Tag Archives: words from dictionary

Ablation

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Ablation: n. 1. the surgical removal of body tissue 2. the removal of snow and ice by melting or evaporation, typically from a glacier or iceberg.

I guess I’m familiar with both types of ablations.

When I was a kid, our house sat on a small hill, completely covered by trees. So in the winter, when snow fell in our back yard, there were patches of turf which were untouched by sunlight due to the covering of the branches and therefore, the accumulated ice would not melt, even when May Day came around.

My mother would ask me to go into the back yard and dislodge the frozen precipitation from our yard so little kids wouldn’t slip on it on their way to play ballgames on our property. I seriously doubt if any kid would ever have slipped on the ice. The patch was only about five feet long and a foot and a half wide. But you don’t argue with your mother. She always has a second and third more boring reason for doing things which she will be more than happy to reiterate to you, and also controls the purse strings and access to kitchen treats.

I will tell you–this ice was determined. It had survived some very warm April days and had seen all of its friends dissipate into a watery grave as they drizzled down the hillside.

So I chipped at it with a shovel, dislodging some pieces, and actually had to dig up some of the ice, which had developed a deep and lasting relationship with the underlying grass and dirt. Not certain of where to take these leftover pieces of winter, I walked them over to our trash barrel, placed them in there and set some pieces of paper on fire in an attempt to melt them.

It was amazing how long it took for the ablation to have its complete effect.

Ice and fire.

You would think that fire would have the advantage, but ice really does hang in there, melding itself into a harder and harder nugget of determined cold.

I also had a tumor removed from my body at one time, which was a rather strange sensation. It hurt very badly, but no one believed I actually had an internal problem, so the doctors attempted to treat it externally. One day it just popped. Turns out there were two in there–one which exploded and drained (have I lost you yet?) and another which had to be surgically removed.

That second was quite similar to my back yard ice.

I was always curious about how long that ice would have lasted in my backyard had my mother not insisted on relegating it to the trash can. I guess I am also curious about whether my second tumor would have taken care of itself like the first one did.

But I also see a time and place for ablation. And now I have a much better word for it, which I can show off in those embarrassing times when ice and soft tissue need to be dramatically removed.

 

Abjure

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abjure: v. solemnly renounce (a belief, cause or claim): his refusal to abjure the Catholic faith

I was trying to figure out if I’m EVER solemn. I guess my definition for “solemn” would be to give a placid response to any given situation, thus appearing to be in control and without excess emotional baggage.

I don’t see how you can “solemnly renounce.” Isn’t that an oxymoron? “Solemn” means you’re calm and “renounce” requires you to actively reject.

I think I would be really uncomfortable with anyone who would “solemnly” renounce anything. If it’s worth renouncing, it would certainly require raising a few blood pressure points as you walk away in disgust. And if you’re NOT that invested in it–so that you could be solemn–it’s not really renouncing, now, is it? It’s more like choosing not to get another helping of something or other in the great buffet of life.

Maybe that’s the problem in our generation. We want to come across like we’re “solemnly renouncing” things. We want our hot-headed to appear cool.  I believe that particular mixture would make you even out at lukewarm.

Yeah. That pretty well describes things, doesn’ t it? A lukewarm rendition of a once-hot meal that doesn’t even have the benefit of being eaten cold.

I guess I don’t “abjure” much…

If it’s important enough for me to participate in it, I bring my passion–both in favor and in disfavor to the cause. If it requires solemnity, I just usually go to bed and go to sleep.

It’s a funny time, isn’t it? A season in life when we come up with solemn renouncement like we’re proclaiming, “It’s a funny time” instead of being more forthcoming, by calling it “crap.”

 

Abject

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abject: adj. 1. {of a situation or condition} extremely bad, unpleasant and degrading: abject poverty; {of an unhappy state of mind} experienced to the maximum degree: abject misery  2. {of a person or their behavior} completel without pride or dignity, self-abasing: an abject apology

You gotta watch out for that “Ject” family. They are really bad seed.

I guess RE Ject is the father of the mix, with OB Ject being the mother, creating the juvenile delinquent of AB Ject.

Yes, it is very important to remember that rejecting things sets in motion sensations which are very difficult to retrieve through a simple apology or by  sending a dozen roses. I think we have more success in ignoring human beings than in rejecting them–but there are always people who love to start a good war by inviting rejection into the conflict.

Then someone comes along an object. I don’t know if there is anything more useless than an objection to a rejection. I mean, after all–you’re in a defensive position, and the person or persons who have already decided to put you on the crap list are not going to be swayed by either your reasoning or your pleading.

This further stirs the pot.

So after reject has brought about an object, which is dejected (Wow! another family member!) you end up with an abject situation–which is completely without redemption.

Matter of fact, I find it very difficult to believe in any way, shape or form that God has rejected me simply because I’m a goofball. If I felt rejected by the Divine Nature, I would certainly have an objection to Him referring to Himself as Love.

He may disapprove. He may think that I am crazy or loony. But rejection would not be a good thing unless you are prepared for an objection which might lead to dejection–and then force me into abject stupidity.

That Ject family–you gotta watch out when they move in next door. The neighborhood goes to pot and the real estate values plummet.

Abiotic

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abiotic: adj. 1.physical rather than biological; not derived from living organisms. 2. Devoid of life; sterile

I found a definition for Congress!!  “Devoid of life and sterile!” A physical body not producing any life. How remarkable! Do you think anyone in that particular institution would comprehend it if I refered to them as abiotic?

I was thinking about other things in our society that are abiotic:

Certainly, the entertainment industry came to mind, which continues to pop out pet projects from a group of spoiled technicians who refuse to allow new ideas into their coven of interaction for fear of losing both prestige and dollars.

Certainly our religious system is abiotic. For after all, we more celebrate the death of our leader than we do his life, and even gather around his carcass weekly to grab a hunk, for old times sake.

Our educational system seems to have become abiotic, trapping us into a repetitive merry-go-round of stats and facts, which don’t always add up to the requirements of our ever-burgeoning world.

What a fascinating word!

Sometimes I’m abiotic. I see life happening in front of me and I pull up a chair instead of putting on my tennis shoes.

Abiotic–ignoring life in motion. Being present in the physical without generating any living thing.

Because after all, to live a cautious life is to have completely misunderstood the directions that came with our kit.

Abiogenesis

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abiogenesis: adv. technical term for spontaneous generation.

My dear God. IS there spontaneous generation?? I was completely unaware.

I looked up the definition for spontaneous generation, just in case. This demanded that I escape the Ab’s and jump all the way to the S’s. (Please know that I repented of this indiscretion.)

I giggled when I read the definition of spontaneous generation. It is the contention that life can be sprung from inanimate objects. The classic case of this, of course, is the idea once believed, that if you throw a bunch of trash out in your yard, the putrid materials will transform themselves into flies.

Of course, anybody who travels, speaks, thinks, writes or shares with the American people knows that it is often difficult to find life in the midst of those who HAVE a heartbeat.

I suppose there’s a certain charm to spontaneous generation. If you really think life can come from non-living pieces of this and that, you don’t necessarily have to believe you need to do anything with your own personal living and breathing protoplasm.

“God will take care of it. If He can make flies out of stinky, He can make geniuses out of public high schools…”

Actually, one of the more discouraging things to do is to sit on the bench at the mall and watch the mass of humanity pass by, pursuing the pleasant task of buying and owning, but still morose, self-absorbed and in many cases, nearly catatonic.

Maybe there is spontaneous generation. Maybe it happens when you keep a good sense of humor in the presence of very mediocre possibilities, knowing that life is fickle and unpredictable, and in no time at all, prospects could improve.

Spontaneous generation-–abiogenesis: some sort of idea that you can actually say “let there be light” and it will appear.

Who do you think you are? God?

 

Ab Initio

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Ab initio:  1. adv. from the beginning (used chiefly in formal or legal contexts): the agreement should be void ab initio 2. adj. starting from the beginning: he was instructing the ab initio pilots.

Do you know why I like big words? Part of the time they make little problems seem more important and the rest of the time, if you’re avoiding a solution, they can help you appear to be doing it more intelligently.

Take today’s word, for instance. If you were going to break up with your girlfriend and you wanted to do it as kindly as possible, you could say, “From the ab initio of our founding, I realized there were certain discrepancies in the gelling of our auras…”

You have to admit, that sounds a lot better than, “You suck.”

Big words are great–especially when people around you don’t know them and they’re struggling for context clues, and in the midst of the struggle you can beat a hasty retreat.

I don’t know if I will remember to use ab initio, but it would be very powerful, especially if you were talking about God and creation, and you referred to that time as the “ab initio of the Divine nature.”

You would just ooze with pretense, education and arrogance. Wait–that’s NOT good, is it?

Sometimes I get confused because I live in a world where really bad attitudes are extolled temporarily because we want to use them.

I guess we’re on the ab initio of a change.

Ability

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Ability: n. 1. the capacity to do something 2. talent that enables someone to achieve a great deal: a man of exceptional ability.

Let me see if I’ve got this straight. Sometimes we think certain words mean the same thing, but if you look really carefully, you see that they don’t. So I have it figured this way: talent is what I think I can do, and ability is your opinion of my effort after I’ve completed it.

I know I’m always nervous when I hear somebody brag about their talent. I alway silently want to tell them to be quiet; play it cool. Don’t be such a blowhard. Because each one of us human beings has two different modes in which we perceive the performance or presentation of others. If we think they’re conceited, we put on our “mean” mind and get very, very picky. If we believe they are leading with a humble spirit, we are much more relaxed and willing to be forgiving.

So even though many people feel they have talent, their egomaniacal approach towards self-promotion makes the world around them judge their talent and pronounce a very low grade on their ability.

So maybe we don’t know how good we are until other people tell us the value of what we’ve shared or produced. Of course, we don’t like that. We are so preoccupied with our self-image that we would like to control all of the aspects of our offering to the world, including deciding for them what they’re going to think about it.

But it just ain’t so, Joe.

That’s why I think it’s better to play down your talent and come strong with your gift, so when people judge your ability, they will be much more merciful and generous. If you happen to be excellent on top of that, be prepared to be successful.

Talent is what I think I can do, and ability is the grade card you give me at the end of my test.

Abilene

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abilene: 1 a city in east central Kansas; pop. 6,242. It was the first terminus of the Chisholm Trail.  2. a city in north central Texas, an agricultural and oil industry center; pop. 106,654

Darned tootin’ if Abilene doesn’t need a song.

Phoenix has one–Seattle, too. Los Angeles has several. New York, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans…all of them have got tuneful tributes.

It seems to be my duty to write Abilene a song. I guess I will start with the A, B, C formula. In other words, go through the alphabet and find words that rhyme wiht Abilene so as to find possibilities as to where this composition might go.

Let me see now… A, B, C.  Nothing there. D gives us Dean. I don’t know what we’ll do with that. E, F… then there’s G.  You get green and glean. Possible.

H, I, J, K… they’re all a wash. L. Lean. Of course, you’ve already got that in the name of the town–Abilene.

M. Mean. Not much use. N, O. Well, I guess n-o. No.

P for preen. How would you work that in?

Here’s one! Queen! Of course, I don’t know if they allow queens in Abilene.

R has nothing. S–Seen. Either the s-e-e-n or the s-c-e-n-e. So maybe I could make the scene in Abilene with my Queen named Jean. Hey, I forgot the J, for Jean. You see how it’s building??

Teen. That’s dangerous. Because my Queen, Jean, should not be a teen, or you’re in danger of statuatory rape.

U, V. Nothing there. Again.

W has ween. That’s frightening. Of course, X, Y and Z is just like the tail that never shakes off anything of value.

So what did we end up with?

Queen Jean who’s a teen from Abilene, who makes the scene and isn’t really mean, although she spends too much time in an attempt to preen. But her looks are never obscene.

Oh, there’s an O.

You see how it works? Genius HAS form and reason to it.

But even as I look at the results, I have to admit that the Abilene song may have just about as much promise as the city itself.

It’s not my fault. I tried.

Abide

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abide: 1. v.  accept or act in accordance with a rule, decision or recommendation 2. unable to tolerate: “I cannot abide…” 3. of a feeling or memory–continue without fading or being lost

As is often the situation when I hear the definitions for these words, I realize that I have created my own mental dictionary of what things mean, frequently having absolutely no basis.

I always thought “abide” meant to hang around, like three guys on a Saturday afternoon sprawled across the room, telling stories about what they wish they could do, will probably never do, but will insist someday when they’re old that they did.

I thought abiding was what faith, hope and love did because they were built into the woodwork and history of the framework.

Abiding is NOT hanging around. Abiding is hanging in there.

I realize that’s what’s missing from my life, and maybe the lives of many Americans. As long as you want us to just “hang around,” we’re fine. But the minute you define the cause, point out a specific direction or demand a commitment, we put into practice our well-rehearsed list of excuses and go “splitsville.”

Hanging in there is a tough thing.

I remember once playing a football game, and at the end of the first quarter our team was down 32-0. The prospects of victory were slim. We were unable to stop the other team from scoring and only felt satisfaction that we were bolstering their egos and padding their stats. But you see, it was the end of the first quarter. There were three more of them to come. The danger in football is that if you play the game halfway, you’re much more likely to get injured. So it was definite that even though we were going to get smeared, we would have to see the game through to the end.

So we set some small goals. For instance, hiking the ball and handing it off without fumbling. Another one was tackling the opponent before he gained twenty yards. And certainly the most important aspiration that kept us “hanging in there” was to make sure the final score was not 128-0.

We lost the game 64-0, having held them to 32 points in the final three quarters.

Although humiliating, we left the field uninjured and just a little bit tickled that we survived such an absolute cataclysmic event without committing suicide.

Abiding is hanging in there–which only gives us one major goal: find something worthy of our hanging.

Abeyance

by J. R. Practix

dictionary with letter A

Abeyance: n.  a state of temporary disuse or suspension.

I’m not positive. Oh, I have inklings.

I certainly am aware of little monsters that try to come into my life and leave their footprints all over my freshly cemented ideas. But I’m not really quite sure how to bring all of these munchkins under abeyance.

I don’t know about you, but I always start out really well. Matter of fact, I cruise brilliantly in the middle of the road. But somewhere along the line, I despair over well-doing. It’s not because I don’t have evidence that such actions are beneficial to me. It’s more that the celebration of my victories begin to mingle with the temperament of my bad habits and create a climate of self-righteousness, causing me to temporarily believe that I have arrived at my destination, when actually I am five hundred miles from home.

Yes, there are tiny, little cracks in my armor that welcome the arrows of failure.

Recently, I’ve been trying to lose weight. First of all, I’m not quite sure it’s possible. My body has never been completely amicable to the idea of dropping what it views as my “support system.”

I persevere–but I do see these tiny little inclinations, which I would like to catch early, showing that I am weakening to the severity of discipline and gradually nurturing the need for self-hugging.

Last night it was eating a mozzarella cheese stick–about fifty calories. Sometimes it’s an extra handful of walnuts–about eighty calories. As you can see, neither one in itself amounts to a hill of beans (about 3000 calories).

But the problem is, without me pursuing abeyance in this matter, somehow or another I get from the cheese stick to belching on top of that hill of beans without ever exactly knowing what calorie increases I have consumed in between. It would be freaky if it weren’t so predictable.

So how can I bring this particular appetite in my life under abeyance? I know this–the enemy of any change is to remain silent.

So thanks for the talk.