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Yesterday I was outside when the twilight descended, far away from the world's lights, alone within the solitude of a nameless nowhere... and what did I see?
From the eaves of a grove of pine trees (or were they firs?) I saw the stark silhouette of a bird of prey hovering low above a field, flapping its wings with looming promise. As I was trying to fathom what species it was (probably a kestrel), it swooped like a dive-bomber into a clump of long grass. Moments later it emerged and flew away with sharp speed over and to the left of where I stood. I struggled to ascertain whether there was a doomed little beastie clasped in its jowls, but to witness the antics of this feathered wonder at close quarters made for a special moment.
As the dusk deepened I wandered along a winding path which led my exploring boots to a sodden meadow, at the heart of which was a large pool, and in the gathering gloom my eyes fell on a most peculiar sight: seated around the pool's periphery was a ring of gnomes in dark-green attire watching a stripteasing slyph.
What in the name of the scurrying squirrel is this? I thought, my mind becoming a blurry pit of tangled fascination with every passing second. An enchanted silence fell on the surrounding landscape, with me like a ghostly scarecrow standing perfectly still as if embedded in the earth.
As I watched the slyph sway gently with arms outstretched like some fey belly dancer, my ears picked up the faint melody of what sounded like tinkling bells.
Doubt crept in.
I rubbed my eyes with the tops of my forefingers in that classic disbelieving way, then, after much blinking, refocused once again on the pool...
Huh, what a fool. I quickly came to the realization that the fading light was playing tricks on me. If that crow perched on that nearby branch knew of my delusion, he would've been cackling like a rambunctious magpie.
There were no lascivious little people, no scantly-clad water spirit - of course there wasn't! Encircling the large pool was nothing else but shrubs, thorns and herbage, and protruding from the water was just the gnarled remains of a fallen tree. Gnomes and a dancing slyph indeed. But what was I saying about the magical, dream-like quality of dusk? It can have the effect of masking normality and conjuring mirages to entertain the eyes of the wayward adventurer.
The bird of prey was real, mind - or at least I think it was...
> Paradox: wrote:
> wondermonger
>
> Surely a hyphonated term?
>
> It's in an old dictionary I have (19th century): someone who peddles
> deceiving fantasies (or something like that).
I like the word greatly, I think I may go ahead and write a story about a wonder-mongerer (yes, hyponated)
> snofari
>
> I couldn't find a meaning to this word; I assume you're making them
> up to look clever!
>
> It's in the "Book of Intriguing Words" by Paul Hellweg
> (real book): an expedition into a cold, snowy region (the opposite of
> safari).
That makes quite a lot of sense actually; given the assumption that the "sa" prefix of "safari" stands for 'savannah' or something; thus deducing that the "sno" of "snofari" is short for 'snow'.
*is overly analytical*
> wondermonger
>
> Surely a hyphonated term?
It's in an old dictionary I have (19th century): someone who peddles deceiving fantasies (or something like that).
> snofari
>
> I couldn't find a meaning to this word; I assume you're making them
> up to look clever!
It's in the "Book of Intriguing Words" by Paul Hellweg (real book): an expedition into a cold, snowy region (the opposite of safari).
Sadly under used.
> gimcrackery,
Extravogant but of no plausible function, much like the word itself, I beleive.
> wondermonger
Surely a hyphonated term?
> snofari
I couldn't find a meaning to this word; I assume you're making them up to look clever!
> I looked it up a few seconds after you orignally posted it.
>
> *ashamed*
Thats why you should look up the word first, save you looking like a knobber.
As for words, I always think there's a fine line between being nicely extravagant and going over the top and sounding like a walking thesaurus. Having said that, a good thesaurus is a godsend - discovering words like gimcrackery, wondermonger and snofari. I love words.
*ashamed*