A heath is an area of flattish, uncultivated land with low shrubs. Heath can also be used to describe those shrubs and is generally used for Erica or Calluna (types of heather).
Wednesday word of the week
Wednesday word of the week – Suilline
Suilline simply means of the pig family. You know, like feline for cats, caprine for goats, equine for horses and supine for blocked writers.
Wednesday word of the week – protractile
My tongue is protractile. I’d stick it and prove it, but that’d be rude, so here’s a tulip instead.
The term usually refers to body parts and simply means they can be extended or protruded. Another word for the same thing is protrusible.
Which do you like best – protractile or protrusible?
Wednesday word of the week – Wellnigh
Wellnigh is an old fashioned word meaning almost. It’s most often used in the phrase ‘wellnigh impossible’.
It’s wellnigh impossible to keep finding excuses to post pictures from my travels – but somehow I manage it!
Update – The concise Oxford dictionary gives this as one word, but other places list it as two, or even hyphenate it. All variants seem to have the same meaning. Nigh on its own means near.
Wednesday word of the week – Dissentient
Dissentient can mean a person who dissents (or a dissenter) or can be used as an adjective for disagreeing with an official or majority view.
The book buying public don’t seem interested in my novel Firestarter, but a few dissentient voices have given it good reviews.
Wednesday word of the week – ceramist
A ceramist is a person who makes ceramics.
I had a go at school – I wasn’t anything like as good as whoever made this and my efforts didn’t last anywhere near as long.
Wednesday word of the week – Substantial
Substantial means, of considerable importance, size or value. It also describes something strongly built or made (in the case of my cakes sometimes both meanings apply!) Another meaning is concerning the substantial points of something.
Substantially either means to a great extent, or for the most part.
To say that the substance of my substantial (100,000 words!) novel, Paint Me a Picture, concerns Mavis’s relationships with her family and colleagues is substantially correct.
Wednesday word of the week – Quadragenarian
A quadragenarian is someone who’s between 40 and 49 years old.
I used to be one. Some days that feels like a very long time ago. Most days I act as though I’m nowhere near!
Wednesday word of the week – Blurb
A blurb is a short description of a book or film for promotional purposes. They’re devilishly difficult to write (though not as bad as a synopsis!)
Talking of blurbs here’s the one for my latest cosy crime novel, which will be released later this month and can be ordered here.
Muriel Grahame has kept a secret for seven decades. It’s protected her and loved ones, given them freedom and opportunities. She’s grateful for the chances, the happiness, she’s had. Her wish is to give those gifts to others.
Crystal Clere has mysteries to solve. Some are fun, like the test her police colleagues set to celebrate her move to CID. Others, like Adam’s belief he’s discovered vital information and friend Ellie’s non existent love life are just puzzling. Murder, and further attacks on residents of Little Mallow, are puzzling too but no fun at all.
Muriel wanted to silence gossip for fear it would lead to her secret being uncovered. Now she worries more people will suffer unless she reveals it. But how can she, when the secret is not hers alone?
Crystal gets people talking with cake baking, birthday parties, coffee and questions, questions, questions. She’s sifting through insinuations, speculation and lies to get at the truth.
Can the two women replace fear with joy, and move on with their lives?
Wednesday word of the week – Evince
Evince means to reveal the presence of a quality or feeling, or to make clear and plain. I believe this photo of our front garden evinces my love of flowers.
Evincing is also a word, evinced by its presence in my dictionary.