Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Can a blog recrudesce? (Vocabulary #9)




About two months ago, I suspended blogging in response to pressing family needs. While several of these needs continue, dealing with them has become routine and it’s time to get back to the business of blogging.

I was in the midst of a vocabulary riff when matters went south and I'd like to resume, recommence and return with a bit of verbal fun -- ideally an unfamiliar but altogether usable word meaning 'to begin again after a break' or 'resume after a hiatus.'

Reverse dictionaries suggest 'recrudesce' (re kroo des), which, in its most generalized sense, means 'to become active again.'

Taken thus, I am tempted to say I am ready to recrudesce, acting with recrudescence to make Tiddlywinks and Pick-up Sticks recrudescent.

Unfortunately, ‘recrudesce’ shares its source with ‘crude’ and, like ‘crude,’ has a somewhat negative connotation. Medical professionals speak of diseases, rashes and sores recrudescing; health, vigor and production could recrudesce but that’s not the most typical use of this unusual word.

So, you can decide. Me? Reviving the blog vocabulary commentary, I intend to resume, recrudecse and rekindle. Next up is a blurb on gob-words. Then, later in the week, watch for what fashion magazines can do for your vocabulary.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, Sis, the word 'recrudesce' makes me think of the word 'cruddy'.

The noun 'crud' is slang for "a coating or incrustation of filth or refuse." Its second meaning is "something loathsome, despicable, or worthless."

I'm not implying or suggesting your blog is cruddy, but before you blow life into it again, you'll want to carefully wash its orifice.

Orifice, now there's another lovely word. But, me, I prefer mouth. Much like i prefer the word 'revive' over 'recrudesce'.

Frere Jean

Janet Hale Tabin said...

Bro, do I surmise you knew that gob was British slang for mouth? I'm gobsmacked at your movement from recrudescence to orifice.

(And you are keeping strange hours!)

david hale said...

I believe this calls for new terminology. Your Blog was in Blimbo? (not bad) Postus Interruptus?(too lewd). Perhaps someone else can chime in. In the mean time here are some blog terms I've coined that many people have found useless:

Blorphan- Blog abandoned by its author.
Blombie- A blog that updates onomatopoetic moans following it's author's demise.
Bloggerspaniel- Any breed of tiny half human half dog that regularly posts bizarre thoughts on the internet. Commonly found in the satchel of Dr. Moreau. (Sometimes referred to as a Bloggerdoodle or Chibloghua.)
Bloseph Stallin- Any blogger who imprisons or executes negative commentors.

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