Absolutely maybe...

You may or may not already know that I like interesting or unusual words and am constantly finding and learning new ones (new to me anyway). I’m always consulting the dictionary for something and just love the Microsoft Bookshelf program. It’s a mini encyclopedia and even though I have Brittanica Deluxe Edition loaded on my computer, as well as Encarta, I more often than not head straight to Bookshelf for a quicky… I know, I know…you’re thinking “how weird she is” and perhaps you’re right.

For instance, I was looking up recidivism recently. I know what it means and can use it correctly but since I’d been thinking of it lately with regard to something in particular, I thought it would be interesting to look it up. I’m glad I did. I came across another word, one which I’d never heard before and now I know about…tergiversation, which is a synonym of recidivism. How cool is that?! Tergiversation. Apostasy was another word I saw with regard to recidivism. I know what apostasy means but I’ve never used it before in conversation. It’s another synonym for tergiversation and recidivism.

Yeah, yeah, so what?! Where’s this monologue going? Nowhere. That’s all I have to say. I just thought tergiversation was worth a mention and if you’ve been using it all along, please overlook my obtuseness. Of course, eventually obtuseness will lead you in the direction of retuse, which is another word I had never heard. You botanists have probably used the word retuse as it is an adjective meaning “having a rounded or obtuse apex with a central shallow notch” as in a retuse leaf. Hmmmn, no wonder my mother has never understood me. She has thought for years that I was sort of strange. Can you imagine that?

Oh wait..! As long as I’m on a word kick, I want to mention a pet peeve of mine. Absolutely! How often have you heard the word absolutely used this past year? At least 3 zillion times probably… No not probably, absolutely. No neutral or wishful words here. Only the most positive or absolute terminology will do. Absolutely seems to be the new catch-all term for answering just about anything and absolutely everyone uses it. Absolutely always… You hear it at the bank, on the radio or television, at the doctor’s, in friendly conversations,in newspapers, in schools, movies and absolutely ALL interviews everywhere. Ask anybody anything and they will absolutely tell you absodamnlutely yes or no. ABSOLUTELY! Got that? Absolutely! Grrrrrr… Please find another word. Please! Please? Oh, absolutely…