I am a smart person. No, really. I know I come off as a ‘tard in my blog, because I don’t have a lick of common sense. In a conversation, I will be the person that has no idea what’s going on. But I am incredibly book smart (seriously, I have references, I am just mad at them right now). I am one of those nerds that always has her head in a book and can answer all the theoretical questions, but walks into trees and walls and people all the time.
My ego is completely tied up in my book-smarts. I have been able to accomplish a lot professionally because of my ability to learn very quickly. On a personal level, I recognize my lack of common sense, my ability to say the wrong thing at the right AND wrong times, and generally make an ass out of myself in any social situation.
In the last week, however, I have had to look up three words on dictionary.com. Now, I never had this problem before. It’s not from the ECT; these are words that I just haven’t used before. I have heard of them. Maybe I never took the time to look them up. But for some reason, lately, whenever I run across a word I either know but don’t know the definition to, or have never heard it, I have an obsession to look it up and make sure I remember the definition.
I guess the difference is, before the ECT, I just never looked them up. Maybe I was able to figure it out by context; maybe I just didn’t care. I don’t know. But now, I have a compulsion to look them up.
THREE WORDS IN A WEEK. THREE WORDS IN A FUCKING WEEK! When did that happen? I used to have the best vocabulary of all my friends and colleagues. Now, I find myself going, “what the fuck did she/he just say?”‘
This is a huge blow to my ego. I have also found that my mind doesn’t work as quickly as it used to. That’s been going on for a couple of years. It’s time for me to bring out the Sudoku (or however you spell it) and the other mind games to keep my brain functioning well. God, I thought that would start in my 50’s. Apparently, it starts in the 30’s. I have just been putting it off for a couple of years.
This is just such a blow. ME, having to look words up! ME, having to train my mind to think as quickly as it used to! What in the hell is this world coming to?
27 responses so far ↓
1 laughingattheslut // Jul 11, 2008 at 7:10 am
Aren’t you even going to tell us the words?
We can probably make fun of you on a whole different level if we know what the words are.
laughingatthesluts last blog post..Still not getting much done
2 Kyra // Jul 11, 2008 at 8:10 am
Yeah, you have to tell us the words. I never have to look up stuff either, but I had to look up one this past week as well. Maybe it’s not us. Maybe people are actually starting to read their “Word of the day” toilet paper and actually use the words?
Kyras last blog post..Winecam
3 Winter // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:09 am
I have a huge vocab. I have a huge IQ. Meh. I’m getting older so my memory is starting to go on vacation a little. I think it’s mostly that I just don’t shift gears in my head as quickly as I used to. I get distracted more easily too. At any rate, I love finding new words! I don’t look at it as not being as smart as I used to be. I look at it as an opportunity to get smarter! Heh. I’m evil with the positive spin thing too.
Winters last blog post..Can Vampires Be Gay?
4 Winter // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:10 am
BTW… your blog’s throwing Worpress errors when comments are posted.
Winters last blog post..Can Vampires Be Gay?
5 Absurdist // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:20 am
test
6 Absurdist // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:21 am
I have been dicking around with it… Can you try it now for me?
7 Mel-O-Drama // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:36 am
I really wanna know which words you had to look up…
8 Absurdist // Jul 11, 2008 at 9:41 am
GODDAMNIT. Why are my pages showing at the bottom of the screen??? Ugh.
Okay, so the word I had to look up today was paucity.
The other word, which of course, I USED to know, but totally forgot what it meant was hegemony.
And for the life of me, I can’t remember the other word. I wish dictionary.com kept a history of what I have looked up!
9 Finn // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:17 am
At least you look the word up. That’s a good thing. And it’s not your fault. And if you want to feel really stupid, have a kid who asks you five times a day what words mean and discover that you have trouble articulating exactly what they mean even though you know what they mean. That’ll make you feel like an idiot in a hurry.
10 dmarks // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:57 am
If you like words like this, you should visit the Verbmall blog I link to.
dmarkss last blog post..Christine Baranski Friday - "Chess"
11 Penelope // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:13 am
Lately I find myself just mixing up regular words and confusing the hell out of myself and kids! Example “Just put that ketchup away in the washing machine please” Now I swear I said “fridge” My brain thinks I said fridge but the kids are all “whaaaa??” and looking at me like I’m an imbecile!
If this is aging then it can kiss my arse!
Penelopes last blog post..Rollercoasters
12 whall // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:14 am
I’m just leaving a test comment to find out what the problem is, and already I think I know. You have a div tag that’s not closed, OR you added something that exceeds the size of the container, so it wraps your sidebar. I’ll be looking at it now, so let me know if you’re also trying to fix.
I don’t mean to be didactic, but your sesquipedaliophobic nature is one that obfuscates the acceptatious nature that defines you. Do not become apoplectic or express expostulation upon the hearkening of this; it is not an admonishment. Demurment is supererogatory. As is my bafflegab.
13 laughingattheslut // Jul 11, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hegemony has something to do with Ender’s brother.
I’ll go look up the other one.
laughingatthesluts last blog post..Not quite a Freaky Friday, but…
14 Absurdist // Jul 11, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Slut: Touche… And quick!
15 Robin // Jul 11, 2008 at 12:33 pm
There is a lot I don’t know but I figure if I smile my prettiness will overshaddow my doubt.
16 laughingattheslut // Jul 11, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Paucity–
How about–
Compared to the absurdist, I have a paucity of readers who leave comments.
or–
Chelle has a paucity of marbles left in her head.
laughingatthesluts last blog post..Not quite a Freaky Friday, but…
17 Nat // Jul 11, 2008 at 2:08 pm
I look stuff up all the time but I too feel my memory is going.
I’m with Penelope though, I have “wrong word” syndrome a lot.
Hegemony… good word. Don’t use it enough.
Nats last blog post..Up here so high the boughs the break…
18 dmarks // Jul 11, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Hegemony… isn’t that the Zodiac sign of twins or quints or something like that? Paucity… has to be that new big-box store that sells dog and cat food.
dmarkss last blog post..Christine Baranski Friday - "Chess"
19 laughingattheslut // Jul 11, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Oh, I forgot.
Paucity is on Vulcan, named after T’Pau.
laughingatthesluts last blog post..Not quite a Freaky Friday, but…
20 Mel-O-Drama // Jul 11, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I’m not the only person in the world who remembers T’Pau?????
That is Awesome on a Cracker.
Mel-O-Dramas last blog post..my friday night.
21 laughingattheslut // Jul 11, 2008 at 5:30 pm
T’Pau
First person ever to turn down a seat on the Federation Council.
Also a one hit wonder from the eighties.
laughingatthesluts last blog post..Not quite a Freaky Friday, but…
22 Absurdist // Jul 11, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Slut: You are so funny. I wonder how many people got the Ender’s comment. And excellent on T’Pau!
Kyra II: They have that? Man, think about it; learn a word, wipe your ass!
Winter: You are so damned healthy. Can’t you have a neurosis or something?
Mel: I wish I could remember the first word, but you know how our brains get as we age; the ole memory goes. God, what WAS that first one?
Finn: That’s so funny you say that. I was thinking of a word the other day, and for some reason, thinking, how would I explain what this means to my niece? And frankly, I couldn’t figure out a good way to do it. I realized that there are some words that just have to be “experienced” and can’t be “explained.”
DMarks: Gonna have to check that out. Couldn’t leave me a link, huh?
Penelope: OMG, I do that all the time. But I would also actually PUT the ketchup in the washing machine!
Wayne: You are officially fired.
Robin: It’s not your looks; it’s your boobs. Although you are very pretty.
Slut: Yes, but they are BIG marbles; the ones that are left.
Nat: The way I say “hegemony” was so totally off it’s not even funny. I don’t even know how to spell the way I was saying it. It was like, you know how you say Taj from Taj Mahal? Okay, Well, instead of Taj, I was saying Haj-mo-nee. Totally, totally wrong. I don’t even know how I thought it was pronounced that way. At least I say homage right.
DMarks: Okay, that’s great. Paw City. I love it.
Mel: OOOO did you know that we just had the like, 80th anniversary of sliced bread (presliced for sale)?
23 dmarks // Jul 11, 2008 at 8:30 pm
A link?
And here you go:
http://verbmall.blogspot.com/
A total word-geek blog.
———–
Paucity is probably located right next to Maucity.
And yes, I have the T’Pau song going through my head now.
dmarkss last blog post..Christine Baranski Friday - "Chess"
24 dmarks // Jul 11, 2008 at 8:31 pm
And I have only read the first Ender’s book, but I do have a shadow of knowledge of what the later titles are.
dmarkss last blog post..Christine Baranski Friday - "Chess"
25 Dan // Jul 12, 2008 at 9:40 am
I’m not completely up on ECT, although I should be really.
Hopefully the memory problems won’t be permanent. And if they are, well, forget about it
Dans last blog post..A trip to the Dales
26 Evil Genius // Jul 12, 2008 at 6:19 pm
I was going to say something really profound here, but dammit all if I didn’t forget it. No, really!! lol
Evil Geniuss last blog post..Dissed by a Fur Ball
27 metalmom // Jul 14, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I like my words little.
metalmoms last blog post..Meme-I’m Too Tired to Think
Come on man. You know you want to say something!