My Five Favorite 'Words Seldom Spoken in Everyday Conversation'

FOURTH IN A SERIES

Sometime during the next day, try to work these five seldom-spoken words into a casual conversation with, say, your boss, your daughter, your lover or the mailman.

It'll be fun, I promise.

1. Purloin.

To your daughter: "Honey, did you purloin the chocolate chip cookies?"

2. Murmur.

To your lover: "I thought I heard you murmur something about my annoying habits. Could you share with me in more detail, or would you rather email me it later?"


3. Masticate.

To co-worker: "You want to grab some lunch and masticate some food in our mouths together?"

4. Cattywampus

To yourself, out loud, so that strangers can overhear: "My life became cattywampus after my lover murmured something about me purloining the chocolate chip cookies, which I had just finished masticating."

5. Penultimate.

To my readers: "This could be my penultimate post, after I publish my farewell post this weekend announcing that I'm giving up The Cup of Joe for lent."

(Click "FIVE FAVS" below for earlier posts.)

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