It's National Dictionary Day!

Well I missed all but one hour of National Grouch Day which was yesterday, October 15th. The Ms. Crankypants in me wallowed in the "Vat of Crabbiness" for sixty blissful minutes.

But today is a new day and it just so happens to be yet another holiday - National Dictionary Day

National Dictionary Day is celebrated every October 16th which just happens to be the birth date of Noah Webster who was born in 1758.

Ah! Yes I can hear you asking, "How does one celebrate National Dictionary Day?" Well I have done a little research and it seems that there are really no rules. Some authorities recommend roaming around aimlessly with little party hats and noisemakers that should be blown at the first sign of a misspelling, improper use of a contraction, or other grammatical error. Others suggest you can have a good time by carrying a little red pen around with you to make on-the-spot corrections to various things when necessary.

I plan on keeping it simple - I am going to play Scrabble and use lots of big words. I have prepared a list of words that I will attempt to work into conversation throughout the day

ABSQUATULATE: v, To depart in a hurry

FLOCCINAUCINIHILPILIFICATION: n, an act or instance of judging something to be worthless or trivial

GLOSSOLALIA: n, Fabricated and meaningless speech, usually associated with a trance state or certain schizophrenic syndromes

GALLIGASKINS: n, wide and very loose trousers

BATRACHOPHAGOUS - one who eats frogs

PANDICULATION - stretching and yawning before going to bed or when waking

ULOTRICHOUS - having very woolly hair

IGNIVOMOUS: adj, vomiting fire

SESQUIPEDALIAN: n, a very long word

TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA: n, an abnormal fear of the number 13

USUFRUCTUARY: n, a person who has the use of and enjoyment of something, especially property, that belongs to another

NIHILARTIKEL: n, a deliberately erroneous entry in a dictionary or other reference book