Friday, October 27, 2006

Your Word Against Mine

My coworker, History Buff, decided that we all needed to have words that best defined us stand as a sort of calling card. We went about the work of carefully selecting the perfect word for each of us. I will now expound the words we selected and some evidence to expain our decisions.

History Buff is GARRULOUS

gar‧ru‧lous  /ˈgærələs, ˈgæryə-/ –adjective

1. given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity : pointlessly or annoyingly talkative

When were all in a class together for work, the teacher began to tell a story about George Washington that was very incidental to the topic of the lecture. History Buff raised her hand and began to explain why the story he was telling was wrong and how it should be told. She reaised her hand three times, thus increasing the length and importance of the story from short and peripheral to long and central. I just put my head on the desk and giggled softly. Also, see any post involving History Buff.

Limon is FACETIOUS

fa‧ce‧tious  /fəˈsiʃəs/ –adjective

1. not meant to be taken seriously or literally: a facetious remark.
2. amusing; humorous.
3. lacking serious intent; concerned with something nonessential, amusing, or frivolous: a facetious person.

Years ago, a new employee came by my desk to use the phone to make a personal call. I told him that personal calls were not appropriate on company time and that it had better be an emergency. Five months later he told me he hated me. Also, see any post involving anything.

Math Whiz is DUPLICITOUS

du‧plic‧i‧tous  /duˈplɪsɪtəs, dyu-/ –adjective

marked by deliberate deceptiveness especially by pretending one set of feelings and acting under the influence of another; "she was a deceitful scheming little thing"- Israel Zangwill; "a double-dealing double agent"; "a double-faced infernal traitor and schemer"- W.M.Thackeray [syn: ambidextrous, deceitful, double-dealing, Janus-faced, two-faced, double-faced, double-tongued]

This one was chosen by garrulous History Buff because whenever duplicitous Math Whiz and she were alone at work, he was kind and considerate. But whenever facetious ol' Limon came around, Math Whiz became mean and sarcastic, rolling his eyes and mocking everything she said. So even though I did all those things all the time, she still liked me better because I was consistent. Consistently facetiously mean, but consistent, nonetheless.

Science Queen is TRENCHANT

trench‧ant  /ˈtrɛntʃənt/ –adjective
1. incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit.

Science Queen has a particular way of cutting right to the heart of any situation, even if that heart stops beating for a moment in the process. Once a friend of hers from another department came back to visit.

SQ: Wow! Those are really ugly shoes!

BFF: Oh, well, I just thought they were, you know, one of those things that are ugly but you just have to buy them.

SQ: Um, okay. Whoa! You have really big feet! What size shoe do you wear?

BFF: 6.

SQ: Oh, that's not too big. It must just be those shoes.

Another time was when we were helping a guy with a brain tumor. After he left we were discussing the fact that he obviously had a crush on her.

SQ: I told him I was married and he asked if he could ask out my sister.

Limon: Did you say yes?

SQ: Of course not. Like I want him to date my sister. Hello! You're dying!

It must be stated that we all like Science Queen quite a bit and she really just speaks her mind, which is quite refreshing. And, trenchant as she is, she is usually right.

So what is your word, and how did you arrive at that decision? Are you lethargic or acrimonious? trepidatious or callipygian?