QuickWrite of the Day #52: Strange, beautiful words

"Writing can be used as a vehicle to express ourselves as we negotiate the journey through our lives” (Gallagher, 2011: p. 24)

Today’s QuickWrite of the Day

Every now and then, we come across words that name precise impressions or objects which sound strangely beautiful. Some of the words I found which match this description are featured below:

• Petrichor: The way it smells after it rains 

• Tines: The prongs on a fork

• Wamble: The rumbling of a stomach

• Agelet: The plastic or metallic coating at the end of your shoelaces

• Glabella: The space between your eyebrows

• Minimus: Your little toe or finger 

• Overmorrow: The day after tomorrow

• Dysania: The condition of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning 

• Armscye: The armhole in clothes, where the sleeves are sewn

• Tittle: The dot over an ‘i’ or a ‘j’

Have a go at finding some of your own strange, beautiful words which you thought didn’t exist, that give precise names to things. Choose one of these words and write about it. What does it make you think, feel, wonder? What does it remind you of? 

Want more QuickWrite topics? Check out the slide deck here, or see it in presentation mode on our Resources page.

Happy writing!