Sometimes a certain word pops into my mind for no discernible reason. Yesterday it was Taliesin. That’s the name of a 6th-century Welsh poet, not that I’m familiar with his work, or life, or anything but his name. I like the sound of it. My tongue dances in my mouth when I speak it. So I’ll say it now—“Taliesin.” Say it with me, and if you don’t know how to pronounce it click here, only say it livelier than he does. Taliesin!
Anyway, I started thinking about two other names I love to say: Tatiana and Tataouine (or Tatooine, if you’re a Star Wars fan). Love that “t” sound, obviously, as well as the common ending of words such as delicious, luscious, deciduous, and luminous.
Then I listed other words that feel lovely in my mouth and to my ear like evanescence, soliloquy, arpeggio, and oubliette. Of course, the sound of oubliette is much more pleasant than its meaning.
Sometimes I love to say a word, not because it’s beautiful, but because it makes me smile—pickle. Now really, don’t you think there’s a built-in smile in that word?
Or I like a word because, when you say it just so, it leaves no doubt what you mean. Despicable—give them the steely eye and accent that middle syllable!
I wish I’d kept a list, adding words to it when they delighted me for whatever reason. Now, I’m wondering if I’ve ever used any of these words in my writing—delicious may be the only one. Hmmm.
So tell me; tell me, please: What words do you love to say?
Linda Cassidy Lewis 
Plethora! Plethora has never failed to delight me when I’ve come across it, and it’s the first word that always pops into my head whenever anyone presents a question like this.
It’s also ironic, because I know that there is a plethora of other words I adore, but this is the only one I can ever think of when proposed with the task of coming up with them.
I’m also ironically inclined to greatly enjoy the word “anathema” as well…
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Evidently you like the “th” sound, L.S. Of course you get a double consonant chunk with plethora. Thanks for playing along with me today. 🙂
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I love the word decadent – it simply rolls off the tongue and quite simply makes your thoughts fly to decadent things…
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Thank you for reading and commenting, Anonymous. 🙂 I wonder if some of our word preferences are more because of what we’ve associated with the word than how it sounds.
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I too love soliloquy and yes pickles delights me too, but among the many that I love are filch and heartwarming. They both make me smile although I don’t think I have ever used the word filched in any writing.
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I didn’t think of it at the time, Judith, but do you suppose pickle makes us smile because it rhymes with tickle? 🙂 Filch is a word I haven’t come across in a while, maybe it’s too old-fashioned—and now I want to use it. 🙂
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I can’t say there is a certain word or words I love but you have given me a couple of new words to use. I think I will find a place in my WIP where I can use despicable. In fact I know where it will be used! Thanks!!
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You’re welcome, Darlene. I don’t know if I’ve ever used despicable in writing, but I’ve used it in speech for sure. 😉
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Just added despicable and it works wonderfully! Thanks.
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🙂
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