An idyll is a simple, happy and peaceful situation or period of time, or picturesque scene or incident. Often they’re rustic, rural or romantic (or all three). It can also mean a poem or other artwork which describes something so idyllic. Some of the places we visit with our van are idyllically suited to my becoming an idyllist.
Wednesday word of the week
Wednesday word of the week – Pareidolia
Pareidolia is what causes us to see faces in inanimate objects, such as this big toothed, none too happy, bloke at Clun Castle, Shropshire.
I don’t know the name of the opposite thing – where I catch sight of my own face and see a crumbling ruin!
Wednesday word of the week – Subliminal
Subliminal actually means something usually below the level of known sensation or consciousness. It can be useful when advertising.
Wednesday word of the week – Joint
There are lots of types of joints – carpentry, elbow, marijuana, the main part of a non veggie Sunday dinner…
Other uses for the word include a place to meet someone for a drink, something done in partnership (eg jointly writing a book), cutting up a carcass for food, held or belonging to more than one person (joint account) the contrivance by which two artificial things are joined together (that’s something to do with plumbing, I think) the part of a stem from which a leaf grows, the cement bit between bricks and to prepare something ready to be joined to something else.
If I’ve missed any, please let me know – that way this post will be a joint effort.
Wednesday word of the week – Tiro
A tiro (which can also be written as tyro) is a beginner or novice. Two or more are known as tiros.
I’m a tiro when it comes to wildlife photography, but fortunately this little bird hopped off instead of flying away, so I got some of it in focus. Anyone know what it is?
Wednesday word of the week – Mull
A mull is a promontory. Mull can also mean to ponder or consider. Mulling wine, beer or cider is heating it with sugar and spices. Eg I went to the Mull of Kintyre and mulled over whether or not to have a glass of mulled wine.
Mull apparently can also be a form of non acidic compost or a particular type of muslim, so I suppose I could have sat on a pile of mull at a mull* in the company of a mull. We may have mulled things over together, but we’d not have drunk any mulled wine.
*Not Kintyre though as the soils is acidic there.
Now I could have mulled some wine and photographed that as I do like the stuff, but instead here’s one of the foghorn at the Mull of Galloway. (I don’t actually know the man in the picture, but he stayed there so long I took the shot anyway, then walked down to see what he was looking at. It was a HUGE seal. He (the man, not the seal) then pointed out various different birds and explained about the tides and other interesting stuff.)
Wednesday word of the week – Mutable
Mutable doesn’t mean ‘able to be muted’ which would have been my guess. It actually means liable to change or fickle. The meaning of words can change (wicked, gay, nice) so if mutable is a word which exhibits mutability, I might eventually be right.
Tulip flowers are mutable; often changing colour as they age or ‘breaking’ into intricate patterns as a reaction to a virus.
Wednesday word of the week – crenellation
You might have known that crenellation is the uppy downy bits on battlements. You can have a point if you did. To crenallate is to provide a castle or tower with crenellation.
Did you know the uppy downy parts also have proper names? The gaps are crenels or crenelles. The bits between are merlons. Here’s a sign to prove I don’t just make all this stuff up.
And here’s a picture of a castle, showing crenallation, which was taken on one of our trips and is obviously the entire reason for choosing today’s word of the week. It’s called Tantallon – isn’t that a fantastic name for a castle?
We got there early and had the place to ourselves for the first half hour. I really must work it into a story.
Wednesday word of the week – Paraselene
A paraselene is a bright spot, especially on a lunar halo. It’s sometimes known as a mock or false moon. I’m not sure I entirely follow, but it’s a nice word.
The picture is of the actual moon, taken by Gary. He’s one of the bright spots in my life.
Wednesday word of the week – nyctitropic
Nyctitropic is the movement, of plants, at night. Yep, daisies and cabbages are going to crawl out their beds and murder you in yours!
Nah, not really. This phenomenon is caused by changes in light or temperature. Usually it’s no more alarming than leaves drooping or flowers opening at different times. For example mirabilis jalapa and nicotiana sylvestris flowers tend to be droopy in the daytime, but perk up in the evening and overnight. That’s handy if you’re pollinated by moths.
I admit it’s not an easy word to drop into a story or casual conversation, but I’m sure you’ll find a way.