MY TOP 10…FAVORITE WORDS!

Being a former sort-of librarian myself, and being given the opportunity to post about something on The Librarian Talks, what else would I talk about? Words!

10. That – OK, maybe it’s cheating to put that here, but it must be my favorite since I overuse it in all of my first drafts and then wind up having to take a ton of them out during revisions. Other writers may be noted for their drinking problems. (I’m looking at you, Hemingway!) I have a that problem.

9. Criminy. This word from the late 1600s, used as a mild oath or to express surprise, wouldn’t even be on the list were it not for an exchange I had on Twitter the other day. All I’ll say is that the topic was politics and my use of that word, which I’d never used in my life before, was entirely warranted.

8. Ineluctable. A few decades ago, I noticed that Stephen King used this word all the time in his writing – so: overused. Why not just say inevitable, or unavoidable? Why must it be ineluctable…and so frequently? But it’s been a few decades since I’ve read a Stephen King novel, so I feel like this one can be safely pulled out of the word retirement village I’d banished it to.

7. Makebate. This is a simply marvelous word, the existence of which I’m only aware of because it appeared at the top of the page in the dictionary one day when I was searching for an entirely different word. (Yes, I use a real dictionary.) It’s an archaic word from the early 1500s and means “one that excites contention and quarrels.” I bet if I were a makebate I’d be more interesting but I suppose I might get invited less places too.

6. Dictionary. Because it’s this insanely wonderful thing, where you can be looking for one thing in it and come across a word you’ve never heard of in your very wordy life before and suddenly everything feels magical.

5. Chocolate. Should be self-explanatory.

4. Wine. Also self-explanatory.

3. Enisled. I first came across this word in Canadian author Wayne Johnston’s The Colony of Unrequited Dreams two decades ago and it still stuns me. Few words are so evocative in sound to me as what their meaning is. I would never want to be enisled…but there are a few people I wouldn’t mind seeing it happen to (one being the person I said “Criminy!” about).

2. Termagant. I actually have no idea what the source of me knowing this word is, but I do know that I’ve managed to use it in more than one of my novels; several, in fact. Sure, I could use shrew instead, but what can I say? My usage of termagant, particularly in any historical novel, feels ineluctable.

1. Jackie. I actually do know this isn’t technically a word. It’s my daughter’s name and it’s my single favorite arrangement of letters and sounds in the English language.

 

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the author of over 30 books for adults, teens and children, which have been published in 15 countries. Before becoming a writer, she was an independent bookseller (11 years), a Publishers Weekly reviewer (292 titles); a freelance editor, a sort-of librarian, and a window washer. She lives in CT with her husband, daughter and cat. Lauren prefers the nobility to zombies, as a rule, and so long as you’re not the latter, you’re welcome to visit her at www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com.

 

1920. ENGLAND

And the teenage Clarke sisters thought the entail was their biggest problem…

     Lady Kate, the entitled eldest.

     Lady Grace, lost in the middle and wishing she were braver.

     Lady Lizzy, so endlessly sunny, it’s easy to underestimate her.

Then there’s Will Harvey, the proud, to-die-for—and possibly die with!—stable boy; Daniel Murray, the resourceful second footman with a secret; Raymond Allen, the unfortunate-looking young duke; and Fanny Rogers, the unsinkable kitchen maid.

Upstairs! Downstairs! Toss in some farmers and villagers!

None of them ever expected to work together for any reason.

But none of them had ever seen anything like this.