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Nov 16, 2025 This week’s theme Words from English English This week’s words writhen shrive tidings screed bounden How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Eponyms Send a gift that keeps on giving, all year long: A gift subscription of A.Word.A.Day or the gift of books AWADmail Issue 1220 A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language Sponsor’s Message: “Way better than Wordle.” One Up! is the wickedest word game in the (real) world. “Brilliant. Again, brilliant!” A fabulous anytime gift. Shop now. From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net Learning Another Language May Slow Brain Aging, Huge New Study Finds Scientific American Permalink New Crack at an Ancient Puzzle Reignites Debate for Archaeologists The New York Times Permalink From: Kathy Borst (kborst mcn.org) Subject: Run Where should you run next? PUBLIC OFFICE! I want to see people I can trust in the government of this country, at any level. Kathy Borst, Yorkville, California From: Dave Jones (DaveJones39 hotmail.com) Subject: Marathons I have run the marathon from Athens to Marathon (Wisconsin). David D. Jones, St. Paul, Minnesota From: Howard Goldenberg (doffanpaz gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--writhen Yes, but no, not 26 miles. Like you, I have run marathons in many places. Like you, inspired by Pheidippides. (In fact, Pheidippides is my nom courant.). Pheidippides ran only 40 km, as I’m sure you know. In 1908, the extra two miles were added in order to allow the royal family to watch people labouring by their balcony or windows in Windsor Castle (and made official in Olympics since 1921). You and I and legions have endured those extra 2.2 km ever since. Howard (Pheidippides) Goldenberg, Melbourne, Australia Email of the Week -- Brought to you buy One Up! -- Playing mind games is wicked fun. From: Steve Shutt (stevnmag119cbw gmail.com) Subject: Marathon Marathon Also known as the Athens Marathon. In 2009 I was a member of a running group and at a BBQ gathering a running buddy mentioned that in 2010 it was the 2500th anniversary of the original Marathon. I’d run many half marathons but being 62 at the time and having come to distance running late in life I’d always thought that a marathon was beyond my capabilities. Discussions in the following weeks at our Wednesday evening group runs convinced me that if I was only going to run one marathon the 2010 Athens marathon should be the one. After doing all the training, getting up in the middle of the night to make sure I was registered for the race, getting injured close to the end of the training and having to finish the training in the swimming pool, my running friends and I completed the race on Oct 31 2010. The Athenian people came out in their thousands along the route and made a huge fuss of the participants. I’m now 78, still running but after having a pacemaker inserted I run 10ks. The Athens marathon was the highlight of my running career so far. I hope I can keep on running into my 80s. Steve Shutt, Calgary, Canada From: Mo Doyle (momcdo gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--writhen Some of my body parts are writhen. A doctor explained that as we age, our tendons pull into the core. The same doctor was able to help me un-gnarl my fingers with a painful shot of cortisone. I recommend it for writhen body parts. Maureen Doyle, Boston, Massachusetts From: Nancy Redding (nancy.c.redding gmail.com) Subject: writhen Words that begin with wr often have to do with twisting or ability to twist. Think wrinkle, wrist, wreath, wrap, wreck, wring, wrench. In teaching kids which words begin with the Anglo-Saxon ‘wr’, we emphasize that they tend to be twisting words. Nancy Redding, San Jose, California From: Christopher Joubert (chris_joubert hotmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--shrive A great irregular verb. One of the things that irritate me is the habit of saying shrived instead of shrove or shriven. To his credit, an American astronaut on a TV programme last night said shriven. Cleave is another one. Evelyn Waugh cemented his reputation as a great writer when his protagonist visited the Army and Navy store to buy some cleft sticks, and the shop assistant said, “We can have some cloven for you.” (In the book Scoop.) Christopher Joubert, Cambridge, UK From: David Ornick (david.ornick ymail.com) Subject: Shrive I immediately thought of shrove, as in Shrove Tuesday, also observed as Mardi Gras. Dave Ornick, Morgantown, West Virginia From: Peter Timmins (petertimmins918 btinternet.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--screed Screed can be a verb, meaning to apply a thin layer of cement-like material to a floor to make it smooth and level. It can also be a noun meaning that specific cement-like mixture -- for example, to apply a screed finish to a floor. Peter Timmins, Manchester, UK From: Henry M. Willis (hmw ssdslaw.com) Subject: Monks’ complaints You wrote: “Imagine a medieval monk rolling out an endless scroll of grievances, the original angry blog post.” Medieval monks working as scribes in cold scriptoria were famous for their complaints (“Writing is excessive drudgery. It crooks your back, it dims your sight, it twists your stomach and your sides.”) left in the margins of works they were copying. A selection can be found here. One such example: Bitter is the wind tonight It tosses the ocean’s white hair Tonight I fear not the fierce warriors of Norway Coursing on the Irish sea. The original Irish is here. Henry Willis, Los Angeles, California From: Teri Henson (hensontd comcast.net) Subject: shells A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: It is perhaps a more fortunate destiny to have a taste for collecting shells than to be born a millionaire. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (13 Nov 1850-1894) Millionaires love shells, so long as they’re associated with companies, and they do prefer them to be offshore. Teri Henson, Livermore, California From: Ava Torre-Bueno (avatb3 gmail.com) Subject: Bounden This word brought back The Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten. The last carol starts with: Deo gracias! Deo gracias! Adam lay i-bounden, bounden in a bond; Four thousand winter thought he not too long. We sang the whole ceremony in the high school chorus. Ava Torre-Bueno, San Diego, California From: Steve Benko (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Subject: English English How could you? No doubt the Trump Administration will jump all over this week’s theme of words that are purely and originally English as a way to help them identify and deport those brought here from other countries by people of color! Steve Benko, New York, New York From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: writhen and double double When I read the definition of our word “writhen”, I immediately conjured up an image of a rattlesnake, wound up in its characteristic stacked coil, poised to strike. Here, Froggy, wise to the striking speed and power of our Western rattler, keeps his distance. Froggy is well aware that smallish amphibians... frogs, toads, salamanders and newts are primary prey items of these venomous rattlers. With my second illo this week, rather than illustrate another of our five words, I was struck by a passage in this week’s intro, focused on pairings of the same word, sparked by Anu’s recent Marathon marathon run; and so, as an alternative approach, I’ve visualized this coffee shop scenario where “coffee coffee” (aka black coffee) takes center stage. PS: I prefer my cup-o’-java half half... no sugar. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams This week’s theme: Words from English English Writhen Shrive Tidings Screed Bounden = Twisted He knows she lied & sinned -- forgive errors News highlights Hmm, censure In debt = Twisted I know his murderer -- he confessed! The “high” news Long mirthless verse Binding -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) -Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com) Limericks writhen Oh, hear my arthritic lament! Too much of my time has been spent Just opening stuff, A task which is tough, When fingers are writhen and bent. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) I’ve gotta admit -- and I do! -- My fingers -- well, really, these two -- Are writhen and so I don’t use them, you know. No one knows that about me ‘cept you! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) “To my ends all the laws are now writhen,” Said Donald; “Oh boy, this is livin’! I prosecute foes And give immigrants woes, And by SCOTUS my crimes are forgiven!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) shrive Confess so that you will be shriven, Your numerous sins all forgiven! You’ll feel better, I know, But I bet you’ll then go Right back to the life you were livin’! -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Could the past tense of shrive be, say, shriven? In which case all your guilt would be given A hearty heave-ho. Out the door it would go With your sins, hopefully, also driven! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) “To hear your confession I’ll strive,” Said the priest, “but you’re so full of jive.” Answered Donald, “My Court Is a really good sport; They have blessed me, I don’t need to shrive.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Said James Kirk, “Scotty, give me warp drive, Or the Klingons will eat us alive!” But the chief engineer Said, “We’re stuck in first gear! All the Catholics aboard better shrive!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) tidings Good tidings the people await, But what do the headlines all state? They list woes galore, Like famine and war -- The news as of late isn’t great. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “Good tidings I hereby do bring To you who would like to be king.” Said President Lee, “We’ll crown you, you see -- Take home to your White House this bling.” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Somehow they say “Christmas” to me! Maybe from caroling? Gee! From wherever or whence, “Tidings” serve as portents Of much gladness and singing and glee! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) Said Jack Smith, “I made numerous filings, But the courts all delivered bad tidings. It seems that Judge Cannon Consulted Steve Bannon, And SCOTUS gave no silver linings.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) screed When Donald delivers a screed, “Stop ranting!” Americans plead. “In CAPS do you write At all times of night -- Instead get the sleep that you need!” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) I’ve said “bound and determined” for years! Were there silently uttered some jeers? Should it have been “bounden”? I’m so tightly wound an’ Feel silly to have grammar fears! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) “From the Romulans’ grip we’ve been freed, For I bored them to death with a screed,” Said James Kirk. “Every week, I ad nauseam speak, And it saves us!” Spock answered, “Indeed.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Though portrayed as the nonesuch of greed,” Said Shylock, “When pricked, don’t I bleed? Martin Luther’s fake news Is unfair to us Jews! Here in Venice, we frown on his screed!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) bounden I know that it’s old-fashioned soundin’, But Trump’s got a duty that’s bounden -- All our laws to enforce, Though we all know, of course, The number he’s broken’s astoundin’. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) In the chapel, the bride and the groom With bounden vows silenced the room. So many guests cried, Not just those inside, But people who watched home on Zoom. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “When I don’t like the way that it’s soundin’,” Said Donald, “the truth isn’t bounden. If some stupid report Of bad news I abort, On the golf course I get a whole round in.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “He hath writhen,” echoed the toddler attending his first Mass. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Confessing his affair to me? Pretty ironic of Arnold if you think about it,” said Maria Shrive-r. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) The detergent company’s newsletter was called, “The Tidings.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Make your old car look brand new again with our an-tidings treatment!” said the body shop ad. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “High winds and heavy snow lying on a bed of screed-on’t bode well for anyone downslope,” warned periodic National Weather Service bulletins before the DOGE cutbacks. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “I’m bounden determined to remain in office for life,” said Donald. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Homeward bounden soon vee vill be in Berlin,” exclaimed Franz at the airport. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them. -Chinua Achebe, writer and professor (16 Nov 1930-2013)

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