fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Where Did the Term “Shot in the Arm” Come From?
By: Melissa Gouty
Tags: Covid 19, Words, Vaccines, Science, Language Learning

Where Did the Term “Shot in the Arm” Come From?

Photo by CDC on Unsplash

A Word-Nerd Wonders…

We’ve been waiting for the COVID vaccine, the shot in the arm we all need.

On the day before the much-anticipated, much-needed vaccine arrived in the United States, I began wondering about the phrase “shot in the arm.” When did it originate? How did it come into popular use? (If that seems an odd thing to wonder about, just remember that I am a word-nerd.)

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of “shot in the arm” is

“something that has a sudden, strong, positive effect on something else providing encouragement and new activity.”

My guess was that the term “shot in the arm” originated in the 1950s with the introduction of the polio vaccine.

If you would guess the same thing, we’d both be wrong.

More Than a Century Before the Polio Vaccine

The term “shot in the arm” started occurring in popular language way before the polio vaccine of 1955. In fact, vaccines had nothing whatsoever to do with this phrase. Intravenous drug use did.

In 1844, a man named Francis Rynd made the first successful injection using a hypodermic needle. Shortly after that, Alexander Wood created an all-glass syringe so that the dosage could be estimated by viewing the level of medication against marks on the glass. At the same time, a French surgeon, Charles Pravaz, modified the make-up of the syringe, manufacturing it entirely of silver.

By the end of the 1800s, the hypodermic syringe had enabled drugs — both medicinal and illicit — to be injected. In 1804, morphine was refined into a salt that could be put into water and injected. The processing of morphine into a water-soluble crystal was the start of a long line of drugs that could also be put into a solution and injected; quinine in 1820, nicotine in 1828, codeine in 1832, and cocaine in 1855, just to name a few.

Commonplace Behavior

By 1900, it was a common practice for people to inject themselves with drugs or vitamins, hoping for that boost of feeling, that “invigorating effect of injecting drugs, either narcotic or medicinal.” In 1904, a statement about the drug use occurred in the San Francisco Chronicle Supplement:

“I varied hardly a minute each day in the time of taking my injection. My first shot was when I awoke in the morning…”

First Traceable Mention in Popular Culture

The Lewistown (Maine) Evening Journal has this quote from January of 1916, implying that the phrase was commonly understood:

“The vets can give politics a shot in the arm, and the political leaders realize it.” —

Today the phrase, “a shot in the arm” is everywhere. It doesn’t matter that the term originated more than a century ago or that it sometimes referred to non-medicinal drug use. This year, it has a positive connotation.

For me, and millions like me, in 2020, the term “shot in the arm,” is the boost of hope that a COVID vaccine brings to a world that desperately needs it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Creativity, Words, Poetry, Holiday Greetings, Love

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Daily Interesting Word
By: Sienna May
Tags: Words, Rare Words, Daily Thoughts, Daily Words

Onism: The awareness of how little of the world you experience. That sudden dreadful realization that you are you, and only you, stuck in your body for as long as you live, knowing you will never be in someone else’s shoes.
The Tip Of My Tongue
By: Ariel Blaser
Tags: Poem, Language, Words, Poetry, Lighthearted

It’s on the tip of my tongue.

The word’s shape nearly fills my mouth.

It’s teasing me, leaving me

hushed, silent, agape.

My tongue is unsure of the almost-an-echo

pushing and pulling my lips.

They’re trying to follow consonants and vowels,

places the articulation might dance with my teeth.

I am, with increasing frustration,

feeling for the ever evasive.

The sounds’ vibration, their flow, friction, and aspiration

are as familiar as

…

the, uh…

a… an, um….

What the hell is it

that I’m trying to say?
Apophasis
By: Nika Paradis
Tags: Writing, Speaking, Words, Literature, Learning

Apophasis is a figure of speech, used not only in speaking but also in writing, which refers to bringing up an issue while claiming not to mention it.

Here are a few examples:

I don’t want to badmouth my parents or say how terribly abusive they were.

I promised I wouldn’t tell the world that the corrupt prosecutor tried to force her to lie on the stand.

Also, an example from the show Friends comes to mind, when Mr. Geller talks about Rachel’s parents’ disappointment when she doesn’t get married to Barry: (I’m not sure these are the exact words, so I won’t use quotation marks.)

I won’t say how much they spent on that wedding, but forty thousand dollars is a lot of money.

And here’s another one from the show House: (I’m not sure these are the exact words, so I won’t use quotation marks.)

I don’t want to say anything bad about another doctor, especially one who’s a useless drunk.

Apophasis is also present in some books I’ve read. One author that comes to mind is Marco Ocram. His works are filled with apophasis, which makes them some of the most amusing books I’ve had the pleasure to read.

Do you ever use apophasis when you speak or write?
quiet
By: Patty Brown
Tags: Poem, Words, Christmas, Poetry, Alone

when there is a mad rush

for Christmas

in the glitter

of white lights

lacing the trees

a wreath of magnolia

hangs upon my door

green leaves backed with gold

tied in a big red perfect bow

and winter’s edge

is bitter cold

outside the glass

of my window panes

chimney’s smoke

circles the gray sky

i gaze outside

and wonder

is this the happiest time

of the year

or is it the slow motion

year over year

of singing

a familiar refrain

a favorite carol

the practice of

what is christmas cheer

that creates a fear

of being alone

on the most reverent day of the year

a misnomer

hidden in our midst

find your peace this year

in the quiet

of a winter’s night

no expectation

no hype

just the very simple quiet

of hope and love

a prayer

to the divine

add a simple toast

of good wine

cheers my friend

to a better year

— patty

*****

photo@unsplash
Well, today I come in introduction of Medium, its been a quite unique. How it was, let me explain.
By: Asif Rasul
Tags: First Post, Mindfulness, Words, Startup, Feelings Become Words

Well, today I come in introduction of Medium, its been a quite unique. How it was, let me explain.

I was wandering on the Google land and suddenly came across a link that leads me to the medium world, blogging arena. I mame some research on blogging and crawled in medium.

There have been times when I wanted to put off thoughts in some form of expression, be that words or mere mental pictures. Here I have found a better place to exaggerate my mind maps in to real expressions.
Very powerful! Loved the words
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Words

Doctorate in Finance, Professor, Author, Interested in education, nature, environment, culture, yoga! Top writer in poetry. preetisingh15@gmail.com
The Real Freedom
By: Priyanka Srivastava
Tags: Writing, Freedom, Americanhaiku, Words, Poetry

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

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The sky was wrapped in a gorgeous hue
By: Ankita Das
Tags: Poems On Medium, Writers Block, Words, Poetry, Poetry On Medium

The sky was wrapped in a gorgeous hue

Not in shades of cobalt but of powder blue

Smothering a raging sense of loneliness that had

only started to brew

Having been through the rough for long,

the sight was soothing to my eyes too

No trees , birds or clouds obstructed the view

There was just this vast stretch of sky that drew

my attention and i hardly ever knew

that I could give up on all the adornments but keep

only a few

A soul as tired as mine besides me and a sky above

me as blank as new

#Shabdonkeshaukeen ✨
“Darling, let me tell you this:
By: Ferderizza Viernes
Tags: Words, Sad, Poetry, Comfort

“Darling, let me tell you this:

You are never a failure. You are always enough. Those blue and dreamy eyes shouldn’t be guilty nor be sorry for failing to meet the universe’s expectations.

You are never a failure because you are a masterpiece yourself. You are a skin that covers someone’s poetry — a flesh that completes an entire literature.

You are always enough. The world may seem to look away and crave for something more, but for someone’s perspective you are more than enough.

You need not to be lonely,

and you are not entitled to be.

Hush now.”
Can you really leave a place?
By: Sukriti Gupta
Tags: Let Go, Words, Memories, Places, Poems On Medium

Maybe, you never really leave a place

Where you have once lived in.

Maybe, a part of you always stays

Locked in there,

no mater how hard you try denying this.

But like everything comes with an expiry date,

When life pushes you to the next stage

You have to abandon places,

And start new journeys.

Cause time never stops,

And refusing to let go will change nothing

But, just make you late for the new beginnings.

So, sometimes in life

You have to leave your favourite places

Only to return someday

And see it filled with new faces.

It feels like a party’s going on in your house

But you’re not invited.

And yes, you may get the permission to come in

But can you enjoy it just the way you once did?

~Sukriti Gupta
The Unspoken Words
By: Rahul Anand
Tags: Words, Poetry, Unspoken Words, Rhymes, Poems On Medium

The Unspoken Words

Photo by Jr Korpa on Unsplash

I know you care

That’s why you’re here

You are warm

I felt when you took me in your arm

You wanted to say

I wanted to say

Behind the art made of clay

We passed our day

It was warm outside

As the day was bright

You can’t imagine my plight

As I clenched my fists tight

With my breath slow

I rest on a pillow

Saw you glow

just like a halo

What’s in your mind

Be a little kind

Till I can’t find

You had me chined

The silence is killing

But I am willing

Because the time is ticking

Is there something missing

Oh, for the free birds

And loose herds

If only there could have been no unspoken words
Thirty Words in A Poem
By: Ana-Maria Schweitzer
Tags: One Line Poem, Chalkboard, Words, Ti̇me, One Line

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Acrostic In Motion?
By: Stuart Englander
Tags: Writing, Words, Learning, Poetry, Acrostic

Acrostic In Motion?

Photo by Harli Marten on Unsplash

Though I never thought it possible before, I

Happened to take up a challenge from two colleagues I admire. The gauntlet at first seemed far beyond my means, not in my scope of influence.

After considering what the possibilities were, I decided to put my best foot forward

Tomorrow is never promised I knew, so I’d better get to work.

Waiting on the sideline for lightning to strike is never best of plans. At least the

Attempt to try something new is why we are in this art.

Solace comes from knowing that you came to play a part. So,

Friends await your efforts, no matter the result. But,

Until you commit yourself to the trying, you’ll never fully understand

Nothing comes from not starting, so get in there and show your hand.
New Pictures
By: Patrick M. Ohana
Tags: Lust, Words, Muse, Love, Pictures

New Pictures

Pic by Jo-B on Pixabay

I asked my muse for more pictures

of her love

Her words are not enough

anymore

I’m tired of some words

They only ask for more

It never ends

Always more words

It’s great

I like words

It looks like I live through them

But I need something else

as well

I need to see more revealing pictures

Her breasts

Do they look like bouncing clouds

with two aviators near their centres

Her ass

Is it beckoning for a bite

on both sides

Her pussy

I would probably die if I see it

Another poet gone to oblivion

They’re a dime a dozen

(or is it a score)

especially on Medium

I can’t even imagine

how a muse’s pussy looks

Does it open up like a flower

Does it hide when something approaches

Does it talk in special muse words

I bet that it makes one sing

to a music from eons ago

Her feet too

Do they have little wings

when she flies to the Moon

Are there ten toes

or some unusual number

I need to see her flesh

especially for my words

of unrequited love

and lust broken to shreds

Silence is no longer a luxury

Her words and their sounds

are always required in any silence

of mine

Patrick M. Ohana
Interesting words: Deciduous
By: Peter Flom
Tags: Words, English, English Language, Vocabulary

Photo by Jeremy Thomas on Unsplash

Definition

adj.

Tending to fall off, especially seasonally or at a particular point in development of an organism.

“Having deciduous parts.’’

“Ephemeral.’’

Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deciduous. Accessed 16 Dec. 2020.

Etymology

From Latin decidere (to fall off).

Anti-thesaurus

There are many synonyms for the third sense, but I don’t think that sense is particularly interesting. I haven’t found any synonyms for the first two senses.

Usage

The interesting thing here (at least to me) is that \emph{deciduous} applies to a lot more than trees and their leaves. For example:

Humans (and many other creatures) have deciduous teeth.

Many fruit trees have deciduous fruit.

Deer have deciduous antlers.

And it can be used figuratively as well (see the example).

Examples

There is much that is deciduous in books, but all that gives them a title to rank as literature in the highest sense is perennial.

Among My Books

J. R. Lowell.

Frequency

Deciduous is about 1 in 1 million words.

— — — - — — — — — — —

This is part of a series on words. It will eventually be a book to be titled “Interesting words” which I plan to publish early next year.
the rural road
By: Patty Brown
Tags: Poem, Small Towns, Words, Rural, Poetry

i took the rural road

to the mountains

of my past

before i26 could wind me there

around the curves

without the lights

noting small communities

cities and towns

where people live

and used to work

now work is hard to come by

the landscape changed

as the road flew by

boarded up buildings

rv parks

where people live

dollar stores

every mile or two

the forgotten people

who once knew life

and what it meant

now struggle to survive

the winter cold

chilled my bones

the broken dreams

beat at my heart

the emptiness

of what once thrived

a grayish sky

laced with chimney smoke

the mountains surround me

all around

i took the narrow road

to the top

the hair pin turns

and drops

that seemed to never end

i stopped to look

from a distant view

the lights twinkling

in the dusk below

the sun setting

in a rose light glow

i shivered in the bitter cold

the silence of our spinning world

these little towns

jewels in the faraway midst

collateral in the hearts

of greedy men

who shattered glass

with just one throw

await the artist’s gentle hand

to mend the break

willing the lights back on

with a brush stroke and click

reimagine in a whim

what goes here

and what goes there

a place for people

to toast and cheer

the jewels they kept

inside their souls

fleeting across

the blackest night

with stars waiting for a wish

as they shoot across

a coal black sky

into the blue of soft white clouds

where nightmares end

and dreams begin

the universe takes

hold of its beat up ship

to a place

where tears forget

the sorrow

of their cry

who once left them

forsaken

addicted

drug infused

a lonely

and forgotten road

a tragic

somber way to die

and leave this earth

and yet

never to arrive

— patty

*****

photo@ctt956
Что такое медитация и почему вы должны ее практиковать?
By: Александр Тарасевич
Tags: Познание, Me, Words, Humanity, Meditation

in Change Your Mind Change Your Life
Fiction
By: Patrick M. Ohana
Tags: Words, Fiction, Bora Bora, Reality, Love

Fiction

Free pic from Pixy

Fiction

What a beautiful world it is

Even if someone dies, is killed, is incinerated

it’s not real, it’s fiction, not reality

unless, of course, it’s more nonfiction than fiction

and then it’s hell turned loose

I prefer fiction

Reality, I know too well

Even the good is laced with bad

And the perfect can never be found

There’s always a problem

She’s on the Moon

and travel only occurs rarely in a dream

Or there is an unsurmountable circumstance

to even entertain any closeness

Fiction can contain all that

and make it occur

No one is going to get hurt

unless, of course, they recognize themselves

in this unusual couple

It’s an insult to the word

to call them a couple

It’s almost a fiction

except that with them

the words continue to grow

the text is flowing

this fiction is continuing

through gadgets, of course

not real living words

that are wet with love

No

these words are part of the universe

no feeling

utter randomness

but according to universal laws

unless we can show otherwise

Fiction is better

I can even fly to the Moon

Take her for a spin to Mars

She loves red

I’m in love

even if I love blue

And then take a stroll near the waters of Bora Bora

knowing the years are numbered

when this heaven will disappear from the sky

Patrick M. Ohana
the key
By: Patty Brown
Tags: Words, Artist, Poetry, Keys, Second Chances

i hid a key under the mat

to my heart

near the back door

no one has ever found it

maybe

i should hang it from a tree

like an ornament

in the sunlight

shimmering gold

against the blue sky

instead of a doormat

to be walked upon

every single day

invisible to the world

waiting to be uncovered

and unlocked

broken

like gray clouds on a night sky

it is now

in the red maple

by the front door

tied with twine

dangling

golden

in the red leafy branches of time

— patty

*****

photos@unsplash
December Gratitude #1
By: Nika Paradis
Tags: Life, Words, Books, Self, Gratitude

Merriam-Webster defines gratitude as:

: the state of being grateful

: thankfulness

A quick search on the internet will yield other definitions for gratitude, all of which are similar to the one offered by Merriam-Webster.

Like many other abstract words, the meaning of the word “gratitude” is subjective in that everyone has an understanding of what it is based on their own perspective and perception.

I’ve always practiced gratitude in my own way. Ever since I was a child, I’ve always found a way to find something good in any bad situation, focus on that, and be thankful for it. I didn’t have what is considered a “happy” childhood, so appreciating things wasn’t an easy thing to do for a child, but I always managed to be grateful.

That is, however, the way I understood gratitude, which was really a constant voice in my head telling me to be thankful for what I had because things could be even worse.

That was my understanding of gratitude, that things aren’t perfect, but it’s important to appreciate everything.

A few months ago, I submitted a piece to Chris Palmore, who created an anthology titled Dear Gratitude, and my submission was accepted. I got the book as soon as it became available on Kindle and read it.

The foreword of the book, written by Thomas Koulopoulos, made me see gratitude in a whole new light. A few pages later, in the chapter Giving Gratitude, I read a definition of gratitude that completely altered the way I understood, used, and practiced it.

I learned something new from every page of this book, including the pages in the acknowledgement section of the book, which is beautifully titled “gratitude checklist.” Dear Gratitude is an anthology, so it is written by many people and offers various perspectives, each worth reflecting upon.

Have you ever really reflected on the meaning of gratitude?
Thanks, I think feelings & words are better than accumulating materialistic things at this stage of…
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Words

Thanks, I think feelings & words are better than accumulating materialistic things at this stage of one’s life.
This Year 2020.
By: Seethal Jayasankar
Tags: Poem, Authenticity, Words, Change, Heal

Image by Larisa Koshkina from Pixabay

This year 2020.

What can I say about you?

People say you destroyed their Life, and You did.

People say it was their worst year, and Yes, it was.

For me, you were the lightning bolt that shook me up.

You forced me to stay indoors.

You forced me to think about my Life Choices.

You forced me to revisit my past.

You questioned my family structure.

You broke the silence among long-lost friends.

You created silence where it was necessary.

You forced me to listen to my body.

You looked me in the eye and said, “Is this how you want to live your one true Life?”

And worst of all, you forced me to Rest.

The rest was just a disguise.

A disguise for Personal Accountability.

A disguise for the promise I made to myself in January, “I will be Authentic,” and never took actions.

A disguise that turned a silent whisper into a blaring noise, demanding to be heard.

Shocked! I just sat there looking.

There it was. Stark Naked.

The things that were ingrained into my mind and the things that were never taught. The stories that I kept telling myself.

I sat there looking. Questions rising. Contemplating.

Shame, fear, empathy, compassion, regret, gratitude, anger, peace, love- All emotions rose up, churned into one giant ball of mess.

2020 said, “There you go. I showed you the truth. Now sort it out. This is all you have to do this year.”

It was tough, I tell you.

Somedays, I wanted to shout at you.

Somedays, I was so heartbroken and frustrated that I wanted to run back to my cave.

The cave was safe and never asked for answers. It helped me live a convincing lie.

Unlike the frostbiting cold of reality, the cave was warm. It never asked for actions.

The cave said- keep buying things, keep watching TV, keep scrolling through social media, keep creating noise, keep running away, keep doing mundane tasks that didn’t make you think anymore, keep pleasing people. Distract, distract, distract.

It was so easy to distract before you came along, 2020.

The distractions didn’t interest me anymore.

Life seemed much more significant than those distractions.

Without even realizing it, I was transforming.

As painful as it was, I was healing.

Am I grateful, you ask?

I can’t even answer that question without tears rolling down my eyes.

I fall to my knees to thank you. To surrender. To let go of what I held. The things that were burning my soul to it’s core.

Thank you for helping me open my eyes.

Thank you for pushing me to the boundaries that I never thought existed.

Thank you for teaching me, for calming me down, and for healing me and my relationships.

Thank you for the new Life.

As you leave, I ask you, Why did you do this? Why now? You came for a purpose; I know that. For whatever it was, for whoever you are, I bow down before you and Thank you.
I like the new words that you have written about
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Words

3 New Words We Need in the English Language After 2020

121 1
Anxiety
By: Katelynn May
Tags: Thoughts, Life, Words, Thoughts And Feelings, Anxiety

I just can’t see an end in sight. Is there a day where I won’t feel like I’m stuck in the tiniest room on earth?

I’m just tired of feeling like every day is a hurdle over something I have to tell myself not to panic about or questioning if there is something wrong with me, is it really just me? Am I alone in this? Do I need more zinc? Can I fix it with one mineral? Will I feel like this tomorrow or will tomorrow be a “good” day for me? A hurdle over something uncomfortable, something tiny that feels big, something big that I make small, something I won’t want to remember but will never forget. A hurdle over entire people, entire rooms, entire events. Will I find myself between hurdles? Will I fall and miss the hurdle one day and crack wide open? Will I fail and will I be able to get up again and how long will it take?

How do I fix myself? Is the first question I ask myself in the morning and the last one I fall asleep too. And I’m tired of not knowing the answer.
New Words!
By: Julia Gorozhankina
Tags: English Learning, English, English Language, Words

Hello! I’ve recently learned new words and want to share them with you. Let’s start!

distinguishable — different or separate from other things or people in a way that is easy to notice or understand

Education levels in Africa and Europe are very distinguishable.

formerly — in the past

He was formerly a biathlete and a member of the Russian national team, but now he is a coach.

a meadow — a field with grass and often wild flowers in it

Sheep graze in a meadow under the watchful eye of a watchdog.

to exceed — to be greater than a number or amount

In Antarctica, temperatures exceeding all normal usual parameters began to be noticed more and more often.

affiliation — a connection with a political party or religion, or with a larger organization

Each person has the right to determine his own religious affiliation or to refrain from it.

an ibex — a type of wild mountain goat

The ibex can jump on the most steep mountains and not fall.

a badger — an animal with short legs, wide feet with long claws, and strong jaws, that lives underground and comes out to feed at night

Badgers inhabit almost all of Europe (except for the northern regions of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Finland), the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, and a small part of Western Asia.

Enjoy learning English!
I am sure Tree Langdon will add it to the dictionary of new words dear janny’s heart ❤️ Looking for…
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Words

I am sure Tree Langdon will add it to the dictionary of new words dear janny’s heart ❤️ Looking for new words too😄
Make the World a Better Place With Your Words
By: Antony Henao
Tags: Life, Words, Life Lessons, Positivity, Positive Thinking

On negativity

I recently realized I’m a negative person. I don’t think I am. I even consider myself an optimist. But, that’s not how other people usually perceive me sometimes. Now, I know that their perception of me is affected by my words.

I’m guilty of getting caught in my vision of how things should be done. When I see something that is not done the way I think it should be done, I just criticize it and complain about it.

If you don’t relate to me, I might look now like a crazy person to you. But, trust me, I’m not. I’m just a random person trying to do some good.

I’ve realized by trying to do things “right”, i.e., the way I think they should be done, I do quite the opposite sometimes. I think we all fall into this trap due to our ego. As result, we put out into the world some negativity that does any good.

According to Jay Shetty, some forms of how we put negativity into the world is through complaining and criticism.

Guess what? complaining and criticism are powered by our words.

We usually say to ourselves we are trying to do things better. Or that our critique is “constructive”. At least, I think that’s what the ego tells us and we believe it. So, we keep doing it.

I don’t remember a single time when I was complaining about something and that person got inspired by my critic or complaint. In fact, I don’t usually get inspired by people who are criticizing me or people who are complaining about everything.

That’s when I realized I was using my words in the wrong way. Instead of inspiring people with my words, I was just putting negativity into them.

Also, I realized this is the same thing we do to ourselves. We are constantly giving ourselves self-loathing speeches and criticizing how we are. This is how we put negativity into ourselves.

I firmly believe what you give to yourself is what you offer to others. That’s why I decided to start approaching words differently. Instead of using them to put negativity into the world, I’m trying to use them to make the world a better place by inspiring other people.

And…You should try it! It’s really simple.
言葉 — Words. The word is something complex that’s…
By: Noor Adn
Tags: Life, Words, Philosophy, Goals, Japanese

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash

Word (言葉 /kotoba/) is something complex that’s made or intended to understand someone for something. Words can take many forms. It can be in the form of a noun, adjective, verb, adverb, or anything else. Words when coupled with siblings can change into a sentence. The sentences that are arranged can be understood and digested by the mind. We can do an experiment in terms of composing words.

We can also determine a person’s character by looking at the behavior and the words that come out of his mouth, even though this technique is not totally absolute. We can influence someone by using words. Because sometimes, the word can contain a meaning that cannot be reflected in the life of the world.

Words are quite urgent & have a quite crucial role in terms of media. The choice of words or what we call “diction” is can be customized or adjusted according to and according to the creator’s heart. However, if the word is misused (especially in media publications), the whole world feels the same negative impact.

The word also is very important in the digital world. It because most & most computers, be it server computers, or computers that we currently hold in our hands. The word is often used as a syntax/command as an instruction to execute a command. Besides that, it is also used as an identity to represent a group of other codes.

The word itself consists of 4 letters, which actually have a deep and memorable meaning. We can all interpret it however we want. Some serve as “keywords”, by which it can remind a person of both good and bad memories of his life. Whether it’s when he gets hundreds of pieces of precious metal, when he becomes king or queen on his wedding day, or when he loses someone who means something in his life.

Sometimes words seem to have no meaning that sticks in the chest. It was as if nonsense was brought up to just say the word. I don’t really mean it, but sometimes I may get worried because I’m worried that those words will become less valuable, even a source of disaster.

The word is not something abstract, but that does not mean it cannot be sensed. The resulting impact also varies according to the level/index of one’s understanding of it. But I’ve never been afraid of a word. A word contains happiness, serenity. As if the world was nothing. Everything I want is there.

Yes, you are right. It is heaven, a place of death for His servants who believe, provided by Allah Azza Wa Jalla. Hopefully, we can gather together again there. See you …
winter sky
By: Patty Brown
Tags: 2020, Words, Artist, Christmas, Poetry

i don’t feel christmas

i listened to its songs

almost all day long

as lovely as they are

i felt no magic

no anticipation

in a way

it all feels empty

the past year has drained

the very best of me

i am flowing ahead

i left christmas behind

in the twinkle of a tree

i saw in a magazine

maybe on the eve

of christmas day

i will step outside

gaze at the stars

wish joy to them all

to those above

and those below

merry christmas

as i try to unravel

a daunting year

hold back the tears

of a much deserved cry

i will stand

under a star laden

winter night sky

it will decorate

the loneliest hearts

the philosophy

of our reasons why

i will think to myself

in the heartbreak

of the world

the fragments of each of us

miracles of stardust

really

can you tell me

please

what is wrong with us

— patty

*****

photo@unsplash
The Last Words of Military and Revolutionary Leaders
By: Reuben Salsa
Tags: Words, Death, Salsa, History, War

HISTORY

The Last Words of Military and Revolutionary Leaders

Photo by Bogdan Kupriets on Unsplash

Accused of espionage and subversion, Policarpa ‘La Pola’ Salavarrieta turned to face the Spanish firing squad. There was to be no fatal shot in the back, as was customary for traitors of the crown. Instead, La Pola, with her dying words, inspired her fellow Colombians to break free from Spanish oppression and rise up in revolution. She shouted:

“Although I am a woman and young, I have more than enough courage to suffer this death and a thousand more!”

The dying are rarely as brave as La Pola of Colombia. It’s not often they get an opportunity to speak their final words. Here are five of my favorite quotes attributed to the fatally wounded or the soon-to-be-executed.
I’m just gonna say it: my brother wrote “Groundhog Day”
By: M. H. Rubin
Tags: Words, Birthday, Movies, Family, Screenwriting

When the film released on his birthday in 1993, I felt the perfect birthday present would be to take my huge 1980s-VHS camcorder down to the Hollywood Cineramadome, where the film was opening, and interview people coming out of the theater about the experience. I cut it together as best I could and gave it to him as a gift:

Danny’s birthday video, 1993

A few years later, as technology evolved and the web was invented, something else happened: the term “groundhog day” started getting used outside of the reference to the holiday. My roommate in college, Gregory K., used to quip that the real sign of success in life was being the answer to a New York Times crossword puzzle. Danny was crushing it.

My family took endless joy watching the expression get said on TV and online, a constant source of amusement. Of course, the term is actually quite bleak. It’s used to describe an eternal hell. It was bittersweet that term found a home in despair. The Iraq war saw the term get appropriated for the soldiers, and politicians began using it to make their points.

For my brother’s birthday (again) in 2010 I made a new video, aggregating the use of this term when I found it.

I made this as much for our dad as I did for my brother, 2010

I was running out of Groundhog Day gift ideas, feeling like I had pretty much covered my bases here. But when he mentioned that he wanted to write a book answering all the questions everyone had about the story, and have a text he could use to teach screenwriting, I volunteered to help.

I had just converted my book Droidmaker into an eBook, and felt that if he wanted the same, I’d make him a book too. So for his birthday in 2012 I published “How to Write Groundhog Day” — and co-designed a super cool cover. The book contains the original screenplay and he explains how it moved from idea, to script, to movie, with endless hyperlinks and fun facts. I have a favorite fact: after the film released Danny got letters from a range of spiritual leaders around the world, each explaining how they felt the film poignantly described aspects of their belief— Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Existentialists…
The Vowels Have It
By: Lisa Bolin
Tags: Creativity, Poetry Writing, Words, Poetry, Poetry On Medium

What an interesting journey this has been!

I certainly took my time exploring, dipping in and out of these poems over the past few months. It’s not as simple and straightforward as it sounds, creating poetry with words using a particular vowel. It demands focus, creativity, time…

I first read about Lucy’s experience in writing these poems back in October. I can’t remember when I actually started writing myself — perhaps the very same day? Yet it has taken until now for me to finish and publish. I think this sums up my year! Taking time to finish things…starting things, stopping, going back to them, working a little bit, leaving it, coming back.

Creatively, perhaps like for many, my year has seen fits and starts of activity. I write and write then stop. I wait. I read. I come back to the pieces, write and edit some more. The intense creative output I had in November last year has just never been repeated!

Which vowel was the most difficult? U. Definitely!

Which was the easiest? A

Did I enjoy the process? Yes, indeed!

Was it challenging? It certainly was

Maybe you could give it a go!
Switzerland
By: Lyubov Obsholova
Tags: Switzerland, Vocabulary, Words, Topics, Definition

One for all, all for one — that is the motto.

New vocab from the new topic!

landlocked

surrounded by other countries and having no coast.

Switzerland is a small landlocked nation.

sparcely

with only a small number or amount of people of things.

There are sparcely populated villages in the nord region.

extinction

a situation in which something no longer exists.

A large fraction of species will be committed to extinction.

Species

a set of animals of plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other or can breed with each other.

Some speices can be found only in Africa.

desiduous

a deciduous tree loses its leaves in fall and grows new ones in the spring.

I’ve been to the deciduous forests of Belarus.

artificial

made by people, often as a copy of something natural.

The arfificial turf is often used in soccer fields.

abundance

the situation in which there is more than enough of something.

Abundance is opposed to scarcity.

Thank u for attention:-)
Is it better to hope or to expect?
By: Shad Ali
Tags: Expectations, Stress, Words, Hope, Confused

Hope and expectation might look like words that have the same meaning.

Well…

No!

But people use it interchangeably.

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Defining hope and expectation (since I made you doubt yourself!)

Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay

Hope is a desire to wish for something to happen in the future. Hope implies that it is not under an individual’s control. There is no place for will power as there is a trust in fate attached to the word hope.

Image by BedexpStock from Pixabay

Expectation is a belief that a particular outcome is anticipated. Expectation has more to do with logic. We tend to think we can force a desired expectation to happen. So, it’s more hands on.

To hope is better than to expect

Being hopeful considers that the future is uncertain but this moment you want to say that you have a positive outlook for the future. When you hope, you are deciding that it is probable. It is what you hope for the world that you want for the world and work towards.

Whereas expectation assumes based on your limited understanding of the world that a particular outcome is the most probable. When you expect, your ego can take the driver seat and decide that you will do anything in your power to make the expectation a reality. Expectation is simply a belief. It is an assumption. When it turns out to be untrue, like any other strongly held expectation, it always leads to a negative experience.

So when in doubt, this is how you can know (if you are still confused!)

When you let go, there is hope. It frees you. When you hold on and stress yourself you are expecting, which is just a false belief. It restricts you.
Organized Notes
Tags: Study, Ms Word, Aesthetics, Words

Organized notes mean something different for everyone, for some its just that they can read the notes and that it is easier to study, or for some its that they have 100.000 colours.

For me, it means that you can study properly and that the notes still look good.
Analog Soul — Live From The Chronograph
Tags: Turntables, Words, Music, Poetry, Chronograph

Analog Soul — Live From The Chronograph

Stretch & Bobbito — courtesy of Dan Lish

All the poets & the part-time singers always hang inside

Along with the microphone fiends

& spoken wordsmiths

Who usually congregate on the corner of the Neworld Cipher

But on this Saturday night

Are transmitting live

From the Chronograph, Uptown, where overground meets

Underground. & the deejays play till dawn,

Airing their motto:

Time Marches On –

To a sanctuary of bassheads & beatfreaks who interface

With the bass of soul vibrations

Happening everywhere,

Even down here on the ground where wonders & signs

Speak like a child. where consciousness

Is its own revival

& “the only preacher is a poet,” conversing with the collective

Conscience of the universe with words

Born to speak rivers

As Sonia would say…

Remembering what we have learned from history

& all that the world has since forgot

So as not to repeat it, but

Instead be it as we evolve into an everlasting song

Colored by the indigenous magic

Of our own thoughts

& reflections. never forgetting that our greatest

Weapons will always be our words

But actions always speak louder.

2020 MDSHall
Words are Important
By: Arthur Keith
Tags: Advertising, Writing, Words Matter, Words, Writing Tips

Our advertising copywriting class met Mondays from 1–5 pm. These were excruciating hours, and “Book” (we were okayed to call him that), spoke unabated about the English language, and how we didn’t know anything. If he said a word during his discourse that he figured no one would know, he would call on someone, anyone, and ask them to define the word. If that person did not know, it was to be reported back to the class the next week.

My vocabulary still needs work, but I do remember he was really into “P” words, Particularly Pedantic, Pedestrian, and Plebian, which all equaled mediocrity to him.

Before death by PowerPoint, we had intriguing professors. What I liked about Book was, advertising and copywriting and life were all rolled up into one big bundle of experiences. We longed to be in the lives of the best home situations. Slice-of-Life commercials showed us how much better our lives might be by using certain products. (Got “Houseatosis? Get Glade!)

Book would, in all honesty, tell us why most of our work was shit, how it wasn’t memorable, or showed no benefit for using the product we would be working on. One week the product to sell was Dannon Yogurt. Book’s prized student came up with the masterful, “This cup of Dannon Yogurt has 126 calories — only 2 of them are from fat”, by just reading the nutrition label. Brilliant.
An Anaphora For Ya
Tags: Bow, Words, Anaphora, Poetry, Homonyms

creative bombs sung as letters from my thumb
Part 3 “Ikhlaskan”
Tags: Poem, Katakata, Words, Sajak, Hurt

Think, Pray, and Make it try.
monsters
By: Patty Brown
Tags: Monsters, Humans, Words, Artist, Poetry

monsters walk with us

they appear normal enough

but look again

beyond the facade

we must always wonder

which side of hell

did they wake up on

there is no love in their bones

just an angry flow

of all they want you to know

a passive aggressive duet

sabotaging everything that matters

so low

solo

they can look down their long nose

strike an innocent pose

and hand you carnations

tell you it’s a rose

but you know

monsters are color blind

and could never make a garden grow

monsters make happiness hard to find

plus it might cost a dime

one they have already spent

you must know

seven years ago

maybe ten

the cost of misery

of the most tragic kind

monsters live here

walk beside us

fear the spite

hold tight

to what you love

dear friend

all that feels

in your heart

to be

a halo

of right

solo

— -patty

*****

photo@unsplash
A Few “C” Words
By: Nika Paradis
Tags: Writing, Words, Word Choice, Self, Education

canvas/canvass

Canvas is a noun meaning fabric.

Canvass is a verb meaning to solicit.

…

chafe/chaff

Chafe is a verb meaning to irritate or to make sore by rubbing.

Chaff is a verb meaning to tease.

…

chord/cord

Chord is a noun meaning a group of musical notes or a noun referring to a type of arc in geometry.

Cord is a noun meaning a length of rope or any material made of twisted strands.

…

complacent/complaisant

Complacent is an adjective meaning content or self-satisfied or pleasing to oneself.

Complaisant is an adjective meaning cheerfully obliging or pleasing to others.

…

Thanks for reading.
someone said suffering is beautiful
By: Sara Agata
Tags: Poem, Words, Artist, Art, Beauty

Matthew Wong, Distance (2016)

When you suffer, you only look at things through suffering, that is the fact.

That is also your lens, and your filter.

Something intense - beautiful or terrifying…

Something that makes people more distant,

specially when they hug you.

We tend to get away from it, but for most, it is the only time to fully feel — alive.
The Missing Notes
By: Moni Vazquez
Tags: Blue Insights, Words, Music, Silence, Poetry

The body though,

unable to hide it

talks.

The words

of the unsaid.

The never uttered notes.

It speaks of silence

the body, the eye, the breath,

the fingernail

tipping on the desk.
Word Paint. Paintings are just thoughts created in…
By: Victoria Forest
Tags: Mindfulness, Words, Art, Inspiration, Photography

Word Paint

© victoria forest

Paintings are just thoughts created in a variety of dialects.

Sculptures are just imprisoned ideas taking on physical form.

Words are random graphics meant to move your soul.

Photography stops time.

Is this piece too heavy? Weighted for you?

No- keep going, stay with me here. I got you.

With all of the hiding from the virus, the world, we go into our own closets of self expression and self doubt/fear. Are we creating more?

Is this The New Renaissance?

© victoria forest

Think of the power of the physical raging storm that brings us indoors for safety. Now envision the invisible hurricane of lies, oppression and hate spread like blood rain, never ceasing, over all of your mental health.

Does this madness bring us inside ourselves?

Art endures. Expression is the culture and heartbeat of America.

Words survive like the Phoenix rising. Words are art forms creativity placed to illuminate those who take time to read.

The gravity of this transends time. Can you hear me? These words I type have a voice. Loud to some, inexplicable to many.

We are living history.

© victoria forest

Are we during these incredible times being moved to spiritually awaken our inner madness, weirdness and creativity to give a new voice to the universe?

The New Renaissance.

Word Paint.

No…I am not high. Just Raw at 2 am.

victoria — (lower case this morning)
I would read thousands articles like this, I so much enjoy neologisms and linguistic research.
Tags: Words, Pop Culture, Linguistics, Covid Diaries

I would read thousands articles like this, I so much enjoy neologisms and linguistic research. I personally love all the terms and idioms that came out of Zoom or of the praxis of social events happening online. In Italian we got aperivideo which substituted aperitivo (happy hour turned into an happy videoconference). Another really cool thing are the words that became of common usage during the pandemics and got to be part of humor idioms. For instance, in the first Italian lockdown people were obliged to stay at home — leaving was punished as a crime. If you needed to move, you had to fill out a form, declaring you were moving for reasons the government enacted as justifications. After that period people got used to say stuff like “Do you have a self-certification?” whenever someone is explaining something utterly complex, implying that you need to see if they are “authorized” to do that. I love how the words you hear everyday on mass media get to be a part of pop culture.

Thank you for sharing, I’ll follow to know the work of the year!