Wondrous Words Wednesday is hosted by BermudaOnion each week. It's an opportunity to share new words you've encountered in your reading, or highlight words that you particularly enjoy.
Again, this week both of my words come from The Secret
Keeper by Kate Morton. I am nearly finished with the book. It is taking me a
long time. Less reading minutes this month, with holiday preparations and
parties. My definitions come from dictionary.com.
Doppelganger
“The older he became, though, and the more he grew, the
clearer it became to all that he was on a collision course with his fate: to
become a doppelganger of Mr. Arthur
Smitham.”
Used in the sentence I thought it was to become a copy. It is from the
German for double, so I was on the right
track.
noun
A ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts
its fleshly counterpart.
Truncheon
“Hand resting on his truncheon,
Constable Suckling jostled across the beach.”
My thought was his nightstick.
noun
1.
OBSOLETE a short,
thick club; cudgel
2. any staff
or baton used as a symbol of authority
3.
CHIEFLY BRIT. a policeman's stick or billy
4.
OBSOLETE the shaft
of a spear
5.
OBSOLETE a trunk
or stem, esp. one with the branches lopped off
The story is set in London during WWII, and the year 2011. Both words were used in chapters 7 & 8,
set in London 1938, so I guess
definition number 3 is the one the
author used. I don’t think I will be
using either of these words in my normal vocabulary, but I like knowing them
just the same.
I have come across several new words in reading this book. I love that!!
Until next time
Stay Busy and Stay Happy
Doppelganger is a word I've learned (and remembered) recently. It's so much fun to say!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you Judy! I agree with Kathy- Doppelganger is such a fun word, with a German ring. To avoid using expletives in front of my children, I say things like "jelly beans!" or "tartar sauce". Doppelganger has a satisfying blend of syllables and consonants - I think I'll add that to my repertoire! Thanks for sharing!
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