Today we present to you observations from Writers Forum member Dave Smith

My email box overflows with words and phrases and word/phrase games these days because of my frugal nature—I like free stuff. I’m addicted, like the old saying, “If it’s free, it’s me.”

As you know, nothing is really free, hence my overflowing mailbox.  As I visit sites about writing, blogs, and such places, my eye is always caught by the little box that says Click here for your FREE download. Sometimes I can resist, but usually not. I mean, you never know when you’ll actually learn a tidbit from one of these that makes your day.

You know where I’m headed with this, because maybe you’re a tiny bit guilty yourself. Each free download means I give my email address to yet another somebody out there who wants to sell me something. And with today’s drill-to-the-core advertising, they soon learn all about me and my interests and what days I’m most susceptible to them and what color pens I use to write with. (How do they do that?)

Well, hah! Not to be outdone, I’ve taken them at their words and turned the tables. I’m using what they send me to write this article, which if nothing else will keep you busy and away from your own writing for a minute or three.

We all love words, and now I have a mailbox filled with them each day. Here’s some historical slang that arrived one day:

Collywobbles – a tummy ache

Snollygoster – a shrewd, unscrupled person who succeeds

Gigglemug – someone who smiles a lot

Gigglewater – booze

And did you know there was an opposite to Deja Vu? It’s Jamais Vu, meaning when a familiar situation seems new. I’ll not make senior jokes here.

Also included in my lessons are some Japanese words. How about Wabi-Sabi? Not the zippy stuff; this one means accepting imperfection as a part of life (good word for writers, huh?)

Here’s another Japanese word for writers – Ozappa. It’s a personality which doesn’t sweat the small stuff and is always chill. Probably has many things in common with a Gigglemug.

When I drink too much Gigglewater I myself am more of a Gigglemug, and more Ozapparous. Yes, I just made that word up. I can send it to your email inbox if you want.

In closing let me suggest that when today’s Podsnappery gives you the Morbs and you want to retreat to your Growlery, simply call up a Mellifluous song, lean back, close your eyes and contemplate this; the longest word in the English language contains over 189,000 letters, and that is no Phonus-Balonus according to my inbox.

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