Bonnyclabber – Wordplay Wednesday™ 03/13/2019

Green Milk ~ Ew? Or Yum! 

When Americans think of Ireland, we often imagine rural farmers and green pastures. Though it has its urbanites, as we do, much of the rural vernacular with roots in the kitchen, still permeates modern syntax.

BONNYCLABBER* (bänʹē klab’ɘr) n. – [derived from Irish] thickly curdled sour milk.  [WW #207]

In case you don’t spend all that much kitchen time using the multitude of baking dishes languishing in your cupboards, you may not know that your bonnyclabber could be useful, rather than distasteful.

Baking and cooking with bonnyclabber not only brightens your yummy baked goods, but utilizes a food product you would normally toss down the sink.

Put the milk carton back in the fridge and mark it “FOR BAKING” and have a fun weekday event baking pies on “Pi Day”—March 14^th—or an aromatic weekend of green Irish shamrock cookies for St. Patrick’s Day! (March 17^th) Your bonnyclabber will fit right in.

And if you want a little more Irish to go with your week and Irish-American Heritage Month, a straight-from-Ireland word will motivate you to enjoy a jaunty jig or two when your yummy pies, cookies and cakes are done!

 

IRISH WORDPLAY WEDNESDAY: BACHRAM (“BOCH-rum”): Bachram is boisterous, rambunctious behavior, but it can also be used figuratively for a sudden or violent downpour of rain.

We’ll skip the downpour of rain—had enough for the winter—so let’s get bachram and tip a pint of green beer to go with our bonnyclabber pie. Gabháil le do shláinte agus do shaibhreas! (Cheers to your health and wealth!)

This week, grab your copy of Paddy’s Request, a delightful tongue-in-cheek eBook that perpetuates the fun myth of St. Patrick and the snakes, by the inimitable John F. Harnish. Curl up with your fave green libation, and enjoy your tasty treats made with bonnyclabber while you read!

Word Challenge: BACHRAM (Irish) / BONNYCLABBER*. I don’t know about you, but when I bake with libation in hand, I can become a tad bachram. Makes it tough to measure the ingredients! Enjoy, as you fit bonnyclabber into your week of Celtic writing. (*Bonnyclabber is in the English dictionary.)

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! 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 Wednesday comments below.

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

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

           

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

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

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz  

Exedra – Wordplay Wednesday™ 03/06/2019

Wistful Thinking and Toe-to-Toe Talking 

Wiki: exedra Kameiros, Rhodes, Greece

Ever wonder what a conversation with Aristotle or Socrates might be like? The ancient Greek philosophers pioneered Western philosophy as we know it. Did they develop their ideas in an …

EXEDRA (ekʹsi drɘ; pl. -draeʹ) n. – in ancient Greece, a room, building, or outdoor area with seats, where conversations were held. WW #206]

My Greek best friend often laments a lack of community in the U.S. Not just in neighborhoods, but in attitude. Evening and weekend strolls with friends and soon-to-be friends often include an exedra, where thoughts, ideas, and communal conversation flow. She says the art of camaraderie and outdoor exedrae are alive and well in modern Greece.

Boardwalk, Pacific Beach CA

Although seaside towns and cities here, often include “boardwalks” or “promenades,” landlocked or interior burgs have rarely duplicated that sense of community; and parks are rarely conducive to meeting anyone new or encouraging discussion.

However, an exedra can apply to home as well as community. In our digital age in which everyone “talks” via miscellaneous devices, we’re losing touch with the art of personal communication.

If allowed to continue, we humans face a vapid world of screen-only communication. We were given the sense of touch, and empathy of emotion, for a reason … to interact with each other.

The snow, rain, and cold clouds will soon give way to Spring’s warm days, perfect for toe-to-toe talking with friends and acquaintances. Let’s not forget what sets us apart from animals … and robots. Create an exedra in your home, yard, office, or community, for stimulating, philosophical conversation.

Word Challenge: EXEDRA. Yes, free-flowing conversation will also take a little of your time. Consider how much it might relieve your stress and stimulate your thoughts, as you fit exedra into your week of conversational writing.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! 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 Wednesday comments below.

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

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

           

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

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

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz