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Jan 4, 2026
This week’s theme“New” words This week’s words nutation noodly pneumic nouveau new-collar How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Words that look like misspellings 
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AWADmail Issue 1227A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and LanguageSponsor’s Message: ONEUPMANSHIP 3.0 is “a rollicking excuse for mad, mutually-abusive annihilation.” One Up! -- guaranteed to turn your whole family into “greedy, self-serving punks.” Wise Up! will “ruin Christmas and friendships” or your money back. All our fun and games are BOGO today only. Shop now. From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net Canadian Linguists Rise Up Against the Letter S The New York Times Permalink Dyslexia and the Reading Wars The New Yorker Permalink
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From: Tobias Baskin (baskin umass.edu) Subject: nutation The word of today is an old friend, as I did part of my PhD on nutation. And I don’t mean the bobbing heads of my supervisors. Just don’t call me Newt! The stem of plant seedlings grows upward rapidly, racing to the light; but at the same time it also moves sideways, just a little. This sideways movement in pea seedlings is linear (side-to-side); this style is called nutation (in contrast to sideways movement in many other species that is circular and called circumnutation). For part of my dissertation, I discovered that, during nutation, the growth rate on either side of the pea stem oscillates; growth essentially stops on one side of the stem while speeding up on the other side. The pattern reverses about every 90 min. I speculate that this pattern is driven by a parallel modulation of the flow of the growth hormone, auxin, which moves from shoot tip to root tip, but had been thought to move uniformly. Tobias Baskin, Amherst, Massachusetts From: Maureen Doyle (momcdo gmail.com) Subject: Nutation in plants I learned that sunflowers will always face the sun because they nutate, with one side of the stem growing a little taller than the other, in response to the sun’s directions. Here’s a better explanation from UC Berkeley:
At night, the western side grows faster, turning the flower head back
east in time to capture the rays of the rising sun.
What’s more, once the plant has grown to maturity, the clock genes turn
off this differential growth, leaving the flower facing east to gather the
heat of the morning sun and provide a warm platform for pollinating bees.
Maureen Doyle, Boston, Massachusetts From: Ben Young (skillzmcgavern gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--noodly Noodly is NOT a compliment for musicians. It’s not commonly regarded as “inspired.” So if you want to insult a musician, go ahead, use it. Ben Young From: Hoagie Hill (seamonsters verizon.net) Subject: Noodly You wrote that noodly “describes aimless but inspired improvisation.” As a musician known to noodle, I’d take some issue with both adjectives. Noodling is sometimes not aimless; it can be done to work out a musical thought (though, yes, sometimes it is more like daydreaming). As for inspired, I think it’s necessarily the opposite of that, because it is either aimless or acting against a lack of inspiration. Noodling is basically the musical equivalent of doodling. Hoagie Hill From: Tom TaTom (buzzedsaw+awad gmail.com) Subject: noodly The word noodly made me think of this bit from one of my favorite comedians, Kyle Kinane (video, 1 min.). Tom TaTom, Huntsville, Alabama From: Stannous Flouride (stanflouride yahoo.com) Subject: Noodly I think by far the most common use of the word is as a blessing from Pastafarian followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster: “May you be touched by Its Noodly Appendage. R’Amen.” The blessing is based on an oil painting in the style of The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo (which shows Adam reclining and reaching out to touch God), but instead of God there is the Flying Spaghetti Monster; two large meatballs wrapped in noodles, with eyes on stalks which are also noodles, all floating in mid-air. It has what is easily the most entertaining Wikipedia entry. Stannous Flouride, San Francisco, California From: Gajanan Gurjarpadhye (ggurjarpadhye gmail.com) Subject: Saadi of Shiraz
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: A raindrop, dripping from a cloud, / Was ashamed when it saw the sea. / “Who am I where there is a sea?” it said. / When it saw itself with the eye of humility, / A shell nurtured it in its embrace. -Saadi of Shiraz (c. 1200 AD) The beauty of these lines is like that of an iceberg much of which is hidden below the surface. Does the poet want to stress the importance of genuine humility or is the chance of being noticed by the shell more important? The reader has freedom of interpretation, and that is more important. Whatever is left unsaid by the poet makes it more effective! Gajanan Gurjarpadhye, Mumbai, India From: Brenda J. Gannam (gannamconsulting earthlink.net) Subject: pneumic Long ago when I was a student in France, and living with a French family, I announced to my hosts that I would be traveling with a girlfriend over the holidays to visit a male cousin of hers who was stationed with the US military in Germany. Monsieur, who was immediately suspicious, asked, “So, where will you sleep?” I reassured him, innocently enough, that we would be sleeping on air mattresses provided by said cousin. In French, an air mattress is a matelas pneumatique -- no pumps in those days, just good ol’ lung power. Unfortunately, I confused the words matelas and matelot, so my explanation in French was rendered more or less as a pumped-up sailor. Monsieur, giving me the side eye, replied, “Well, in that case, Mademoiselle, I advise you to be very, very careful. We wouldn’t want any unfortunate surprises when you get back.” Brenda J. Gannam, Brooklyn, New York From: Dave Wilkinson (dswilkinson1954 gmail.com) Subject: new-collar My father, the son of a blacksmith, was the first in his family to graduate from college. With a Bachelor of Science in Bacteriology, he took pride in his achievements as a white-collar quality control manager for a well-known food processing company. I chose to embrace hands-on work over academics and forged my own path as a maintenance welder. After completing technical training, I rose to become an Engineering Technologist in the steel industry. When I was promoted to a supervisory position, my father acknowledged my journey, calling it a transformation from a blue-collar worker to a brown-collar mid-manager. Dave Wilkinson, Selkirk, Canada From: Bob Richmond (rsrichmond gmail.com) Subject: Anti-intellectualism
A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there always has been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” -Isaac Asimov, scientist and writer (2 Jan 1920-1992) Isaac Asimov was an established science fiction writer when I was in my adolescent years around the 1950s. He moved from that to being the greatest science popularizer of his generation -- nobody has read all of the literally hundreds of books he wrote. His words about American anti-intellectualism are frequently quoted, as are Carl Sagan’s similar statements on the subject a generation later. Unfortunately, their sentiments ring even truer in the present generation, when people are willing to sacrifice their children to preventable contagious diseases, and we have a government that supports them in their endeavor. Bob Richmond, Maryville, Tennessee From: Henry M. Willis (hmw ssdslaw.com) Subject: So Nu? I’ve been waiting all week for you to celebrate the New Year with nu, that all-purpose Yiddish word that has as many possibilities as the way stereotypical mobsters use “fuggedabadit” (at least in the movies). You can dive into a discussion of all that is nu here. Many of us who don’t speak Yiddish learned the word from the movies, in particular the song “Sue Me” (video, 5 min) from Guys and Dolls, sung by Frank Sinatra as Nathan Detroit, who drops “so nu” into his apology to Adelaide. Henry Willis, Los Angeles, California From: Mary Monroe (marmon801919 gmail.com) Subject: the u sound Sometimes the use of nyoo as opposed to noo has to do with clarification of meaning. As a trainer of choruses, I’d insist on pronouncing endue as endyoo, for example, because endoo when sung sounds like “and do”, which puts a very peculiar tone on the phrase “endue me with wisdom”. We myoosicians think like that all the time. Happy Nyoo (sorry) Year to you! Mary Monroe
Due to an oversight, Alex McCrae’s illustrations didn’t make it into last week’s issue. We regret the omission. Here they are.
From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: pipsqueak and gobmouthed  
No illos for a few weeks as I’ll be in Canada celebrating the holiday season with family. Wishing everyone a safe and joyous holiday. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California
Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks nutation Nutation’s a signal you send When messages you comprehend. If you’re nodding with vigor, A speaker will figure Agreement is what you intend. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Are you signaling with your nutation Understanding of my explanation? How quickly you learn And thereby you earn This instructor’s profound admiration! -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Well of course I can tell -- so can you -- If it’s “yay” or it’s “nay” from Anu. No nutation will mean It did not make the scene On the limerick page. Boo hoo hoo! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) His lectures were so dull it’s said That students approached them with dread. Because they were boring, The class started snoring, With many nutations of head. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) As the president’s sleepy nutation Grew into a lengthy duration, His staff in the room Pondered nuclear doom As they left for the bunker location. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) noodly A kugel’s a noodly dish, And folks all agree, it’s delish. Whatever your mood, It’s great comfort food, Though some might prefer a knish. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) She thought of herself as a foodie. “I do like a dish that is noodly. I love fettucine, Or else tortellini, When in an Italian mood, see?” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) The wedding was such a delight. Her groom in his tux looked so right, But, when in the nude he Was spindly and noodly. She cried, when she saw him that night. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) Said Stormy, “You speak rather rudely, And your willy is totally noodly. I will let myself out.” But no way would she pout; She would plan her next steps with him shrewdly. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) pneumic At one time she had tended to wheeze, For she suffered from pneumic disease. But now when lungs fail her, She’ll use her inhaler; She’s currently breathing with ease. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) If you are in bed with the flu sick, Your illness can turn swiftly pneumic, Becoming bronchitis, Which doesn’t delight us, For time off from work will accrue quick. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Though your new baby boy is cherubic, He has quite a capacity pneumic,” Laughed the nurse. “Just the same, Have you thought of a name?” The two smiled, “Here’s looking at you, Nick.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “They’re demanding to know what you knew, Dick,” Said Pat Nixon, her voice sounding pneumic. Her husband replied, “They’ve discovered I lied; We’ll be out in the cold in a tunic.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) nouveau How lovely I find art nouveau, A style they called “new” long ago! Works by Mucha, a Czech, And Toulouse-Lautrec, Are famous examples, you know. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) To Paris she wanted to go, And see it with her nouveau beau. But to her dismay, He would soon run away With her sister, a floozy named Flo. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “They agree that my style is nouveau, But praise me? Not even one kudo!” Said Donald. “No Dem Had with me any chem,” Sarah Palin agreed, up in Juneau. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “This martial art form is trés nouveau; I’m thinking of calling it judo,” Its inventor declared. And how well has it fared? Why, by using it, Popeye beat Bluto! -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) new-collar A new-collar job’s not for me -- I’m no longer working, you see. I’d find it confusing If I now were choosing What color my collar would be. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) My nephew, he had a desire, To be a firm’s new-collar hire. His course in AI Had helped him apply; To get the job, he did aspire. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “All that programmin’ stuff I kin foller; Gimme one of them jobs that’s new-collar,” Said the applicant. “Codin’ I don’t find forebodin’, Or workin’ from home. I love squalor.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “My A-nutations help to explain the words,” said Mr. Garg. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Speaker of the House Gingrich had a weekly column of his political thoughts he called, “Nutation-s.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “I love a clothing-optional beach,” said Tom noodly. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) All the sports writers pneumic-key Mantle would go down as one of the Yankee greats. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Aaron Judge is the pneumic-key mantle,” raved the baseball announcers. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Any time a politician who supports me loses an election, a nouveau-te will be taken,” Donald proclaimed. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) When A-nouveau-ted for the first time as an American citizen, he felt great pride. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “If we hit Venezuela with a new-collar critics will stop talking about Epstein,” said Donald. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a
sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969)
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