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Jun 28, 2026 This week’s theme Even more unusual synonyms This week’s words psithurism vinolent timorsome lentous formous How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Eponyms Wordsmith Games 🧩 Jigsaw Riddle Divine Love 🌍 Langitude Trace balaclava home AWADmail Issue 1252 A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language From: Kathleen Magone (kmagone bresnan.net) Subject: A.Word.A.Day--psithurism You might enjoy this website with forest recordings from around the world. I find it quite restful when I can’t get outside. Kathleen Magone, Missoula, Montana From: JD90065 (via website comments) Subject: psithurism When the wind disturbs the giant leaves of the bird-of-paradise tree outside my house, it sounds like a person putting on a raincoat. JD90065 Email of the Week -- Brought to you by Oneupmanship From: Judith Stribling (jmstribling salisbury.edu) Subject: psithurism Like many places, my area in Maryland has been experiencing a severe drought. After a few days of light mist and rain, the wind in the leaves went from a harsh, almost rasping sound to something much softer, a sound I think psithurism would describe well. I learned that leaves can take up moisture directly, affecting their ability to survive drought. Judith Stribling, Bivalve, Maryland From: Ann Bietsch (adbietsch comcast.net) Subject: psithurism Listening to the sound of wind blowing through leaves is part of the Japanese practice of forest bathing. Shinrin-yoku focuses on spending unhurried time in a forest, engaging all five senses. Listening to the wind whispering through the trees is calming and restorative. Long before the modern term sylvotherapy, Pliny the Elder praised the healthfulness of air in resinous woods. These days, connecting deeply with nature is more important than ever. Put down your devices and go listen to the trees! Ann Bietsch, Chester County, Pennsylvania From: Daryl Docterman (daryldocterman gmail.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--psithurism I am trying to write a haiku every day for my sweet wife. We have been married for almost 53 years, and I love her more every day. I worked in today’s word: Like sweet scent of rain, Like psithurism of leaves, You are to me, Love. Daryl Docterman, Cincinnati, Ohio From: Sara Hutchinson (sarahutch2003 yahoo.com) Subject: War A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war. -Erich Maria Remarque, novelist (22 Jun 1898-1970), in “All Quiet on the Western Front” This reminds me of Hilary Mantel’s message in Wolf Hall: “No ruler in the history of the world has ever been able to afford a war. They’re not affordable things. No prince ever says, ‘This is my budget, so this is the kind of war I can have.’ You enter into one and it uses up all the money you’ve got and then it breaks you and bankrupts you.” Sara Hutchinson, New Castle, Delaware From: Deweypup (via website comments) Subject: vinolent I often use the expression “in his cups” when someone can’t recall doing or saying something while imbibing. Today’s word and last week’s temulent finally got me to look it up. It’s quite an old expression indeed. Deweypup From: David Mezzera (damezz comcast.net) Subject: Lentous Anyone with a music background will recognize the second definition of Latin lentus: the tempo designation lento tells the musician to slow down and play at a deliberate, unhurried pace. David Mezzera, Vallejo, California From: Mardy Grothe (drmardy drmardy.com) Subject: forgiveness A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Life is an adventure in forgiveness. -Norman Cousins, author, editor, journalist, and professor (24 Jun 1915-1990) This quote is a shortened version of a fuller Norman Cousins observation. In Head First: The Biology of Hope and the Healing Power of the Human Spirit (1989), he wrote: “I have learned that life is an adventure in forgiveness. Nothing clutters the soul more than remorse, resentment, recrimination.” More fully explaining his thinking on the subject, he went on to say: “Negative feelings occupy a fearsome amount of space in the mind, blocking our perceptions, our prospects, our pleasures. Forgiveness is a gift we need to give not only to others but to ourselves, freeing us from self-punishment and enabling us to see a wider horizon in life than is possible under circumstances of guilt or grudge.” For more quotes on forgiveness, go here. Mardy Grothe, Southern Pines, North Carolina From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: psithurism and timorsome The quaking aspen, the most widely distributed tree in North America, exemplifies our word psithurism. When the wind blows, its leaves create a distinctive rustling or whispering sound, almost as if they’re conversing in their own arboreal language. Quaking aspen often reproduces by sending up shoots from a shared root system; in a clonal grove, the stems are genetically identical parts of one organism. Quite a mind-boggling concept, no? The notion that elephants fear mice has lingered for ages, yet evidence seems flimsy at best. Elephants’ eyesight is not their strongest sense, so one explanation is that they may be startled by small animals moving suddenly near their feet. Curiously, in Hinduism, the elephant god Ganesha, the conqueror of all obstacles, is depicted with his constant mouse companion, and they appear to get along famously. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams This week’s theme: Even more unusual synonyms Psithurism Vinolent Timorsome Lentous Formous = Rustle; hummin’ (soul evolvement?) If stinko, shun Soothe a wimp Mono tree-resin Sensuous symmetry -Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com) = Susurration Temulent while morose Hmm, seems mousy Soup’s not thin Looks very feminine, venust -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks psithurism In autumn, when there is a breeze, I listen to leaves on the trees. Psithurism, I’ve found, Is a wonderful sound, That always can put me at ease. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “In the forest there’s sweet psithurism, And the trees spread the light like a prism,” Said Thoreau. “As I doze, I think, who needs these clothes? I’ll undress and enjoy naturism!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) vinolent Said the vinolent fellow each day, “Won’t you pour me some more Chardonnay? If that is all gone, I’ll have Sauvignon, But whatever you’ve got is okay.” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) “If you think UFC fights are violent, At the White House we’ll next have a lion hunt!” Proclaimed Donald. “Oh boy!” Cried Pete Hegseth with joy, “Let me shoot one! I’ll do it while vinolent!” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) timorsome Like a timorsome child full of fear, How I wish I were elsewhere, not here! But hearing my cue, I know what to do -- On the stage I’m obliged to appear. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Said the ICE leader, “Guys, don’t be timorsome; Go and mess up those radical critters some. You can shoot one or two, But pull back on my cue, For the crowds get real mad -- it embitters ‘em.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) lentous How lentous the sap of that tree! I know, ‘cause I climbed it, you see. It’s awfully sticky, And now I feel icky, Like syrup is covering me. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) The honey was there for the taking, And Pooh found his tummy was aching. The prize was momentous: A sweet treat that’s lentous. “My diet,” he said, “I’m forsaking.” -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) Sometimes I go walking in Memphis, Though the weather in summer gets lentous. But that I forgive, As the fact is I live For the music that Beale Street has sent us. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Congressional districts, once lentous, Used to stay in one place till the census. But now they grow strange; A miraculous change! Say Republicans, “Jesus has sent us.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) formous Now Liz had a fan base enormous; Her features were praised: “They’re so formous!” Those deep violet eyes, Would attract all the guys. That is what most fan mags do inform us. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Though the way they make honey is formous, I’m frightened lest angry bees swarm us,” Said Pooh to Eeyore. “But I’ll climb up once more, For my appetite’s rather enormous.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns “No idea, buddy. When it comes to the secrets of the psithurism-uch in the know as I am,” said Han Solo to Chewbacca. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “Vinolent me the courage for veritas,” said the Roman government whistleblower. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Anna marketed her wine-flavored beans as vinolent-ils. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) For the Dickens Festival, you can dress up as Tiny Timorsome other character from A Christmas Carol. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station , New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “I think my human’s name is Timorsome-thing,” said Lassie as early Alzheimer’s began to afflict her. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “We can go camping after all, my neighbor lentous his tent!” said the outdoorsman to his buddy. -Janice Power, Cleveland, Ohio (powerjanice782 gmail.com) “During Lentous Catholics are supposed to abstain from some of our usual sinning,” J.D. Vance explained to Pope Leo. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Formous-ing her hair, Gina broke up with her boyfriend. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “Before your tee shot you take, formous-t you call,” Yoda taught Luke in his golf lesson. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The happiest is the person who suffers the least pain; the most miserable who enjoys the least pleasure. -Jean-Jacques Rousseau, philosopher and author (28 Jun 1712-1778)

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