The word for today

Facebook means that now I can get little updates from virtual strangers, usually written as if everyone reading was intimately familiar with the details of their current lives.

“Oh, that’s just a regular night at Spolmans.”
“Can’t believe what Jilby did on this week’s panel! : P”
“I am sooo excited about the start of DFWBSE! This year it’s understanding!”

It was that last one that got me. What the hell is DFWBSE?1 And what does it understand now that it couldn’t grasp in 2008? Google, the first and last refuge of a scoundrel who wants to seem knowledgeable, only confused the issue…But finally my search brought me to the Illustrated Dictionary of Vexillogical Terms.

First off, “vexillology” is a great word. The start of the word gives you a little combo of lip and throat sounds to make it serious2, but finishing off with “la-lo-jee” gives it a playful turn. It could theoretically be worth 284 points in scrabble. And the meaning isn’t too bad either:
vexillology – the study of flags.

And how does the Illustrated dictionary of vexillology define a flag?

An opaque object, usually flexible and made of cloth, displayed for the purpose of identifying a country, political subdivision, military or other organization, individual, or to convey a message. Flags consist in material, shape, color, and design. Flags are products of the human condition, with symbolic meaning ascribed to them by their makers.
(italics mine)

It strikes me that whatever DFWBSE really involves, it probably won’t bring up anything that activates my mind as profoundly as that.

  1. Okay, I have to admit, the acronym in question wasn’t really for the Dallas Fort Worth Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathics. But it made almost as little sense.
  2. Think of some v-words: vibrant, vivacious, violin, victory, virile, love, live. V sounds are sexy. They’re voiced labio-dental fricatives, which means you have to use your lips and your teeth and your larynx together, to make a sound that buzzes and vibrates across one of the most sensitive parts of your face.

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2 Responses to “The word for today”

  1. lane Says:
    October 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm

    Hey Sam

    I can’t think of any sensible comment re status updates. Really I am saying hi because I Just had a listen of that session we recorded in the park, back when it was still summer. I like the trains in the background, and I like the pub noise, where did you get that? Thanks again, hope to see you soon,
    Lane

  2. Samuel Says:
    October 31st, 2009 at 5:40 pm

    Yeah, it would be good to catch up soon. These last couple months have not been so cool on this end.

    Glad you liked the recording. I’d like to say the pub noises were recorded in a pub, but I’ll have to be honest and say they came from a sound effects collection I keep for making audio recordings and such. Please don’t tell anyone though, that’s a pretty dorky thing to admit…

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