Interesting Words

If anyone has checked in to my blog lately they will think I have given it up it's so long since I've posted! It has been a dry spell but now I'm brimming with ideas again.

Have you noticed that some authors use the most interesting words? I just learned three new ones from Julian Barnes, author of Arthur and George, a super book I just finished reading for my next book circle gathering. I don't know about you, but I needed a dictionary! And these words were really all there.........

febrile - "against the febrile exaltation of the bereaved" (febrile means "feverish") (gee, that's a new one on me!!)

rumbustious - "she loves her large generous rumbustious brother" (rumbustious means boisterous, uproarious) (guess I could have guessed the meaning of that one from the context)

mephitic - "the mephitic air which hangs around his soul" ( mephitis is a noxious emanation, especially from the earth; mephitic is the adjectival form) (a perfect use in the context of the sentence)

Well, there you have it: three interesting words - febrile, rumbustious, mephitic