Recently, I noticed a Dictionary.com “Biggest Smile Brackets for 2024.” It reminded me of the potluck word feast going on over at Leigh Anne Eck’s blog A Day in the Life. She has invited all Slicers who want to participate to her Word Buffet.
I voted for my own favorite smile-bringers from the 32 word list, using their bracket form. Here are the final four on my list that I am bringing as my contribution to the buffet:
- shenanigans – A playful or mischievous act; a prank.
- hullabaloo – 1) A loud noise or a condition of noisy confusion. 2) A confused noise; uproar; tumult.
- boop – Affectionately poking someone on the nose, often accompanied by saying “Boop!” (That was boop as defined on Urban Dictionary) Boop is also used in online communities. I must say, I have never seen it used by any of my online friends or myself. Do you use the word boop in any situation? And have you heard of BOOP! The Musical, based on the cartoon character Betty Boop? It’s getting good reviews.
- discombobulate – To throw into a state of confusion. synonym: befuddle.
And my fifth word is a bonus–not a silly word, but my favorite word; always a smile-bringer to me.
5. hope – 1) To have confidence; trust. 2) To desire and consider possible.
I wrote a dictionary entry poem about hope awhile ago, so I thought I would share it here today…
Hope
Definitions:
verb
1. to sip wishes
2. to whisper into promises and prayers
3. to envelop with open arms
4. to climb anticipation
noun
1. a thing with feathers
the hope of springtime pipping
2. a cool autumn breeze after a hot summer
the hope of cooler days
3. a moon out in the afternoon
the hope of an enticing evening
Denise, I love your words! Shenanigans might be my favorite silly word, but Hope, of course, is the one that brings all the smiles. I think of shenanigans and the laughter, the inventiveness of mischief, like last year when one of our own high school students invented a toilet paper tree rolling machine from a high powered leaf blower so that the seniors could do their jobs of rolling trees quickly without getting caught. Yes to Shenanigans!
I love these words, Denise! How I love hope as “to envelop with open arms” – the world would truly change if we offered such openness to one another, held each other. Those first four words are light and silly and make me smile, the word ‘hope’ is light, itself, I think. Loved this post!
Yes, I love your words too, Denise! Especially discombobulate! Hope is of course the pinnacle of words. Your dictionary entry poem is marvellous!
Aaah! I love these words and they were indeed smile-bringers. The b’s in hullabaloo and discombobulate make them so fun to say.
Denise, I adore your word buffet. All are such great choices. I admire the way you write about your all-time favorite word: hope. Well played, Denise, and what an amazing photo of the moon! Gorgeous. I hope you do have a lovely evening!
Denise,
Now I’m thinking about smile words. Does the word smile count? I’m tucking the dictionary poem away as inspiration when I struggle for poem ideas this year. I love the word hope, but I can think of times those other words can result in something other than a smile.
What a neat idea! I’ve not seen a “word buffet” before. But, the best part of coming across this post is your dictionary poem with the nod to Emily Dickinson and more. What a treat to stumble across this today.
Melanie–I always host a slicer party, and each year it is something different. This year was the word buffet. I hope you can join is!
Absolutely gorgeous dictionary poem, Denise! I love every line of it – language that lifts the spirit, just as hope ought to do. The verb definitions are just perfect. I can so see hope as the sipping of wishes, and know it certainly to be whispered in promises and prayers. The phrases as examples for noun usage are pure delight – “springtime pipping” and “enticing evening” especially. Nod to Dickinson – love. All the words of your buffet offering are wonderful – but like you, hope is my favorite.
I love your words! They are so fun to say! And your hope poem–“to sip wishes” is beautiful! I am also tucking this idea away for poetry month! Thank you for playing along and sharing your words!