A Few of My Favorite Words

I was thinking last night about words that I have a particular fondness for, or words that I tend to use frequently. This topic crossed my mind for no apparent reason, as things often do. Intrigued by my growing list, I asked my spouse to contribute by suggesting words (or even phrases) that I use frequently. For a second or two, he feigned interest. But in the time it took me to fetch a pencil, he fell asleep in the recliner without making even a single contribution.

So here, in no particular order, is a partial list of My Favorite Words, to be expanded whenever he wakes up.

Morsel -- A tiny piece of something, most often food. Our cat, Tinsel, also answers to this word (as well as stencil, gristle, pencil, utensil, and a host of other "-il/-el" words).

Tidbit -- Can be used interchangeably with "morsel", except that it does not always connote food and Tinsel does not respond to it. A downright cute word.

Frock -- Any type of clothing item. Call it a frock and it suddenly improves. Well, at least I think it does.

Troller -- A shortened version of "TV remote control -ler", presumably coined at our house. Obviously, not a real word, but one that I've accidentally uttered in civilized conversation.

Paucity -- An extreme lack of something; scarcity. "There is a paucity of food in the fridge." I just love the sound of this word. It makes even scarcity sound elegant.

Bucolic -- Conjures up images of peaceful, rolling hills. Pastoral, shepherdy, even. A fun word to throw into a conversation.

Plethora -- A lot of something; as in "veritable plethora". Opposite of "paucity".

If you are so inclined (as opposed to RE-clined, like my spouse), my challenge to you is to list your own favorite words. Thinking about this topic may make you more aware of the vocabulary you use.

Or, it may cure you of insomnia.