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Jun 21, 2026 This week’s theme Unusual synonyms This week’s words susurration temulent trepidant viscid pulchritudinous How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Even more unusual synonyms Wordsmith Games 🧩 Jigsaw Riddle Summer Harvest 🌍 Langitude Trace sienna home AWADmail Issue 1251 A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: Interesting stories from the Net In Québec, No Noshing Allowed The Web of Language Permalink How Does One Brain Speak Two Languages? The New York Times Permalink From: Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) Subject: temulent This week I wrote, “A temulent linguist doesn’t slur their words; they just employ loosely coordinated syntax,” and invited readers to make one for their own profession: A temulent _____ doesn’t slur their words; they just _____. Here’s a selection from the responses. A temulent computer programmer doesn’t slur their words; they just Lisp. -Ray Nickson, Levin, New Zealand (ray.nickson yahoo.com) A temulent engineer does not slur her words; she just uses many more of them. -Connie S. Dinning, Farmington, New Mexico (csdinning007 gmail.com) A temulent teacher doesn’t slur their words; they just carefully word their slurs. -Patrick Neville, London, Canada (pjneville37 gmail.com) A temulent mathematician doesn’t slur their words; they just don’t know their limit. -Mary Treder (MS Mathematics), Buckeye, Arizona (mct919 hotmail.com) A temulent musician doesn’t slur their words; they just pronounce everything legato. -Dan Kennedy, Madison, Wisconsin (quiet_guitar yahoo.com) A temulent piano tuner doesn’t slur their words; they just slur the notes. -Paul Glover, Smithers, Canada (pglover bulkley.net) Temulent tenors don’t slur their words; they just have tremulous tenutos. -Charlotte Russell, Littleton, Massachusetts (ccr6273 verizon.net) A temulent librarian doesn’t slur their words; they just misshelve. -Andrea Jensen, Springfield, Virginia (ornch duck.com) A temulent bookbinder doesn’t slur her words; she just gets them tied in knots. -Lisa Baumgartner, State College, Pennsylvania (lme129 yahoo.com) A temulent poet doesn’t slur their words; they just enjamb them. -Stephen Turner, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (turnerguns gmail.com) A temulent Francophone doesn’t slur their words; they just elide. -Jeff Holtzman, Ann Arbor, Michigan (holtzman.j gmail.com) A temulent actor doesn’t slur their words; they just act their truth. -John Rensenhouse, Kansas City, Missouri (renhouse me.com) A temulent court reporter doesn’t slur their words; they just speak in rough draft. -Victoria Dudeck, Chesterton, Indiana (victoriadudeck gmail.com) A temulent psychotherapist doesn’t slur their words; they just offer unsolicited advice to clients. -Dr. Mark Greene, Hong Kong (metamercury hotmail.com) A temulent Secretary of War doesn’t slur his words; he just spills out top secrets to reporters on Signal chats. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A temulent artist doesn’t slur their words; they just express themselves more abstractly. -Robin Taliesin, Marblehead, Massachusetts (robint raven2.com) A temulent physicist doesn’t slur their words; they just get uncertain... -Mike Sivertz, Upton, New York (sivertz bnl.gov) A temulent chemist doesn’t slur their words; they just fail to react. -R.C. Matthiessen, Burke, Virginia (racinut6 gmail.com) A temulent attorney doesn’t slur their words; they just present differing arguments. -Heidi Weisbaum, Del Mar, California (heidiweisbaum gmail.com) Temulent landscape architects don’t slur their words; they just scatter them like seeds to be propagated. -Tamar Darel-Fossfeld, Landscape Architect, Tel Aviv, Israel (tamardf gmail.com) A temulent linguist doesn’t slur their words; they just decline. -Simon Alterman, London, UK (simon alterman.co.uk) From: Andrew Lack (ajlack brookes.ac.uk) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--temulent The Latin name of the darnel is Lolium temulentum, a poisonous short-lived relative of ryegrass that can make people sick and appear drunk, hence its Linnaean species name. It closely resembles wheat until it flowers, and it can grow as a weed in a wheat field, so it could be dangerous, as mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel. Andrew Lack, Oxford, UK From: Ben Silverman (bajabensilverman gmail.com) Subject: The thesaurus lobby Since you mention it, could you fill us in? Is this a grave threat to society that (until now) we were unaware of? (at least, I was...) I’ve been a writer for 50 years, but I have to say, I have never come across the word temulent before. I’m all for honoring shades of meaning, but I was unable to tell, from your description, what this word adds to the eleventy-seven other English words for intoxication. Under what circumstances would it be the best choice? Ben Silverman, Rosarito, Mexico A fair question. Temulent is not the word to use when drunk will do. Its charm is mock-formal: drunkenness in a Latin gown, trying to walk a straight line. I would use it in historical, literary, or tongue-in-cheek contexts, or whenever inebriated feels too ordinary and sloshed has not even been invited to dinner. For more on English’s heroic overstock of drunkenness words, see Paul Dickson’s Drunk: The Definitive Drinker’s Dictionary, which gathers some 3,000 of them. -Anu Garg From: Margaret Furness (mfu19130 bigpond.net.au) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--viscid One of my favourite clangers by a reporter (or spell-checker) was when Kim Jong Un was described as glutinous. Margaret Furness, Strathalbyn, Australia From: Riza Freeman (dragonflycoaching1111 proton.me) Subject: A.Word.A.Day--viscid A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. -Paul McCartney, singer-songwriter, composer, poet, and activist (b. 18 Jun 1942) Thank you for including this important thought by Paul McCartney. A related quotation that is also quite profound is this one by Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, “In relation to [animals], all people are Nazis; for the animals it is an eternal Treblinka.” For those interested, I recommend the exceptionally poignant documentary Earthlings (which opens with Singer’s words). Riza Freeman, Los Angeles, California From: Steve Cabito (stevecabito gmail.com) Subject: viscid You wrote: If you really want to do something afterward, watch the documentary My Octopus Teacher. Better yet, do it before. Or read David Foster Wallace’s classic essay Consider the Lobster. (pdf) Steve Cabito, Santa Rosa, California From: Coren HG (corenhg gmail.com) Subject: vegan’s greetings I’m about to launch a crowdfunding campaign to make my first feature film, Hungry Creatures. I call it my vegan horror film, so imagine my delight after nearly two years of collecting your Thoughts For Today to discover that you are in fact vegan as well! To get this personal project made, I’m turning to friends and family for support, but I’m also very much in need of vegan allies to help spread the word. You can check out the page here. Coren HG, Brooklyn, New York Email of the Week -- Brought to you by Oneupmanship From: Sheryl Konopack (slkonopack gmail.com) Subject: pulchritudinous As a lifelong Mets fan, I am used to looking for silver linings for each season of this team’s baseball performance. One consistent enjoyment comes from our phenomenal SNY TV announcer, Gary Cohen. Last month, after a strong defensive play resulted in a diving catch for the ninth-inning out, Cohen marveled, “Carson Benge with a pulchritudinous play!” (video, 32 sec.) The baseball world was wonderstruck by that reaction! Sheryl Konopack, Howell, New Jersey From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: viscid and pulchritudinous A.A. Milne contributed to the widely held belief that most bears have an affinity for honey, exemplified by Pooh Bear. Eating honey provides bears with a quick shot of carbs. However, the main reward is the bee larvae and pupae lodged within the waxy honeycombs, which are rich in nutritious fats and proteins. A bear can sniff out a beehive from up to a mile away. And their dense fur acts as a barrier against irate stings. The Greek goddess Aphrodite and her Roman counterpart, Venus, epitomized pulchritude, love, and romance. Here, I’ve played off Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. His nubile red-headed goddess rises from the primordial sea. We know that Trump has a predilection for blondes. But who really cares about a boorish lout’s taste in women when the courts have found him liable for sexual abuse? Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams Susurration Temulent Trepidant Viscid Pulchritudinous = Rustle Ruined Timid sort Viscous Ultra cute and thin pinup -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) This week’s theme: Synonyms Susurration Temulent Trepidant Viscid Pulchritudinous = I.e. thrum, tiny whisper Non-stop e-meth Most unusual dread Is slick Seductivity; Stunner -Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com) This week’s theme: Unusual synonyms Susurration Temulent Trepidant Viscid Pulchritudinous = Hushed undertone, hiss Drunken Tremulous Slimy, slippy, unctuous Attractive, ten in a swimsuit -Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com) Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks susurration How lovely the leaves’ susurration, The soundtrack for my relaxation! I find it a balm, Which helps me keep calm, Whenever I face aggravation. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) There’s such a real calming sensation, To hear late at night susurration. The sound of the breeze, As it wafts through the trees, Is a source for complete relaxation. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) From our allies there’s much murmuration; Among family, concerned susurration. Though they whisper for now, And to Donald kowtow, When he’s gone, there will be ululation! -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) temulent While POTUS stampedes like an elephant, His War Secretary is temulent. What a great one-two punch! Flies adore Donald’s bunch, For whatever they touch turns to excrement. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) trepidant I am now in a trepidant state, Over 80 and pondering fate. Will I make eighty-five? Will I still be alive When I get to my Must-Use-By date?! -Judy Distler, Teaneck, New Jersey (jam1026 aol.com) Pray, what does the future foretell? Are our finances heaven or hell? My trepidant spouse Swore we’d face the poorhouse! But I’ve been so successful I kvell! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) The puppy she thought very dear. His trepidant body drew near. She gently picked up The trembling pup, And whispered, “There’s nothing to fear.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “If you’re brushing your pearlies with Pepsodent, Of caries you needn’t be trepidant!” Said the ad. “Fresh and clean, You’ll be proud to be seen! And your kisses will always be excellent!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) viscid The okra was viscid and gluey. And Louie had found it too gooey. He tried just a taste; The rest went to waste -- That man made a face and said, “Phooey!” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “I don’t know anybody -- do you? Who knows what on earth we can do With our viscid leftovers...” “Well, dishes like Rover’s Are good destinations -- Woo-hoo!” -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) They decided to try escargot. “Did you like it?” inquired her beau. “You know that I’m picky. It’s slimy and sticky.” Her viscid first course was a no. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) In a voice that was smarmy and viscid, The candidate sounded insipid. But his state was deep red; “True believers,” he said, So the facts about science he twisted. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) pulchritudinous That big, pulchritudinous gal He wishes were more than a pal. But he’s awfully shy, So that nebbishy guy Does not stand a chance with dear Sal. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Have you seen that new neighbor of mine? In a single word, that gal is... FINE! Pulchritudinous? Say! That gal is okay! When God made her, he broke the design! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) A beauty was Helen of Troy, Who was known to be comely and coy. Pulchritudinous lassie, Both lovely and classy. Said Paris, “She brings me great joy.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “With SNAP, we could always put food in us; Our children were so pulchritudinous,” Said the parents. “Repubs, Though, are acting like schlubs, Sorely lacking in plain simple humanness.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “With a Gin-susurration means your knife never needs sharpening!” said the ad. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Fred would play the “Stars and Stripes Forever” continuously to the chagrin of his wife, who suffered from Susurration. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “That’s a really nice to-temulent us,” said the grateful Native Americans to the woodcarver who let them borrow one after the fire. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Patrick Dennis called the adventurous Mame his in-trepidant. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “I’m on deadline to finish my book about hell. Help me!” pleaded the medieval author. “But you need to rest. Your throat is looking a bit s-trepidant-é,” answered the doctor. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Doc, my brothers and I all want to sleep with our mother and murder our father.” “Ah! Viscid-s like yours, it’s no vunder!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “A body’s beauty is fleeting, but the pulchritudinous-oul is eternal,” said the guru. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Once you hear the details of victory, it is hard to distinguish it from a defeat. -Jean-Paul Sartre, writer and philosopher (21 Jun 1905-1980)

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