Kerfuffle

So here’s the deal. Thanks to those who commented when I asked what I should do for a gimmick this December, but I decided yesterday in the shower—a favorite thinking spot of mine—to go a different route. Oh, I’ll occasionally post a great inspirational quote or scripture or something on Facebook (Are you my friend?), and I’ll continue to do my brief book reviews on Goodreads.com (Again, I ask if you are you my friend?), but my focus this year’s binge writing will be vocabulary.

Yes, you heard me. Vocabulary. You remember that part of school that you didn't really think was much more than a waste of good socializing time, don’t you? Those Friday tests that required nothing more than a regurgitation of a definition? Unfortunately, we were mistaught through those definition-vomiting sessions to detest, abhor, despise, and loathe new vocabulary, especially is spelling and perfect repetition played any part. Well, I can attest that there is more to acquiring an expanded vocabulary than “test and release.” Just ask anyone who has taken the GRE or any post-grad test like unto it. Vocabulary is a measurement of one’s intellect. Just ask my students who insist I make up words just so they can’t understand. (Confession: I do invent words, but not ones they don’t understand; I usually invent them so they can understand in their own special little ways.) Proper usage of one’s lexicon commands respect, and might even get you hired faster in certain circles (as long as you’re not an arrogant cretin about it).

So, here’s the drill. Each day I will start the post with a word, its part of speech (or at least the one I’m using), a definition, and an examples sentence or two. This will be the bare minimum. Occasionally I’ll have a story to go along with it, similar to my piece about learning to correctly pronounce the word “epitome” the hard way. Some words will be educational; some will be just be fun words to say, while others will reflect the mood of the day. Sorry, if you’re disappointed, but here we go!

I’ll start with a short entry, as I have a story for tomorrow’s word. Don’t forget to check the link to Merriam-Webster’s site for more fun with this word (including pronunciation and etymology).

kerfuffle: (noun) a disturbance or fuss

                Shelby caused quite a kerfuffle when she came into class with blue and purple streaks in her blond hair.