A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact

Home Today's Word Yesterday's Word Archives FAQ

Mar 8, 2026 This week’s theme Words one letter apart This week’s words incubous morose porose perfusion profusion How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Toponyms 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 1236 A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net The Lost Languages of Ancient Humans: Listen to Stone-Age Chat BBC Permalink The Pentagon Says It’s Lethalitymaxxing. Why Has Incel Slang Crossed into the Mainstream? The Guardian Permalink From: simonjackson747 (via website comments) Subject: Incubous I find the idea of reversing the way roof shingles are normally laid fascinating and would like to learn more about it. Does that make me bi-incubous? Simon Jackson From: Sara Hutchinson (sarahutch2003 yahoo.com) Subject: morose The six stages of drunkenness: Verbose, Jocose, Morose, Lachrymose, Bellicose, and Comatose. Sara Hutchinson, New Castle, Delaware Email of the Week -- Brought to you by ONEUPMANSHIP From: simonjackson747 (via website comments) Subject: perfusion Perfusion, a portmanteau combining “perfect” and “confusion”. Example: After hearing Trump’s State of the Union address, many people find themselves in a state of perfusion. Simon Jackson From: Ken Morris (kmorris lightbulbpress.com) Subject: profusion usage My favorite use of the word profusion occurs in the song Scarlet Ribbons: Through the night my heart was aching, Just before the dawn was breaking, I peeked in and on her bed, In gay profusion lying there, Lovely ribbons, scarlet ribbons, Scarlet ribbons for her hair ... More... Of course, it’s even better when you hear Harry Belafonte (3 min.) voicing the words. Ken Morris, New York, New York From: BarbaraVBH (via website comments) Subject: profusion I was thrilled to see Olivia Rose Austin in my morning mail! She is among seven others in my little rose garden. She’s my second-favorite, bowing only to Roald Dahl. (Many of David Austin’s roses are named for literary figures.) She is currently recovering from her annual pruning, and I expect that she’ll be profusing in a month or two (Let’s bring back the use of “profuse” as a verb!) Barbara From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: morose and profusion Eeyore, the donkey in A. A. Milne’s “Winnie-the-Pooh” tales has an abiding emotional state that could be described as morose, with an ominous dark cloud hanging over him. In fact, this sad sack even has a designated section of The Hundred Acre Wood called “Eeyore’s Gloomy Place”. Curiously, despite his pessimistic/depressive demeanor, Eeyore occasionally exhibits glimmers of a generous, thoughtful, positive nature. Most folks are familiar with a cornucopia (aka horn of plenty) as a symbol of abundance. Trump is trying to paint a rosy picture of the flagging US economy. Yet he knows that prices across the board are higher and his high tariffs are a tax on the American people, and a burden on small businesses. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams Theme: Words one letter apart Incubous Morose Porose Perfusion Profusion = Epibolic A sour mood Porous, pores weep The transfer of nutrients normous -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) This week’s theme: Words one letter apart Incubous Morose Porose Perfusion Profusion = Superior work on the roof See the pessimist Open pores Moisture course Abundant flow = Lower parts bestride the upper ones Of sour, ominous men One with pores CO2‐soak Surfeit ‘ -Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com) -Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com) Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks incubous My teacher explained it to me. “These incubous leaves which we see Provide helpful clues Which botanists use -- The plant they can thereby ID.” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Said the roofer, “This leak is ridiculous, For it seems that my shingles are incubous.” Being bad at his job, He then let out a sob, For dyslexic he was, though meticulous. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) morose/porose If you’re feeling morose, I suggest From the news take a break, get some rest. For further relief, It’s my long-held belief That a nice piece of cheesecake’s the best. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Our president’s started a war. Please tell us, oh Donald, what for? We’re morose and afraid. You broke promises made -- Why don’t you just stick to décor? -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) The clouds are all hovering close Which is making me kinda morose I like bright shiny sun Doesn’t everyone, hon? So the weather and I are both gross! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) If your countertops make you morose, They’re marble, I bet -- it’s porose. Just one little spill And the stain makes you ill; Now your kitchen or bathroom look gross. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) perfusion/profusion Before any transplant can start, Perfusion sustains that new heart. When everything’s ready, With hands that are steady, The surgeons can then do their part. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Now Trump is a man of profusion. His ballroom is quite an intrusion. He destroyed the East Wing, It’s a terrible thing. And he trashes our great Constitution. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) The daffodils grew in profusion, Creating a golden illusion. Those flowers so yellow Made Wordsworth feel mellow -- His poem suggests that conclusion. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Anu Garg sends us words in profusion, One each day via cyber-perfusion. We’re well entertained As our minds are sustained By a nourishing verbal transfusion. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “By bringing us paper and incubous-t us apart!” raged Oog. “No want read or write! Make Cavemen Great Again!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Incubous capital city Havana, crime is said to be rampant. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Can I have some morose-t beef, please, sir?” asked Oliver after being taken in by Mr. Brownlow. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Bartender, I want morose-é,” Helen shouted over the Happy Hour crowd. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) The porose and X’s were tired of being played with in all those games of tic-tac-toe. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “To Edgar Allen Porose-s on Valentine’s Day were anathema to his dark needs and desires,” wrote his biographer. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Daddy, where did bronze come from?” “Well, one day tin said, ‘Please cop-perfusion with me would make a wonderful alloy.’ So they got together and lived happily ever after.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “To any serious nuclear science profusion represents the future of our energy and environmental needs,” protested the physicist being arrested by ICE. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Many ideas grow better when transplanted into another mind than in the one where they sprang up. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., poet, novelist, essayist, and physician (1809-1894)

We need your help Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere Donate