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Sep 27, 2026 This week’s theme Words with scene-stealing examples This week’s words soporiferous misgiving timorous kidology obtuse How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme A change of character Wordsmith Games 🧩 Jigsaw Riddle A Thousand Li 🌍 Langitude Trace raglan home AWADmail Issue 1265 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 Curious Power of Punctuation The New Yorker Permalink ”Make Women Feel Seen”: Why the Dutch Have a New Word for Labia BBC Permalink From: Kenneth Kirste (kkkirste sbcglobal.net) Subject: Misgivings The word misgivings reminded me of advice my brother once gave me: “Don’t worry about having second thoughts. That’s two more than most people have.” Ken Kirste, Sunnyvale, California From: Glenn Glazer (glenn.glazer gmail.com) Subject: misgiving Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” contains an unusual use of “misgiven”, the past participle of “misgive”: “Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.” Glenn Glazer, Felton, California From: Brenda J. Gannam (gannamconsulting earthlink.net) Subject: misgiving May I here coin a playful antonym, “mistertakings” (derived from the pun “miss givings”)? In classic sex/gender mythology, the female is considered to be the one who “gives”, whereas the male generally “takes”. Definition: feelings of cocksureness or absolute certainty about the brilliance and correctness of one’s thoughts and actions. Usage: That politician is an endless ocean of mistertakings. Brenda J. Gannam, Brooklyn, New York From: Jeffrey Prevost (jjprevost msn.com) Subject: Timorous I guffawed at the Russian railway chief’s deference to the sensibilities of the “timorous” Finns in the usage example, especially in light of the accompanying illustration, The Attack by Edvard Isto. The Finns’ resistance to the Soviet invasion during the Winter War hardly suggests a timorous people. Jeff Prevost, Redlands, California From: P. Larry Nelson (lnelson illinois.edu) Subject: timorous My first encounter with timorous was in junior high when our English teacher introduced the class to Robert Burns’s poem To A Mouse. It was quite the challenge (and fun) trying to pronounce the words he used from the very poetic Scots language. Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie, O, what a panic’s in thy breastie! Thou need na start awa sae hasty, Wi’ bickering brattle! I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee, Wi’ murd’ring pattle! Probably the best-known line is one we have been using quite a lot lately: The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men, Gang aft agley, P. Larry Nelson, Champaign, Illinois From: Henry M. Willis (hmw ssdslaw.com) Subject: Timorous Your snippet about a Russian railway official blaming Russia’s failure to develop high-speed trains on the Finns’ timorous nature reminded me of my sister’s experience traveling by train from the Czech Republic to Germany. When the train was stopped unexpectedly between stations because of mechanical difficulties, an official got on the train’s public address system to explain (in German) that it was all the Czechs’ fault. As Robert Burns wrote in “To a Louse”: O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us! That truth hasn’t faded in 240 years. Henry Willis, Los Angeles, California Email of the Week -- Brought to you by WISE UP!® From: Patti Koning (koning sbcglobal.net) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--kidology A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another human being as a thing. -John Brunner, novelist (24 Sep 1934-1995) If there is such a phenomenon as absolute evil, it consists in treating another sentient being as a thing. Fixed it for you, Mr. Brunner. Patti Koning, Dallas, Texas From: Fenwick Kirton-Darling (hfrkd icloud.com) Subject: Obtuse A little angular English history. The Angles migrated from Germany and landed at Whitby. The Right Angles turned right and settled in Northumberland; the Acute Angles also turned right and settled in Durham. However, the Obtuse Angles decided to stay where they were. The consequences of this will be recognised by those who know and love Yorkshire. Fenwick Kirton-Darling, Northumberland, UK From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: soporiferous and timorous During his second term, Trump has appeared to doze off during televised Cabinet meetings. In Jan of this year, he attributed his closed eyes during a previous meeting to boredom. Here, I imagine a different scenario: Trump’s late-night Truth Socialing, followed by a mid-afternoon Oval Office nap, interrupted by White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. While searching online for timorous cartoon characters, I discovered Courage the Cowardly Dog, the title character of the edgy Cartoon Network series that premiered in 1999. The anxious pooch lives with his human companions, Muriel and Eustace, in fictional Nowhere, Kansas, where he repeatedly confronts bizarre and supernatural threats. He protects his folks despite his fears: timorous by temperament, courageous when it counts. Here, I’ve imagined a scene inspired by the 2021 Warner Bros. animated crossover film Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog. The two dogs face a giant cicada queen and her menacing swarm. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams This week’s theme: Words with scene-stealing examples Soporiferous Misgiving Timorous Kidology Obtuse = It makes one sleep Be nervous, anxious (profess show high mistrust) e.g. timid, meek Re: codology Is slow-wit git = Soft words induce sleep Grim anxiety Meek, submissive Some giggle or hoot with his stories Slow on uptake -Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com) -Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com) Words with scene-stealing examples Soporiferous Misgiving Timorous Kidology Obtuse = Giving opiates Expressing doubt Is so meek, tremulous (who aren’t firm) Is codology Is slow -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks soporiferous “Dad, it’s boring down here, soporiferous; I’m gonna fly higher,” said Icarus. With his Donald-like pride, Sound advice he defied, And fell prey to sea creatures carnivorous. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) misgiving I’m full of misgivings and doubt: Just how will the midterms turn out? You see, I’m aware Trump doesn’t play fair -- I wish we were rid of that lout. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “About scamming I have no misgiving, For I’m making a fabulous living,” Said Donald. “Don’t joke About this if you’re woke; I’ll indict you; I can’t take a ribbing.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) timorous I pitied a timorous child Surrounded by playmates so wild. I stopped their rough play And shooed them away And that’s when that little boy smiled. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Oh, timorous soul, please take heart: One day, Donald Trump will depart. We’ll be happy again, For I hope that is when Our national healing will start. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “Missionaries should never be timorous; Lord Jesus commands us, ‘Be vigorous!’” Said the priests. “In the jungle, Our work we won’t bungle; We hope, though, that heathens don’t simmer us.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) kidology In The Art of the Deal one can read How kidology’s helped Trump succeed. Don’t believe all he says, For it’s known that this prez Is a consummate liar indeed. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) What’s the thing that guy said that he does? Kidology! That’s what it was! Deceiving and bluffing, And huffing and puffing -- Ignore him! I did, just becuz! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) “I practice the art of kidology; I was known at age three as a prodigy,” Said Donald. “My skill Makes the Dumocrats ill, For they know it works better than honesty.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) obtuse You’re a diplomat, Hoekstra, you goose! So why are you being obtuse? You’re baiting and hating, Insulting, berating; O Canada, let’s cut him loose! -Pat Michener, Midland, Ontario (pmcd linktomarket.com) The salesman had been so obtuse, I’d found him of simply no use. He could not help me find What I had in mind: This dress in size ten but in puce. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) She said, “I don’t need an excuse, To break up with old boyfriend Bruce. He is not very quick, Just as dumb as a brick, And I can’t date a guy so obtuse.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “If you think I’m an idiot, Zeus,” Said Hera, “you’re rather obtuse. Making Io a cow Doesn’t fool me, and now I’ll put Argus’s eyes to good use.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “You called a right angle obtuse! For that error, there’s no good excuse,” Lectured Euclid. “No student Should be so imprudent; Go stand in the corner, you goose.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “You could read us some fables by Ae-soporiferous Bueller’s Day Off is on Netflix, that could be our bedtime story!” said the children. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “I’ll misgiving out the presents, but beware of the Christmas-Industrial complex,” said Santa in his farewell address. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “It’s either Timorous, Mom,” insisted Lassie’s neglected puppies. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) The art of recovering from a swerving car in a snowstorm is s-kidology. -Jim Ertner, Greensboro, North Carolina (jde31459 gmail.com) Kidology is the study of a goat’s family history. -Jim Ertner, Greensboro, North Carolina (jde31459 gmail.com) “The movie was pure Hollywood. It’s as yet uncertain what really happened to them,” said the professor of Butch-Cassidy-and-the-Sundance-Kidology. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) When asked how many scoops of ice cream he wanted, the guest replied, “I don’t want to be a sl-obtuse enough!” -Jim Ertner, Greensboro, North Carolina (jde31459 gmail.com) “For this j-obtuse-nts an hour will be your pay,” the multinational running shoe company told the Vietnamese children. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin. -Samuel Adams, revolutionary (27 Sep 1722-1803)

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