Thursday, October 22, 2009

My Shrub Thing

Every single time I see or type the word "shrub" I smile. I cannot help myself. The lips just go up, no matter how hard I try to straighten them.

Saying it out loud causes a great bubbling of laughter to come up.

I love the word shrub. Love. It. It's true--I have a shrub thing.

Since I'm back at school (insert banshee-like wailing and gnashing of teeth here), I need a good laugh every single day. Or just something to smile about.

So I want your favorite word. What word just makes you smile to read? Write? Say out loud? I want it.

Other faves of mine: beaver. I mean, come on. Say it. I dare you not to smile. Maybe your boss will be walking by and hear you say "beaver," and then the ensuing laughter. That would be hilarious.

Another word I like to use: pertinent. Makes me sound very scholarly, don't you think?

So lay it on me. Don't be shy. Favorite words--spill! Spill! (BTW, did you notice the em-dashes? Jeesh.)

35 comments:

Unknown said...

Lollygagging. I even don't mind when my kids are being mind-bendingly slow about getting ready in the morning because I get to say "Stop lollygagging." I love this word. :)

Paul Greci said...

I love saying the word Peculiar.
Pectoral is also pretty cool.

Donna Gambale said...

WIGGLE!

(Along that theme, I also love WADDLE and WOBBLE.)

Abby Annis said...

Festoon. That's the most recent one, anyway. :)

~Jamie said...

sausage.... hehehehe

Unknown said...

Languid. Portulaca. (Pronounced Porrchulackahhhhh)

Kiss. Dead. I love all those words.

Teri said...

Evocative.....my friends think I'm saying something naughty or erotic. Yeah, I have some literary challenged friends. It's still fun. I also love fricative. But that is just a linguists love.

Aubrie said...

I like glimmer, glitter, and serene, all the pretty words. And also diaphonous.

Unknown said...

Infinitesimal, copious, plethora. I guess I have a thing for amounts, but they're fun words! (Maybe it's the math geek in me! Haha!)

My favorite words do have a tendency to rotate, but these three have been on top for awhile.

I do like lallygagging and dillydallying too. I may have to switch from using dillydallying on my kids to lallygagging just to keep things exciting. Haha!

Jennifer said...

Shrub! Shrub is a very funny word! Now bring the Nights Who Say "Ni" a shrubbery.

Um, I think my three favorite words are idiosyncratic, doowop, and pneumonultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconeosis (it's a lung disease).

Windy said...

I'm leaning toward hippopotamus. *giggling*

Stephanie McGee said...

twitterpated

Janna Leadbetter said...

I think bubblegoose is funny. Sure, it's made up. But it's still a fun one!

And I love saying the word licenses.

Melanie Hooyenga said...

I like most silly-sounding words. Discombobulate, lollygagging (which I saw above), and thanks to Janna, bubblegoose.

Can I share two funny things this post made me think of? Thanks.

1 - I'm working on a logo and the client wants a tree, but the trunk keeps looking really weird and in my efforts to fix it, the tree keeps looking like a bush. Or shrub.

2 - near Detroit there's a road called Big Beaver Road. The exit number? 69

You can't make this stuff up.

XiXi said...

Pudding always makes me laugh.

Jessica Nelson said...

I love the word persnickety. I always want to call my kids it and have to stop myself. :-)

Casey Something said...

My word would probably have to be shenanigans. Always makes me smile!

Unknown said...

Hey Elana! I just bought the book! Can't wait to dig in. Have youu checked out your interview on my blog?

C'mon over! Announce it to your minions!

http://lisa-amowitzya.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-query-to-call-with-elana-johnson.html

Unknown said...

Whoops..forgot to post my "word".

I like indubitably (spellcheck me, please)...it goes so well with my other favorite word: pretentious. :)

Elana Johnson said...

Oooh, great words guys! I love hippopotamus too! And bubblegoose? Okay.

Melanie! Have you been inside my brain? I have a post I'm working on with that exact title (You Can't Make This Stuff Up). Freaky.

Lisa, I saw it! I didn't want to be the first to leave a comment. *blushes* And minions! Ha ha!

Unknown said...

Okay *minions*, come on over. Virtual latte on the house.

Sorry for hijacking your blog, Elana! :)

...and now back to our regularly scheduled discussion. *ducks out*

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

Shrub is good, yes, see me smile.
I have always loved the name of a town in the Mojave Desert called Daggett. Don't ask my why. I like to say it, smile, and dream of prowling it for stories.

Rebecca Knight said...

Jessica--mine's "persnickety", too! It's just so awesome... and it reminds me of snickerdoodles :).

I also like "bombastic." Makes me think of Bombur from Lord of the Rings, even though I know it doesn't actually mean "tubby dwarf."

Rebecca Knight said...

Excuse me, it's early for me. Bombur from *THE HOBBIT.* Wow. Sorry, guys :P.

Unknown said...

The word shrub always makes me think of "Shrubbery" from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. So I agree, it's funny. LOL

Anonymous said...

I like the word fruition. It just sounds pretty to me. I also like the word gloaming.

Scott said...

Ungenne!

Okay, that's the word verify, but I couldn't come up with anything else.

I have, for whatever reason, been using the word lolly-gagging an awful lot lately when walking the dog. Hmmmm . . .

So, no words that just make me smile.

I do have a few that make me roll my eyes? Does that count?

My coworker is always using the word 'lethargic'. I feel so 'lethargic' today. The baby's 'lethargic'.

Ooooh, somebody shoot me know.

S

By the way, nice shrubbery in the picture above. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

favorite word is yes!

Corey Schwartz said...

Kerfuffle (and how funny... just posted this word on another blog yesterday!

Jemi Fraser said...

So many good words!! Several of my fave words are posted above :)

I also like "pumperknickel pudding" and have just realized I have no idea if I know how to spell it. It was in one of the books I read to the kids when they were little. "Crumble bumble" too. Those are my "cuss words" -- I'm a teacher too :)

* said...

I'm drawing a blank and certain that when I'm brushing my teeth early tomorrow morning, all of my favorite words will come rushing into my brain. Until then, it's:

cheese.

Katie Salidas said...

Shatter

I love the way the word rolls off the tongue and the image it gives.

Little Ms J said...

Ethereal and chicken.

Katie Ganshert said...

brouhaha! Now tell me that's not a fabulous word!!

Anonymous said...

My two favorite words are "secret" and "smile".

Secretia

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