Espy /əˈspī,eˈspī/ verb to see (at a distance), to catch sight of At last, having seen the Parsee carnival wind away in the distance, he was turning his steps towards the station, when he happened to espy the splendid pagoda on Malabar Hill, and was seized with an irresistible desire to see its interior. - from Around the World in 80 Days, by Jules... Read More

Brusque /brəsk/ adjective rough and short in manner, blunt Even the sky a hybrid — here clean and black and starred, there roiling with a brusque signature of cloud or piled in strata like folded linen or the interior of rock. – Stanley Elkin (1930 – 1995)

Bagpipe /ˈbaɡˌpīp/ noun an instrument that creates sound as air is squeezed through reed pipes from a bag beneath the player’s arm The music of the bagpipes is a call to the soul, a reminder of our connection to the land and our ancestors. – Author unknown

Skillet /ˈskilət/ noun a small metal pan with a handle, a frying pan Cooking with a cast iron skillet is great because it can also be used for presentation! – Rachel Hollis (1983 – )

Apoplectic /ˌapəˈplektik/ adjective extremely angry, furious Anger would’ve been the justified response, and for a time in private, I was certainly apoplectic…but as life has taught me more than once, resentment corrodes the veins of the person who carries it. – from Just as I Am, by Cicely Tyson (1924 – 2021)

Chrysanthemum /kriˈsanTHəməm/ noun a flowering plant in the daisy family that is often used ornamentally A chrysanthemum by any other name would be a lot easier to spell. – Robert C. Savage (1914 – 1987)

Apothegm /ˈapəˌTHem/ noun a pithy, compact saying, a proverb An apothegm refers to a short pithy saying or proverb, so some examples of apothegm quotes could be: ‘A stitch in time saves nine’, Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise’, The pen is mightier than the sword’, or ‘Knowledge is power’. – Anonymous

Tuatara /ˌto͞oəˈtärə/ noun a unique species of reptile native to New Zealand with spines along its back A tuatara’s average life span is about 60 years, but they can live up to 100 years. – New Zealand Department of Conservation

Universal /ˌyo͞onəˈvərs(ə)l/ adjective affecting or understood by all within a particular group That is part of the beauty of all literature…you discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. – F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896 – 1940)

Pajamas /pəˈjäməz/ noun loose fitting clothes that are worn to bed When I was in fourth grade, a novelist came to talk to my English class…she told us that being an author meant sitting at the kitchen table in pajamas, drinking tea with the dogs at your feet. – J. Courtney Sullivan (1981 – )