Author: Jenn J McLeod

Australia's nomadic novelist living on the road a purple and white caravan called Myrtle the Turtle. Come home to the country: House for all Seasons (#5 top selling novel in 2013), Simmering Season (2014), Season of Shadow and Light (2015), The Other Side of the Season (2016), A Place to Remember (2018), House of Wishes (2019)
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Week 9 words: Let’s ‘C’ (with a tiny erotic twist!)

Hmmm, of course you popped over to learn about ‘C’ words and not the picture (or was it the erotic twist!)

No my usual style, that’s true, but hey, ‘C’ is for Chippendales. It is also for Chaos, a good ‘C’ word for me as bissextile day (see previous post!) approaches and my various writing responsibilities (forum moderator, conference registrar, author – and yes, I’m enjoying my first round of edits on House For All Seasons) converge.

So here are some ‘C’ words you might find interesting or useful. Starting with what could also be the collective noun for a bunch of erotic romance writers!!!

Cabal: n. a small group of secret plotters!!!

Okay… serious now.

Cabriole: n. 1. (furniture) a leg; curved, tapering, often ending in the form of an animal’s paw. Used by Chippendale (Calm down erotic writers. It’s the furniture Chippendales, not the male dancer Chippendales)

Cacography: n. 1. bad handwriting. opp. of calligraphy.

Cacophony: n. harsh sound, dissonance (my Dad’s always loved this so I made it my signature word)

Camiknickers: n. an undergarment combining camisole and panties (official erotica wear perhaps!)

Canary sassafras: n. a rainforest tree of the Aust. east coast, the bark of which was used  by early settlers as a tea substitute and tonic (I included this as I love saying ‘sassafras’)

Candied: adj. honeyed, sweet, flattering

Cantankerous: adj. Contrary (me as a child according to my dad!)

Captious: adj. apt to make much of trivial faults or defects; difficult to please.

Okay, back to ‘C’ for chaos. So ‘C’ you next week.

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Week 7 and 8: Happy bissextile year!

Okay, okay, so I’m late. I have a good excuse. I spent the week celebrating and thinking that I might will be a tad busy this year (following my bonza news last week). I actually contemplated giving the whole ‘Leap Year of Words’ idea away. But then I saw it — the word. It jumped off the page as I opened my dictionary.

BISSEXTILE

bissextile: adj. containing or denoting the extra day of leap year.

Yes, it’s a bissextile year and the 29th of this month is bissextile day. It must be a sign to keep going with my dictionary odyssey (and I am into signs in a big way these days). So… here we go.

Bird of passage: n. 1. a bird that migrates seasonally. 2. a restless person; one who does not stay in one place for long.

blatherskite: n. one given to voluble, empty talk.

blowzy: adj. dishevelled; unkempt (blowzy hair)

Bogan shower: n. a dust storm.

boggarbri: n. any of several rather weedy herbs of inland Australia.

bon vivant: n. a person who lives luxuriously, especially one who enjoys the pleasures of eating and drinking.    Hmmm!!!! 🙂

bookish: adj. 2. stilled; pedantic.

boss-eyed: adj. having a squint.

botheration: interj. a mild exclamation (and an Aussie one which is handy given I am encouraged to avoid Americanisms in my writing – damn, dammit, darn!!)

braggart: n. one given to bragging.  adj. boastful (which was me this week, but I’m allowed. Your first book contract only comes around once.)

brio: n. liveliness, spirit, vivacity.

Well I’ll ‘B‘!!!!! I’m finished with ‘B‘s, ending with a couple of Aussie words…

Bushman’s clock: n. kookaburra.

bushcraft: n. the ability to live and travel through the bush with a minimum of assistance /equipment.

bushie: n. person – generally uncultured and living in the bush. (not to be confused with… bushy: adj. full or overgrown).

Now I’m bushed and off to bed.

Bye.

Back next week.

C U in the ‘C‘s then.

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Week 6: Hey, I’m a bibilophile! (and other ‘B’ewdiful ‘B’ words for book lovers)

What I love about week 6 words is they are all about books and writing! (Speaking of ‘b’ words, this week is Brief, But I have a good reason… More on that later.)

Now bring out those ‘B-book’ words we love…

best-seller: n. both the book and the author – and yes, it has a hyphen for future reference)

bibilophile: n. a lover of books

biddable: adj.  willing to do what is asked; obedient; docile (good advice for a debut author!)

bildungsroman: n. a novel whose theme is the early growth and development of its main character.

billet-doux: n. a love letter

See you next Sunday as I continue my dictionary odyessey…  Week 7 of My Leap Year of Words.