Monday, February 05, 2007

It's Chucking Cold


When I pulled into the parking lot at work this morning, I saw ladders and men on the roof. "Oh, no!" I thought to myself. "Don't tell me that on the coldest morning of the year, the heat is out!" There was "something" wrong with it, because it wasn't as warm in here as it should have been, but thank God it wasn't completely freezing. They seem to have fixed the problem because it feels much better now. It's warming up outside, too. I think it's up to about 22 degrees now. Heat wave!

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How many of us employ the use of onomatopoeia in our writing? Onomatopoeia is defined as a word that imitates the sound it represents. Some common examples could include: buzz, crash, whirr, clang, hiss, purr, squeak, mumble, hush, and boom. Or, "Quack, quack said the duck." Are y'all remembering to feed Pink Duck?

How about alliteration, which occurs when the initial sounds of a word, beginning either with a consonant or a vowel, are repeated in close succession?

Examples:
Athena and Apollo
Nate never knows
People who pen poetry

Or

"She picks purple peppers."

There's a lot of testosterone flowing in the building today. I'm thinking that if I start chucking Chupacabra cojones, I can always claim I'm just practicing my alliteration.

Do you use much of either onomatopoeia or alliteration (or both) in your writing? It turns up in mine occasionally, usually completely by accident. I like it when that happens. Most of the time accidents are best avoided, but I do get a kick out of literary accidents.


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Myspace Layouts

Is it weird that I use my cell phone only for talking? Am I in the minority there? New phone models come out all the time. They're sleek and colorful and -- pretty. With them, you can check your e-mail, play music, take pictures, text message, IM, or even -- call someone. I don't think it's such a great idea to be driving down the road IMing. If I'm somewhere without access to a computer, it's probably just as well that I wait 'til I get back to check e-mail. Maybe that's just me, but I do think the highways are safer without me driving with one hand and text messaging with the other. I love a good computer but ... not that much.

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Feel like ranting about road rage? So are the folks at these sites. There's some really funny stuff on them.

http://www.platewire.com/

http://www.aboveaveragedriver.com/

http://www.roadragers.com/search

youparklikeanasshole.com -- You can actually print out notices to place on offending drivers' cars here.

http://www.startribune.com/a2188

http://www.startribune.com/roadguy


We had to bundle up today to go chasing down Words Gone Wild, but no worries. This is Twisted Linguistics. We're tough.

oppossed - Tyranny among possums.

creatind - The ability to pull something clever out of one's butt.

girlfirnd - A lonely boy's companion.

intice her to come down - I think this guy is going to have to try harder.

My books was for sale - Mmm-hmm.


This is a fun quiz -- Which Lord of the Rings character are you?




What LoTR Character Are You?



You are most like Arwen. Calm and reserved, you are not given to sudden outbursts. You conduct yourself with dignity...most of the time. The rest of the time you cut loose you are totally cool. You don't really think of yourself as popular, but plenty of people like you. You are not given to needless flirting. The right person will come along some day, and you are content to wait.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stay warm.

Unknown said...

It is 70 today. Not warm, not cold and not humid. Tee and hee.

I use my cellphone for calls only and sometimes games when stuck waiting. I hate texting and do not store photos or anything else on it.

Not big on onomatopoeia although I do like saying that word. I love alliteration. I would say almost half the poems on my poetry page are just playing with alliteration. I tend to speak that way half the time as well.


I did better than I thought in the LOTR quiz. I expected to get a hobbit or Golemn, but...

You are most like Aragorn. You have strong convictions and you stick to them. Although you are more of a recluse, you are extremely loyal to the few friends that you have. You are very serious about things, but you like having fun. Fame and fortune mean little to you, and you aren't concerned with being popular. Good for you!

Serena said...

I'm giving it my best shot, Steve.

70, Kan? Heh. It's snowing here. You know, I think Aragorn suits you. No alliterative alien hopping Hobbit are you.:)

rkfinnell said...

I'm most like Galadriel. Fine with me she didn't get stuck with the ugly guy like Arwen. Poor Arwen went on to have ugly kid human/elf kids. LOL

Serena said...

Aw, now, I think little elf babies are pretty cute.:)

rkfinnell said...

Yeah, elf babies are cute, but she married the ugly guy. LOL

Serena said...

Well, somebody had to marry him. And they did get cute babies. LOL.

Hale McKay said...

I have used onomatopoeia on lots of occasions, sometimes not realing I have done so.

Alliteration - I use that a lot and deliberately, just for fun.

If you are in the minority, then so am I. The way I look at it, my cellphone is a ... phone. I never text. I don't want or need a phone that takes pictures or recods video. I see no need to be able to IM or to check my e-mail with a phone.

I sure won't want a cell phone that will clip my toenails either. I'm sure that's a feature on the drawing board.

Serena said...

Yeah, that's my feeling about the phone. All I want to do is TALK on it. I have a camera if I want to take pictures/videos. I have computers for e-mail, and I hate IMing. Who the hell can text message on tiny little keypads and screens, anyway? If they can make them so they'll fetch coffee, that might be okay.:)

rkfinnell said...

They all had big grandpa tyler mouths and beady little eyes like their daddy.

Serena said...

I'm scared of big mouths and beady eyes, but I'm sure their mommy thought they were cutie pies.:)

Liz Hinds said...

Oh, Kanrei, Aragon is gorgeous! Me, I'm most like Frodo. (My feet are kind of hairy.)

I have only owned a mobile phone since Christmas when husband bought it for me becaue I kept breaking down in cars. Correction: the cars kept breaking down with me in them. Though I was close to breaking down after it had happned five times in three weeks.

I dislike mobiles but do use it now for texting. No-one ever phones me; I don't have any friends!

Alliteration I use deliberately sometimes but try not to overdo it.

Liz Hinds said...

Please, Serena, don't use my now-spotted typing errors in your Twisted Words!

Serena said...

Not to worry, Liz. I never would.:)