Life-Sized Word Search #3

You're surrounded by great words!

I'm learning that you don't have to look very far for unexpected, interesting word choices. For example, have you ever learned a new word and then started to see it pop up everywhere? There's actually a scientific term for that: the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon. Yesterday I came across a word that was totally new to me (disquisition).

My recent assignment (to be on the lookout for words that start aa- or ab-) is, I admit, a little crazy. At best it's a nerdy and slightly embarrassing achievement. BUT already the result is that I'm slightly more incentivized to acknowledge and appreciate the use of a rare word.

So no, I'm not reading books word for word, looking back and forth between the book and my list of words-to-find. That would be silly. Instead I'm just generally on the lookout, and occasionally I feel a little ping, re-read a sentence, and realize I found a word on the list.

If you're a language/vocabulary nerd then consider joining me. Yes it's a silly project but who cares, it'll itch your completionist side. And it may just cause you to stop and smell the lexicographical roses.


Recent Finds

Abides: John 15:4 and The Big Lebowski movie (haha, what a combo of sources). I didn't actually go through the motion of getting out the movie and finding the scene but I know the word appears in that movie, as in the phrase, "The Dude Abides." https://youtu.be/sYsw0KVRjCM

Ability: page 25 of Growing Your Faith by Giving it Away by R. York Moore.

Abomination: page 15 of Torn by Justin Lee (a book that tries to build bridges between the various sides of the Christian approach to sexuality, written by the founder of the Gay Christian Network)

Absolutely: page 13 of Growing Your Faith by Giving it Away by R. York Moore and page 9 of The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Abundantly: page 24 of Growing Your Faith by Giving it Away, "It is knowing Jesus and following him on a daily basis that allows us to live life the way it was intended: abundantly, fully and freely."

Academic: page 12 of Torn by Justin Lee. I expect I'll also see/hear this word in the context of High School graduation parties I'll be attending in the next couple of weeks.

Academy: page 28 of Stranger Room by Frederick Ramsay

Seven words found which means seven more are added to the bottom of the words-to-find: acarid, acaroid, acatalectic, acausal, accede, accelerando, accelerant. Though 'accelerando' feels like jargon and my spellcheck doesn't know 'acausal' or 'acaroid,' oh boy.