Micah Alpern: Nickel Words

Fri, 04 Jul 2003 16:38:23 GMT

Lascivious

"Franklin was a master of what the French call amitié amoureuse, whose English translation, amorous friendship, gives only a hint of its true meaning: a delicious form of intimacy, expressed in exchanges of teasing kisses, tender embraces, intimate conversations and rhapsodic love letters, but not necessarily sexual congress."

from the article "Why he was a babe magnet" in the 7/7/03 special issue of Time Magazine on Ben Franklin.

The word Lascivious is 325 times less popular than stuff

Heard on an interivew on NPR about the new book about Ben Franklin

Sat, 14 Jun 2003 19:00:05 GMT

Schadenfreude

Why do we like to watch the media drag Martha Stewart or Sammy Sossa through the mud? Schadenfreude.

The word schadenfreude is 1022 times less popular than stuff

Heard on The Daily Show

Wed, 22 Jan 2003 19:22:52 GMT

Reify

Sally bought a pewter Eiffel Tower to reify the memories of her trip to Paris.

The word reify is 2,032 times less popular than stuff

another definition:

"Reify is not a word you hear in normal conversation. In fact, you probably don't hear it unless you have a philosopher in your house. It is about the security we feel through objectification. You can find reification in the irony of the Bhuddist sitting za-zen before a statue of Bhudda, in the symbolism of communion wafers, or in the salesman who hears Zig Ziglar but needs to buy his tapes to "get" his message. We reify when we go to a play or baseball game and bring home the program. We reify whenever we try to turn an experience, a thought, or a feeling, into a material object. Reification is why people buy souvenirs. "

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 21:31:54 GMT

anachronism

The use of a shotgun in ancient times in "Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness" was a bit of an anachronism.

The word anachronism is 290 times less popular than stuff

Heard first from Matthew Easterday

Sun, 19 Jan 2003 19:50:44 GMT

obstreperous

The toddler was obstreperous in his objection to lima beans with dinner.

The word obstreperous is 2,400 times less popular than stuff

Heard first from Rob Adams