What’s in a Word
The other day my neighbor, Dr. Bob, greeted me with the salutation, “What’s the good word?” Immediately I responded with, “Nefarious,” which is one of my favorite words of all time. This led to a full blown conversation about “good” words, and what makes them good ones in my estimation. My friend Marc, has claimed that I am a wordsmith. I don’t know if that is true. However, what is true, is that it takes a real nerd to have an engaging ten minute conversation about “good” words. Marc has also stated that I “can turn a phrase.” You have a couple of paragraphs to decide both.
Whether Dr. Bob was just being polite after unwittingly open Panora’s dictionary, by not running hellbent back to the safety and security of his home across the street, to rid himself of his idiosyncratic neighbor, remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I found the conversation enlightening enough to share my thoughts here. This should reinforce the eccentric neighbor theory.
It takes a real nerd to have an engaging ten-minute conversation about “good” words.
I have always loved nefarious since first learning of its meaning during Mr. Hamlin’s 6th-grade weekly vocabulary assignment. Merriam-Webster defines nefarious as “wicked or evil.” It comes from the Latin, nefas, ne in Latin means “no,” fas means “right.”
Literally, (using correctly) “not right.” Nefarious is one of those words that sounds and describes exactly what it is intended to sound and describe. Nefarious sounds sinister to me. It brings to mind darkness and a sense of foreboding. Much like another of my favorite words, pandemonium. Pandemonium sounds exactly as how its defined, “a wild uproar” according to Merriam-Webster. The dictionary further states, “: because of anger or excitement.”
This is where I beg to differ in my opinion. You see, I first saw the definition of “pandemonium” in 1986 at game six of the World Series between my beloved New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox. The Mets were down two runs in the 10th inning with two outs and nobody on base. Multiple times in the inning, Boston needed just one strike to secure their first World Series championship in 68 years. The Mets miraculously tied the score, and then came the infamous ground ball between Bill Buckner’s legs to allow the winning run. When Ray Knight scored, PANDEMONIUM erupted on the field and in the stands among the Mets and their faithful. I have often said, “It was as if 55,000 people simultaneously dropped acid.” Pandemonium I equate with joy, not anger.
John Milton can go to hell, which he declared the capital to be Pandemonium in Paradise Lost. Some will tell you that it was bedlam at Shea Stadium that evening. I disagree. To me, “bedlam” denotes anger in my view. When there is a “melee,” it is often bedlam, or a riotous occasion or happening. You don’t want to be caught up in that kind of “fray.” But what do I know, I’m just a little left of center, to paraphrase the Latin for “eccentric.” Profuse apologies to Dr. Bob for absconding those ten minutes out of your so well-lived life.