word idol week 1. an unnecessary history: i began blogging about words that start with f as a way of showcasing some recherché gems from my (and the internet’s) collection of specialised dictionaries. as i have previously mentioned, i chose f partly because of my infantile preoccupation with labiodental fricatives but also because enabling limits on my search meant that i would have more free time to shop with my buddies at abercrombie and fitch and chillax at chili’s (big up to chili’s southwestern egg rolls!!!!!). then my friend orson, gave me the first volume of halliwell’s dictionary of archaic and provincial words and i realised at once that the words starting with f in that marvelous grimoire merited more than a mere post. thus a five part series within a series was waterbirthed into the internet. i then experienced what only brooke shields can identify with and only tom cruise knows how to cure: postpartum depression—my involvement with blogging archaic f-words was now over with. rhetorical question: or was it? 2. rhetorical question answered: it wasn’t. while enjoying a fishamajig sandwich at friendly’s with some fly honeys, i flirted with the idea of trying to revive one of the archaic f-words into popular usage. how does one force a word back into the lexicon after 700 years of its lying idle? also, i’m just a young man with well-cobbled abdominal muscles and a sick pacific sun wardrobe—what do i know about which word has the best shot at a comeback? dabbing the last bit of mayo-majig from my beguiling soulpatch, the answer came to me in the form of my number one, all time favourite show of the latter half of the 2008 television season: american idol. 3. american idol but for words: i figured it would be a real gas to have some of my closest tumblr associates select an archaic f-word from the list and make a case for its revival. thus, i called in a few favors from a few interested collaborators and was able to convince them to do this very thing. i will be syndicating their astonishing entries here throughout the week. the culmination of this preposterous exercise will be an internetwide vote where you will help select the word which you would like to see make a comeback, this will be your word idol. the final phase of my plan involves forcing your word idol back into popular usage for all eternity (this will be the easy part). 4. stats: 2,000 obsolete f-words were chosen by james halliwell (the overachiever) 100 of those were ragbagable 10* of those have been championed by some of my favourite internet-wits 1 will be selected via popular vote to be your next word idol the first entry in this week-long matryoshka doll of a series within a series within a series will appear here when all great challenges commence: high noon in the winnepeg timezone. __ *or slightly more depending upon the procrastination effect of those prone to procrastination.

word idol week

1. an unnecessary history: i began blogging about words that start with f as a way of showcasing some recherché gems from my (and the internet’s) collection of specialised dictionaries. as i have previously mentioned, i chose f partly because of my infantile preoccupation with labiodental fricatives but also because enabling limits on my search meant that i would have more free time to shop with my buddies at abercrombie and fitch and chillax at chili’s (big up to chili’s southwestern egg rolls!!!!!).

then my friend orson, gave me the first volume of halliwell’s dictionary of archaic and provincial words and i realised at once that the words starting with f in that marvelous grimoire merited more than a mere post. thus a five part series within a series was waterbirthed into the internet.

i then experienced what only brooke shields can identify with and only tom cruise knows how to cure: postpartum depression—my involvement with blogging archaic f-words was now over with. rhetorical question: or was it?

2. rhetorical question answered: it wasn’t. while enjoying a fishamajig sandwich at friendly’s with some fly honeys, i flirted with the idea of trying to revive one of the archaic f-words into popular usage. how does one force a word back into the lexicon after 700 years of its lying idle? also, i’m just a young man with well-cobbled abdominal muscles and a sick pacific sun wardrobe—what do i know about which word has the best shot at a comeback? dabbing the last bit of mayo-majig from my beguiling soulpatch, the answer came to me in the form of my number one, all time favourite show of the latter half of the 2008 television season: american idol.

3. american idol but for words: i figured it would be a real gas to have some of my closest tumblr associates select an archaic f-word from the list and make a case for its revival. thus, i called in a few favors from a few interested collaborators and was able to convince them to do this very thing. i will be syndicating their astonishing entries here throughout the week. the culmination of this preposterous exercise will be an internetwide vote where you will help select the word which you would like to see make a comeback, this will be your word idol.

the final phase of my plan involves forcing your word idol back into popular usage for all eternity (this will be the easy part).

4. stats:

  • 2,000 obsolete f-words were chosen by james halliwell (the overachiever)
  • 100 of those were ragbagable
  • 10* of those have been championed by some of my favourite internet-wits
  • 1 will be selected via popular vote to be your next word idol

the first entry in this week-long matryoshka doll of a series within a series within a series will appear here when all great challenges commence: high noon in the winnepeg timezone.

__

*or slightly more depending upon the procrastination effect of those prone to procrastination.

December 7, 2009
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