What A Word Wednesday Entry #1

 

 

 

I write historical romance set in the 18th Century, so I collect words like some people collect wine corks. Yes, I get a word of the day from dictionary.com.  Truly, I never thought I’d get a chance to use the word, “Ninnyhammer,” but how lucky my Great Dane Bridget is a-I can’t say bright-shining example of “Ninnyhammer,” which means, “a fool, or simpleton.”

My nine month old puppy (much like a teenager) tends to get into trouble if given too much freedom. And somehow she’s gotten the idea she’s the Queen B around here. Last Wednesday, I was getting ready to leave for a book signing at a Panera’s. I actually had real clothes on, i.e., clothes for the outside world, and had even put big girl makeup on, with special attention to the under eye bags, caused from a week of heavy galley-reading.

I had this naive idea that if I put Queen B out in the paddock, she would puppy zoom and wear herself out. But as it turns out, I spent a good twenty minutes chasing her in my nice shoes, trying to get her to come, and wearing myself out. It’s a super fun game for her, and an exercise in futility, once she gets her zoom on. Needless to say, “Ninnyhammer”  was not one of the words I called her at that time.

Now, I have her to thank for giving me the chance to bring a word back that’s been around since the 16th Century, and for sparking the idea for a blog post.

How many times in the course of a day can you use the word, “Ninnyhammer“? How about confounding your office staff, your boss, your employees? Your children? There are tons of words in the English language that we never use–let’s rediscover those old words,  together! I’ll be catching you again with a fun word every couple of weeks on What A Word Wednesday.