The other day, I learned a new word…
I was lying on the bed looking at Mrs. Jane, and suddenly a sentence hit me like a truck: Reduce swelling. As the characters lie in bed together after sleeping together, the narrator says, “Should she tell Guildford?” [some bad news] Maybe now would sour this blissful swelling, or should she wait? ” Have you heard this term before? I googled it and the definition is “the process of subsiding from a state of sexual arousal.” I texted screenwriter (and my best friend) Gemma to say I loved it, and she told me, “I love words and I think audiences are smart; I always use the best words I can think of.
Gemma’s words reminded me of a similar quote by EB White that I read in a bookstore window a few years ago: “Anyone who writes to children is just wasting their time. You have to write, not write.” Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, responsive, and friendly readers on the planet…and I say harsh words to them. I was scolded backhand on the internet.
For example: Have you read “Flopsy Rabbit” by Beatrix Potter? The first sentence: “It is said that the consequence of eating too much lettuce is”hypnotic” Could the word “hypnosis” begin a book aimed at children aged three and above? it works! Kids can handle it! The audience is smart!
One last quote I’ve loved lately? Last weekend in London, Anton was getting ready for bed and I was making small talk when he said to me, deadpan, “Man, I didn’t order.” Jappuccino”. Hahaha, I laughed for 45 minutes.
What are some cool words you’ve learned or used recently? Let’s explore it below…
PS: Using big words with little kids, handsome polysyllabic words, and my embarrassing vocabulary mistakes.
(Photos of ordinary people.)
