The other day, I stumbled upon a new word that caught my attention…
While watching My Lady Jane in bed, a word struck me like a bolt of lightning: detumescence. It was used in the context of the characters post-coital state, pondering whether to disrupt their peaceful detumescence with bad news. Have you encountered this word before? Upon exploring, I found that it refers to the process of subsiding from sexual arousal. This led me to ponder the power of words, as my friend and screenwriter, Gemma, believes in using the best vocabulary to engage audiences.
Gemma’s philosophy reminded me of a quote by E.B. White, emphasizing that children, in particular, are receptive to challenging words. This concept is evident in books like The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies, which kicks off with the word ‘soporific’ for young readers. The idea is simple: trust the audience with complex words.
Reflecting on my recent experiences, Anton’s witty remark about a ‘yappuccino’ left me in stitches for a good 45 minutes. It’s moments like these that make language exploration so delightful.
What fascinating words have captivated you recently? Share your linguistic discoveries below…
P.S. The joy of using advanced vocabulary with kids, the charm of eloquent men, and a comical linguistic mix-up.
(Photo from Normal People.)
