A secret is something that’s kept, or intended to be kept, from most people. You might think the meaning of the word isn’t a secret, but switching on the television or picking up a newspaper or magazine will soon show how wrong you are. Almost every day someone will be offering to share their secrets of success, beauty secrets, reveal whose secret love child they are etc etc.

Here’s a top tip, if you want to keep something secret, don’t give the details to the papers, or TV reporters. If you want lots of people to know, then what you’re offering isn’t a secret – it’s a tip, piece of advice, comment, item of gossip or most frequently a blatant publicity stunt. (Maybe I should have picked cynical as this week’s word?)

I do have a brother, but this post isn’t about him. It’s about this short story of mine which you can read, or listen to, for free.

I have lots more stories, and some articles, available from the same site. You can read / listen to up to three per month for free – or join for $5 and have unlimited access.

Nice word cusp. Can’t think why it isn’t used more. It’s not as though it doesn’t have many uses.

A cusp is a pointed end where two points meet. This could be part of a tooth (pre molars are bicuspid as they have two pointy bits) or an architectural or biological feature. Eg the top of a gothic arch, a leap point or part of the valves in our hearts.

If a mathematical curve reverses abruptly that change is marked by a cusp and cusp is also the name given to the pointed ends of a new moon.

Cusp can also denote a transition of some kind. Those who’s birth sign is on or near the end of a period are said to be on the cusp. Eg if your birthday is on 20th March you’re on the cusp of Pisces and Aries (what that means I haven’t a clue!) Teenagers are sometimes considered on the cusp of adulthood (as are middle-aged writers!)

I quite often cogitate (being a gardener and a writer makes it compulsory) but have only just realised that excogitation is also a thing. That means to think out or contrive, whereas cogitate is to ponder or even meditate.

By my calculations that means I can now spend twice as long looking at the pretty flowers and claiming I’m working by plotting on my plot.

Corporiety comes from corporeal and is the quality of being or having a material body – just like Brilly here.

Oh, not that sort of material… Gosh, English can be confusing, can’t it?

Zymurgy is the branch of applied science with relates to fermentation in brewing, winemaking and the creation of other alcoholic drinks.

Cheers!

I knew that engross meant to fully occupy, as in ‘she was so completely engrossed in the Paint Me A Picture that she missed her stop and was late for work*’. What I hadn’t realised was that there are two other definitions.

Engross can mean to make a ‘fair copy’ of a legal document or to reproduce something in a larger format.

Have you ever been involved in any kind of engrossment? Please tell me if you have, as I’m sure I’ll find the details engrossing.

*I’m told this actually happened to someone. She’s since bought other of my books, so I think I’m forgiven.

No, sadly I’m not off anywhere in the van just yet. Making A Move is the title of my latest short story collection.

Here’s the blurb –

No matter if it’s taking a walk, catching a bus or jumping out of a perfectly good aeroplane, the way we move can get us where we want to be. Our journey could be on land, sea, by air or all in our mind. We might travel with others, get there by ourselves, or need help to make the journey.

The moves we make aren’t always from A to B. We may change direction, take steps to improve our lives or start a relationship. We could be the driver, passenger or equal partner in a dance into the future.

Whether they’re making a move on someone, moving upwards and onwards, or going round in circles, anyone who doesn’t stay put has a story to tell. This book contains 24 of them.

The book is available as an ebook or paperback or through kindle unlimited here. The paperback can also be bought from some other online retailers, ordered in bookshops or requested at your library.

This is a figure of speech in which the natural order of events is reversed. It occurs in well known phrases such as ‘born and bred’ ‘put on your shoes and socks’ and ‘thunder and lightning’.

Be careful of accidental hysteron proteron in your writing, for example ‘Fred jumped in the air. A loud crash from the dropped tray of glasses had startled him.’ Unless you have a good reason for doing things differently, cause should come before result.

Can you think of other examples of hysteron proteron?