You know, every so often, when I come across words, I'll choose them because they either have a really great definition or they have a wonderful spelling (Or they're fun to say). This week, both words happen to fit 2 or 3 of those categories: Jentacular and Omphaloskepsis.
Jentacular: This is a wonderful word that you can believe that I will be using so much more often, now that I know that it exists. But what does it mean? Well, it doesn't mean any of the following:
Dad: The Jerking of the Lure through the water during fishing
Mom: The opposite of Jocular, so "Morose and downtrodden"
Jessie: Someone who is spectacular, like me, and likes magenta.
My old buddy Matt Gaylord, who I was talking to on Facebook: A Clog in a certain artery
Okay, so they were pretty wrong. Because you know what Jentacular means? It means "Of, or relating to, Breakfast." ISN'T IT USEFUL!? It provides a nice alternative to breakfast than just the word "breakfasty." Speaking of Breakfast, do you ever stop and realize that it means to take a Break from a Fasting? Like, when you sleep, you're basically fasting. (Unless you sleepwalk into the kitchen.)
Anyway, Jentacular comes from the Latin word Jentaculum! Imagine that! It was first recorded in a receipt book by John Murray in 1820. It read, "To Valetudinarians and others, the following method of making coffee for breakfast is earnestly recommended, as a most wholesome and pleasant Jentacular breakfast." Again. To replace "Breakfasty"
To go along with this word, Prandium can be used instead of the word Lunch, just as Cena can be used as an alternate to Dinner.
Omphaloskepsis: So this was the word that fits all of the categories. It's fun to pronounce and spell, and it has the best meaning.
Dad: The inability to program in an object-oriented language
Mom: Someone who critiques word blogs.
Jessie: (She only got close because she's heard it before but not all of it:) Being unsure if belly buttons are real or not?
Matt: When ghosts sexually reproduce
Again, not really, except for Jessie. Now, let's see... What is the simplest way to explain this word?
Wait-- Really? That's actually a thing? Is there actually a word for contemplating one's navel?
Oh, yes. Yes there is. There's a word for everything.
Now, this word in particular, Omphaloskepsis, It was actually invented by author Aldous Huxley, (Brave New World) in his novel, Those Barren Leaves. "A word meaning contemplation of the navel, Omphaloskepsis would be of use only to a deipnosophist. It has no more business appearing here than has deipnosophist." That's it. It was made by an esteemed author... about studying your belly button.
Omphaloskepsis comes from the Greek roots omphalos-, meaning "Navel, Boss, or Hub," and -skepsis, meaning "To look at, observe"
And that's it. Those are the only two words you need to know this whole week. Jentacular and Omphaloskepsis. Use them, enjoy them, love them.
Jentacular: This is a wonderful word that you can believe that I will be using so much more often, now that I know that it exists. But what does it mean? Well, it doesn't mean any of the following:
Dad: The Jerking of the Lure through the water during fishing
Mom: The opposite of Jocular, so "Morose and downtrodden"
Jessie: Someone who is spectacular, like me, and likes magenta.
My old buddy Matt Gaylord, who I was talking to on Facebook: A Clog in a certain artery
Okay, so they were pretty wrong. Because you know what Jentacular means? It means "Of, or relating to, Breakfast." ISN'T IT USEFUL!? It provides a nice alternative to breakfast than just the word "breakfasty." Speaking of Breakfast, do you ever stop and realize that it means to take a Break from a Fasting? Like, when you sleep, you're basically fasting. (Unless you sleepwalk into the kitchen.)
Anyway, Jentacular comes from the Latin word Jentaculum! Imagine that! It was first recorded in a receipt book by John Murray in 1820. It read, "To Valetudinarians and others, the following method of making coffee for breakfast is earnestly recommended, as a most wholesome and pleasant Jentacular breakfast." Again. To replace "Breakfasty"
To go along with this word, Prandium can be used instead of the word Lunch, just as Cena can be used as an alternate to Dinner.
Omphaloskepsis: So this was the word that fits all of the categories. It's fun to pronounce and spell, and it has the best meaning.
Dad: The inability to program in an object-oriented language
Mom: Someone who critiques word blogs.
Jessie: (She only got close because she's heard it before but not all of it:) Being unsure if belly buttons are real or not?
Matt: When ghosts sexually reproduce
Again, not really, except for Jessie. Now, let's see... What is the simplest way to explain this word?
Wait-- Really? That's actually a thing? Is there actually a word for contemplating one's navel?
Oh, yes. Yes there is. There's a word for everything.
Now, this word in particular, Omphaloskepsis, It was actually invented by author Aldous Huxley, (Brave New World) in his novel, Those Barren Leaves. "A word meaning contemplation of the navel, Omphaloskepsis would be of use only to a deipnosophist. It has no more business appearing here than has deipnosophist." That's it. It was made by an esteemed author... about studying your belly button.
Omphaloskepsis comes from the Greek roots omphalos-, meaning "Navel, Boss, or Hub," and -skepsis, meaning "To look at, observe"
And that's it. Those are the only two words you need to know this whole week. Jentacular and Omphaloskepsis. Use them, enjoy them, love them.
Good Job, I now know two new word pulse there history's.
ReplyDeleteSo, hmmmm. First, the use of the word jentacular in the example you gave implies it does not mean breakfasty. One wouldn't describe one's breakfast as breakfasty. So, it must mean something else, at least to John Murray. And second, when you describe the creation of the word omphaloskepsis, you use another word which begs for definition, too: deipnospohist. What did Husley mean when he used that word? Can you figure it out from the roots? Dei=god, pno=breath?, sophist=thinker or trickster? Figure it out.
ReplyDelete