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Mar 15, 2026
This week’s themeToponyms This week’s words arcadia Babylonian Laodiceanism gasconader bantam How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Words used figuratively Wordsmith Games 🌍 Langitude Trace brummagem home 🧩 Jigsaw Riddle RBG & her collar AWADmail Issue 1237A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and LanguageFrom: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net America May Be Reaching Peak Spanish The Economist Permalink The Language Of Murder HuffPost Permalink From: Bob Rosenberg (rbrtrsnbrg gmail.com) Subject: 32 Years! Not just 25, but just past 1 billion seconds! Congratulations! Bob Rosenberg, Winchester, Massachusetts From: Richard Bray (rdbray wanadoo.fr) Subject: I love your site I read your letters every day. It comes about 8:30 am here in Paris. Yes I am a long way from home. I came here to study, fell in love and somehow a few decades have passed. Your site starts my day off with a smile every day. Just thank you so much. Richard Bray, Paris, France From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: toponyms If your hometown or city became a word in the dictionary, what would the definition be? I asked in this week’s AWAD. Here’s a selection from the responses. If East Hampton, New York became a word in the dictionary, the definition would be New York City with sand. A combination of a peaceful beach and a rural, upscale environment populated by urban escapees from New York City’s stress, crowds, and noise. -Steven A. Ludsin, New York, New York (ludsin gmail.com) Memphis: After only a few weeks in the town recognized as the “Capital of the Delta,” one is likely to become Memphisized: soulful, bluesy, a little gritty, friendly, and accepting of others, a tree-hugger, and a rock-n-roller. Yes, all that is Memphis emanates from them. -Jackie Cash, Memphis, Tennessee (airedalemail comcast.net)
Email of the Week -- Brought to you by ONEUPMANSHIP
Minneapolis: A land of clever, loving neighbors who quietly and peacefully unite and prove themselves stronger than their fascist government. See also the fable The Elephant and the Mouse. -Katie Lawler Turnbull, Minneapolis, Minnesota (qmouselawler yahoo.com) Minneapolis: A verb meaning to resist. Minnesota: An adjective meaning inclined to care for your neighbors, all of them. -Patricia Benson, Stillwater, Minnesota (pbpjbenson gmail.com) Berkeley became a disparaging term for protests and general hippy-dippyness and became known as Berserkeley. -Narda Roushdi, Berkeley, California (liteglobe aol.com) My hometown Coventry, in the English Midlands is already used in common parlance, in the phrase “sent to Coventry”, meaning to ostracise someone. -Carol Dunne, Chester-le-Street, UK (pyxel1 outlook.com) I’d like to nominate Santa Monica -- also known as SaMo -- as a place where people smile more and genuinely mean it. I had a colleague, a Philly resident, a couple of years ago who told me that though she was a native of LA, whenever she visited, she felt people were cold, unfriendly, and harsh. Her words somehow bothered me -- a devotee of LaLa Land -- and one day, while I was walking around in my neighborhood, I thought, “Well, she needs to come to Santa Monica.” Sure enough, a few days later, she told me that she had come to my lovely beach town and that people were actually friendly and warm. Despite her assumption that their material status has something to do with that, I was glad her perspective had changed. -Riza Freeman, Santa Monica, California (dragonflycoaching1111 proton.me) We live in Norwalk, Ohio, and you already know what has made us famous: Norwalk virus, which was shortened and Latinized (as happens in medical science) to norovirus. None of us here in Norwalk, Ohio, really wants to be known for this common “ick,” as it were -- but we’re stuck with it. The normal shrug-phrase, “there are worse things” doesn’t help us much ... Enjoy the weird toponym as best you can. -Kathy Root, Norwalk, Ohio (kathygroot icloud.com) From: Laura Burns (laurab12 sbcglobal.net) Subject: Arcadia The Florentine explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano called the eastern coast of North America north of Virginia “Arcadia” on a sixteenth-century map, after the Greek region. With the ‘r’ dropped, the designation dwindled down to a French territory which covered what is now part of the Canadian Maritimes. A major deportation by the British of French Catholics in this part of Canada caused a settlement in Louisiana by Acadians -- the Cajuns. Laura Burns, Galveston, Texas From: Paul Pattison (paulpattis aol.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--gasconader There is a river in the Missouri Ozarks called the Gasconade. It meanders for about 280 miles before emptying into the Missouri River. Its name likely comes from gascon. Locals call it world’s crookedest river. Paul Pattison, Kansas City, Missouri From: Charlie Cockey (czechpointcharlie gmail.com) Subject: gasconader The most memorable gasconader (in this case both a gascon and, literally, a Gascon) of my childhood was that irrepressible boaster d’Artagnan, fourth wheel of the established troika in Dumas’ The Three Musketeers. Of course, he had not only the limitless self-assurance but also the martial chops to back it all up. Unlike some more recent examples... (I can say no more.) Charlie Cockey, Brno, Czech Republic From: Pascal Pagnoux (pascal.pagnoux gmail.com) Subject: Cyrano The strangest thing about Cyrano de Bergerac is that even though Cyrano, in Edmond Rostand’s play, says he’s heading a troop of Gascons from his hometown Bergerac, this town has never been in Gascogne. Being a Gascon myself from Bordeaux and having been to Bergerac several times, I can assure you that it is located about 100 km north of the Gascogne region -- that your map faithfully showcases -- in the “département” and region of Dordogne. In the Gascon town of Moncrabeau, they hold every year a Festival des Menteurs which elects a king of the liars for the year to come -- the guy who tells the biggest whopper (gasconnade). They’ve had an academy of liars since the XVIth century, that boasts of having had the worst liars in the whole Gascony (Gascogne). Pascal Pagnoux, Saint Gaudens, France From: John Sutton (carolea2 tiscali.co.uk) Subject: Bantam During the Great War, 1914-18, a regiment was formed entirely of relatively shorter men. They were known as the Bantams. John Sutton, Newcastle, UK From: Margaret Follis (mafollis shaw.ca) Subject: Bantam Growing up on a farm, we always had bantam chickens kept separately from the large commercial flock. We called them Banties. Charming little birds scratching around the back porch, they laid small eggs just perfect for a toddler. Margaret Follis, Vancouver, Canada From: Alex (anipaahu gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--bantam I thought you might appreciate this tidbit from the internet: When Ian Ballantine founded Bantam Books in 1945, he had previously worked for Penguin. To continue the industry trend of using animal branding, but distinguish his new venture, the bantam rooster -- a “louder, prouder show bird” -- was selected to mark the beginning of Ballantine’s campaign to disrupt the “publishing pecking order”. Alex, Framingham, Massachusetts From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: gasconader and bantam  
Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams
Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks arcadia She went to the Catskills so fair, And found an arcadia there. The place was so pretty Compared to the city -- One even could breathe some fresh air! -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “Let’s retire to Florida, dear. It’s a place really far, far from here.” But said his old lady, “A Move to arcadia? That spot it is not, which is clear.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Jack Smith, I’m no longer afraid o’ ya, For the White House is now my arcadia,” Said Donald. “No law Need I hold much in awe; In this job I can do kleptomania.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Babylonian Declared Donald Trump with a smile, “You’ll see what I’ve planned in a while. The East Wing I’ll rebuild; The whole place I will gild In grand Babylonian style!” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “I want a great Ballroom,” cried Trump. “Let’s tear down the East Wing, a dump.” Babylonian taste Is a terrible waste, And I wish he was out on his rump. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “We have entered the era Devonian; For us fish it’ll be Babylonian!” Said the primitive shark. “Like a walk in the park To catch prey, for my jaws are draconian!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) laodiceanism Her boyfriend was handsome, athletic; But, she found him to be apathetic. She just couldn’t bear When he said, “I don’t care.” Laodiceanism’s pathetic. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) The word laodiceanism Means diffusing brain waves like a prism, So we lose all our cares About what Donald dares. This would heal our great national schism. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) gasconader A great gasconader is he, Who boasts and insists, “Look at me!” He’s craving attention; His name I won’t mention -- We hear it too much, you’ll agree. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) The grand gasconader had planned To use his last name as his brand. Himself he promoted; Now let it be noted -- God help us -- this guy’s in command. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “When I see a girl naked, I rate her,” Said America’s chief gasconader. “And no death star supplies What Jeff’s island provides, So I’m envied by guys like Darth Vader.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) bantam Though tiny, that guy was all muscle, And boy, did he know how to hustle! As a bantam he’d box -- He would take some hard knocks, But tended to win in a tussle. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Bantam roosters I’ve heard of for years; Little fighters they are, with no fears. And I know such a human -- In fact, it is you, man! Just look at your scar souvenirs! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) My granny was just five feet tall, But she didn’t hold back ‘cause she’s small. And this spirited bantam, Would argue and rant some. She’d never give in, not at all. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) Said Donald, “Our national anthem Should say that I’m brave, strong, and handsome. And Mount Rushmore should show Me from head down to toe.” “But your willy,” said Stormy, “is bantam.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “We have to work together to survive and repopulate the world. Should any of you attempt to eat a fellow passenger, let no one on this arcadia,” said Noah. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “With all your talk about your James Bond stories you do babylonian,” said Fleming’s girlfriend. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Having lost the war to the princess and her rebels, Empire loyalists began an underground resistance movement dedicated to secretly insulting their new leader. It was called Laodiceanism. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Though you fancy yourself a corporate gadfly, with all the beans you just ate you could start a natural gasconader,” said the fossil fuel executive to the famed consumer advocate. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Arnold Schwarzenegger had eaten so many beans at lunch that the movie crew called him the gasconader. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “We must get rid of Mexicans and their food. Bantam-ales, tacos, and enchiladas! Make America Great Again!” shouted Donald. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Tired of the hours her children would play with them, the mother decided to bantam-agotchis from the house. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead
others to join you. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg, US Supreme Court justice (15 Mar
1933-2020)
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