Wondrous Words Wednesday
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. If you want to play along, grab the button, and join the fun! (Don’t forget to leave a link in the comments if you’re participating.)
My first two words this week came from The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi.
1.tilth – “Too afraid of spying eyes to stop on the road, he slowed to a crawl as he passed the terraces; he saw the hard ground worked into tilth, the seedlings planted out in mounded rows, and in the corners, already blooming, pale-blue flowers he was too far away to identify.”
Tilth means cultivated land.
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2. chivvy – “A grandmother chivvied a grizzling toddler”
I love the sound of this word! Chivvy means to chase or hunt.
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My last word this week comes from Vivienne’s blog, Serendipity, in a post she wrote about gardening.
3. secateurs– “There was I with my secateurs, thinking I will easily cut it back – it ended up with hubby having to buy an electric chainsaw to cut the branches which were as wide as the top of my arm.”
Secateurs is chiefly British and it means pruning shears – it’s usually used in the plural.
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Have you discovered any new words lately?
Bermudaonion's Weblog 
Chivvy sounds like something you’d do in prison…
I know all the words and have used chivvy in my poetry too.
Here are my wondrous words!
The middle-aged woman in an English novel (genteel type mostly) goes into the garden with secateurs. She also usually carries a trug.
If you haven’t read this book…it is perfect for us.
The Professor and the Madman A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
See my review on my blog.
I just started the blog, so it isn’t that exciting. 🙂
OOPS…my blog didn’t show….so here is my blog URL and also the review:
http://silversolara.blogspot.com/ – nothing great…just getting started
The Professor and the Madman
This book is excellent for any word lover, but is a bit stilted and detailed.
It was very clever how the author put a page from the dictionary as the beginning of each chapter and the subject of that chapter dealt with the word. From page 220…”The total length of type–all hand-set, for the books were done by letterpress, still discernible in the delicately impressed feel of the inked-on paper–is 178 miles, the distance between London and the outskirts of Manchester.”
Dr. Minor, the madman, was an interesting character and the perfect person to “write” the English Oxford Dictionary…the professor, (Professor Murray) was perfect as well. You feel sorry for Dr. Minor in his circumstances, but rejoice at what he did.
His death and burial are described as this: From Page 219…”Dr. William Minor, who was among the greatest of contributors to the finest dictionary in all the English language, died forgotten in obscurity, and is buried beside a slum.”
It isn’t of high interest, but keeps you reading because of the history.
I was wavering between a 2 and a 3 but am going with 3/5 rating.
“Chivvy” is my favorite of the three, also. Especially with combined with a “grizzling” toddler. {smile} Words are such fun.
I have 4 words here from “Pride and Prejudice”:
http://lisanotes.blogspot.com/2010/07/wondrous-words-wednesday_28.html
I always enjoy dropping by on Wednesdays for new words. It’s both educational and entertaining.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Well, I’ve heard the second two. “Chivvy” is a popular word in some parts of the South – heard it a lot when I lived in Louisiana. But “tilth” is new, and I love it!
Sorry. Meant second and third – haven’t had my coffee yet!
I knew chivvy already, but what does grizzling mean?
secateurs – I laughed when I saw this word.
I was in Scotland and the security person at the airport in his thick Scottish accent asked me if I had secateurs in my purse.
I said: Excuse me, I am not sure what you are saying. He repeated it several times then made a scissor-like motion, and then I got it. Between the word and his accent I had a difficult time understanding.
THANKS for the funny memory. 🙂
Three more words added to my vocabulary. You always have great words!!!
CMash
I would have never guessed that “chivvy” means to hunt or chase. I love the double v.
I love the word chivvy too. It just sounds good. I adore reading Viv’s posts – I adore the British language; they have so many cool words.
Great post, Kathy! I love that you used a word from Vivienne’s blog! I like to know the British words for different items! Thank you.
My favorite word you posted this week is chivvy, as you said, it has a great sound!
My words are here:
Amy’s Wednesday Words
Enjoy!
~ Amy
Don’t you just love how many new words we get when we read Reagan Arthur books?
I love the image that comes to mind when the Grandmother chivies her toddler. I also like that you found a word on a fellow blogger. Some bloggers have incredible vocabularies.
You can find my new words here: Joyfully Retired.
I also love chivvy! I remember when my grandma would chivvy me with her false teeth!
I haven’t heard these words before but chivvy just doesn’t sound like what it means to me…
The only one that I had an inkling about was chivvy, but I don’t think I could have given a definition.
Great words, none of which I was familiar with.
I’m loving all three words especially chivvy!
I’m with Jeane – I don’t know what a grizzling toddler is! (I gather it’s not a baby bear, or grandma wouldn’t be chivvying it!)
My parents always drove a chivvy — a big one with fins — when I was a kid.
My new word, from a C.J. Box mystery about Yellowstone National Park, is thermophile — the micro-organisms that can survive in thermal pools.
Ok…now I need to know what a grizzling toddler is…you do track down great words.
Your words this week are indeed wondrous–and new to me! 🙂
My cat chivvies every day out in the field behind the house!! 😀
Somehow I’d have imagined ” secateurs” to mean something completely different!
Good words, I love “tilth.” Never heard of that word. The sentence from the book is beautiful.
http://readwithtea.blogspot.com/2010/07/lowcountry-summer-by-dorothea-benton.html
I was eavestwopping on BiblioEva and BethFishReads – Eva used the word ‘pastiche’ to mean a hodgepodge of literary elements. I had only heard the word in terms of a desserts, so it was new to me!
Chivvy I like it. I will definitely use it 😉
I also like “tilth” – sounds old fashioned and fertile. 🙂