Tag: words

The use of “vanilla,” in the sense of “ordinary” or “mediocre” dates only to 1972.

(Looked up over bowls of ice cream, during a discussion of how artificial vanillas have led to the malignment of what is actually a quite lovely flavor.)

What arrived in the mail today.

Shiny! (Also, found for less than half price, so we, well, pounced.)

Have already learned many things. Like that from 1526-1754, “marmoset” was a term of endearment.

And that there’s (sort of) one synonym for “quaquaversal,” but none for “petrichor.”

And that if you want to use the expression “throbbing manhood” in your historical romance novel, it had better be set between 1640 and 1809, or else after 1967.