“The dictionary atop your shelf has more than 200,000 words defined. Why don’t you blow off some of the dust on its cover and randomly pick out 10 words? Don’t look at the meanings; just concentrate on the words. Write down your chosen words on a (blank) sheet of paper. Now, you’re going to have fun creating meanings for those words. What do the words make you think of? What do you think they should mean?”
Editor’s note: The only dictionary I have after multiple moves across country is a French/German dictionary I picked up while studying abroad in Belgium. Enjoy the selection!
1) Écumoire: one of those straw holders you see in diners that look not all dissimilar to the comb thermos things you see at barber shops. Actual meaning: a skimming ladle, a skimmer.
2) Frontalier: comes from the same word as “front,” as in All Quiet on the Western…which means the first wave of attack during a wartime movement. Actual meaning: someone who lives near a border.
3) Kippelig: literally translated I think this means “kibble-like,” so something that resembles dog food—something grainy, dry, and hard. Actual meaning: wobbly.
4) Mehlschwitze: I love that my German is so rusty because I used to know what these two separate words were, so I’m going to guess that “Mehl” is “mail,” as in the post, and “Schwitze” is something akin to a spinster. So let’s call this a single, old mail carrier. Actual meaning: a roux, as in a sauce of butter and flour, then with milk added.
5) Morigéner: let’s see, this is something like a metamorphosis, specifically when a caterpillar changes from a pupa into a butterfly. Actual meaning: to reprimand.
6) Rapiécer: the action of rearranging furniture in a room. Actual meaning: to patch.
7) Rattrapage: all the soot and ash that’s collected under a fireplace. Actual meaning: an economic (market) adjustment.
8) Strapazierfähig: I know that “fähig” means “able,” so this word describes when one is able to get away with wearing a strapless bra. Actual meaning: heavy duty.
9) Unterkiefer: so literally this word means “under keeper,” so it’s got to be the opposite of an undertaker. An underkeeper is someone who wipes your backside if you’re not able to do it yourself. Actual meaning: the lower jaw, mandible.
10) Verrenkung: is the quality in someone who’s naturally adept at climbing trees. Actual meaning: a dislocation, as in to dislocate one’s shoulder.
A special thanks to http://www.wordreference.com/ and http://dict.leo.org/ for their lovely (and free) online dictionaries.
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