Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Douceur – Wordplay Ways™ 09/07/2022

Wordplay Ways to Speak to the Sky 

You know, in the late 18th century, conversations were so much more graceful and flowing. Of course, as a country, we were still settling in and some of our vocabulary was heavily influenced by the florid French.

When you needed to make an apology, you didn’t offer colorful weeds from a meadow and mumble a barely audible “I’m sorry.” No, you likely spoke firmly and held out your hand with a grand swoop and a ...

douceur (dü-'sɘr; 1763) n. – a conciliatory gift. [WW #321]

Pretty fancy word for a gift of eating crow, but when the French say it, it’s so much easier to swallow! Basically, douceur is what you bring someone when you did something stupid and you’re trying to make peace. It’s the “conciliatory” part that truly defines the action.

Words of yore, like douceur, add a certain flair to your vocabulary. If you’re writing a period piece, of course, douceur is a gift of the right sort. It can also work in modern writing though, too, as an accent word to grab your readers’ attention, like a splashy music refrain.

September’s Monthly Song of Note  
Speaking of music, I tend to choose a Song of Note
different from my other two sites, just to be arbitrary ... and I look for a song that can even remotely relate to words. One out of two will

have to do for this month. I’m siding with Blast from Your Past to take a break and “Speak to the Sky.” At least it refers to the spoken word!        In some of our most profound moments we often raise our eyes to the sky and speak ... either a “thank you” as a douceur to the heavens for saving you, or an emphatic “*%#&*” (epithet) of irritation aimed at nothing in particular. Either way, we speak to the sky.
     
Is this what Rick Springfield had in mind oh, so many years ago, when it climbed the September 4, 1972, chart at KERN radio, Bakersfield, California? It’s an uplifting tune to remind you we’re not alone and it’s okay to offer a heartfelt douceur, ‘cause you’re not crazy when you speak to the sky
... and the world will look better from up there ... 50 Years Ago this Month.

Word Challenge: douceur. Enjoy a time traveling reverie into another era, as you fit douceur into a flowery month of graceful writings and casual conversations.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word today! 
@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

Wordplay Ways is currently created for your literary pleasure every first Wednesday of each month. Thank you for stopping by! Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t harmful to your health! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Ways comments.

[LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books in her Blast from Your Past series (of three) about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. True behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday and anytime Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!]

LR Notes: 1) Dictionary definitions are quoted from Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Eleventh Edition, unless otherwise noted. Yes, we sometimes present them out of “official” context—but that’s half the fun! Think of it as “creative context.” 2) a] Recent dictionary additions to definitions include a date of first use, if known; b] words in small caps indicate “see also.” 3) Neither I (LinDee Rochelle) nor Penchant for Penning are responsible for how you use information found here, that may result in legal action.
          
And please note, I do not receive compensation from any company or person for commercial or commodity links I may include in my posts.

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