanguard Worthy

According to the dictionary, a vanguard is the following:
leading position or people: the leading position of a movement, field, or cultural trend, or the people who are foremost in a movement, field, or cultural trend.

In that light, Beyoncé as the recipient of the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award should come as no surprise. She is certainly at the forefront of culture trends and proves so in this week's Music Monday selection.

Her re-imagined version of "Crazy in Love" for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie trailer is nothing short of brilliant. In collaboration with her producer, Boots and violinist Margot, the move has brought new fans to Beyoncé's music.

In a recent Time interview Margot mentions the following about the new track, “Obviously I know how ‘Crazy in Love’ goes, but I knew there was the possibility her vocals would be different. It’s almost more vulnerable and beautiful this way, because you do do crazy things when you fall in love. To hear the mood reversed and flipped makes it even more powerful.”

So even though you probably have Fifty Shades adaptation overload, take another listen to the song, and imagine how vulnerable being in love makes you feel...

Friday Foodie - Sofrito

I love living in the area I'm in. The beauty of the mountains, the serenity of the lake - its always a beautiful day in this area. One thing I am especially thrilled with is the abundance of fresh, local produce. This time of the year little farmer's stands like this one are overflowing with amazing fruit and vegetables. After all, one cannot live on books alone :)

 

But what to make with all this fresh goodness? I am always on the look out for new recipes to try, so when a friend mentioned Chef Daisy Martinez's Sofrito recipe as her go to, I knew I had to check it out. What a terrific way to harness the wonderful bounty and carry it into the colder months. Use sofrito for a soup, a stew, a bubbly pot of beans, braised chicken, carne guisada, yellow rice, ropa vieja…the possibilities are endless! Running late? I can have a pot of white rice, some pollo guisado, and a fresh steamed vegetable or salad in 45 minutes, after pulling out a bag of frozen sofrito from the freezer! Wholesome, delicious, nutritious food quick, easy, and very healthy! Sofrito RULES!!

Sofrito (Makes About 4 Cups)
Ingredients

2 large Spanish onions, trimmed and cut in large chunks
3 large Cubanelle peppers, trimmed and seeded
1 cup garlic cloves, trimmed
2 large sweet red bell peppers, trimmed and seeded
1 ¼ cup ajicitos dulces, trimmed
2 plum tomatoes, trimmed and cut in large chunks
4 culantro leaves
1 large bunch of cilantro, rinsed, dried, and roughly chopped
Directions
1. Place the onion, Cubanelle peppers, and garlic in a food processor, and puree. With the motor running, add the sweet red bell peppers, ajicitos, and plum tomatoes. You make have to remove some of the puree into a bowl if you cannot fit the remaining ingredients into your work bowl.
2. Add the remaining culantro and cilantro and process until smooth. If you have removed some of the sofrito, combine the contents of the workbowl with the rest of the puree and stir to combine. Measure out in 1 cup measures into freezer bags and place in freezer to be used as necessary.

Writing a Masterpiece

I stumbled across this essay on the Interwebs earlier in the week and thought I would share it. It speaks to the idea that we are all masterpieces not because of how we look, but because of who we are. I think it speaks volumes not just on a personal level, but also when it comes to crafting fictional heroines. Some of the world's most memorable fictional characters are known not for just their physical beauty but for traits like courage, intelligence, and even geekiness.  In praise of all of the masterpieces of humanity in the world - real and fictional. :)

Don’t tell me I’m beautiful. I have already heard the word rubbed raw across the flesh of so many girls before me. Thrown at them like rocks that beat the skin of those we do not understand. 

“You are beautiful,” we yell with such contempt. “God dammit, why won’t you just believe me, you’re beautiful!” It is not a compliment. It is a victory march of your own self sacrifice. “You’re beautiful,” we say through gritted teeth. “You’re beautiful,” we spit out through tears, looking at a reflection we hate. “You’re beautiful,” we say, holding a body that has never felt the arms of another.  “You’re beautiful.” 

Don’t tell me I’m beautiful. A word like that floats on the surface, give me something with depth. Tell me I’m intelligent. Tell me I’m courageous. Tell me that when I laugh the whole world smiles. Tell me that my voice is sweeter than strawberries. Remind me that my hands have helped flowers grow, painted the ocean, and captured the sky in my phone. Assure me that with a mind like mine, I can change the world. 

Don’t tell me I’m beautiful. I don’t really care if it’s true. I’ve spent years trying to convince myself that beauty goes through and through. Don’t tell me I’m beautiful.
I’ve felt the word splatter against me enough for a lifetime. I am better than the “beautiful” that slips from your lips. I am the ocean, 36,000 feet deep. There are parts of me you have never seen. I am outer space, infinite in your search. I am not simply “beautiful.” I’m a fucking masterpiece. - author unknown

Binging on Barbie

Last night after some plotting and editing, I decided to treat myself to a bit of Barbie overload.  I'm not talking about playing with dolls, but rather Dale "Barbie" Barbara - the handsome, mysterious hero of Chester's Mill on the NBC series, "Under the Dome." I sat down with my remote control and binge watched my favorite fictional hunk.

His rugged good looks, combined with his mysterious background, and his fierce love for Julia make him definitely swoon-worthy.  So without further adieu, today's Hump Day Hunk Homage is for Mike Vogel as Barbie.

Girls Who Read

So I think I am a bit in love with this guy, or at least enamored because he recognizes the value a woman's mind holds. I also think its something perfectly offbeat for Music  Monday. Enjoy!

 

 

Marc Grist is a poet. You can check out his website here.