Oy vey, we've got X up today, in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge - and my topic:
David Letterman's Erin L. Schneider's Top Ten "X" Words
Because I couldn't agree on one X word for today's post that was "writerly" themed, I decided to offer up 10 fabulous selections - all so others would have options for next year's A to Z challenge. See how that worked there? And totally selfless, too.
Without further adieu, here's my list of ten "X" words, served up ala David Letterman style:
10. Xerox (n) - the brand of copier in your office that I'm sorry to say, is more intelligent than you'll ever be. Say hello to HAL2000. You'll wanna be nice to HAL2000, trust me. She's known to hold your 9am deadline projects hostage at 8:58am, she constantly gets backed-up, and when she's super pissy, will print only a corner of your 11x17 content on an 8.5" x 11" page, just because she can.
9. Xerography (n) - A process wherein you bribe above mentioned HAL2000 to replicate images and reproduce documents, by feeding it neverending reams of paper, keep said paper free from jamming, and constantly supply a powdery substance called "Cyan", "Magenta", "Yellow", and "Black" - that trust me, you DO NOT want to get on your skin or your clothes.
8. Xeric (adj.) - Dry or desert-like conditions; having very little moisture - ew, very much so dislike the base form of this word. In fact, that's the worst word in the English language, and it actually makes me twitch, everytime I hear it said aloud (I couldn't even type it - yes, had to cut and paste). I confess, this is my Kryptonite. We'll be changing that word to dampness. Ahhh, much better.
7. Xenophobia (n) - fear or hatred towards foreigners, foreign countries, or anything foreign. Other related words: xenophobic (adj.) and xenophobe (n). Um, weird. Nuff said.
6. Xenon (n) - a heavy, colorless and odorless gas that is found in very small quantities in the Earth’s atmosphere. It is often used in lasers, vacuu tubes and luminescent tubes for electric lamps. I believe this is also what makes the headlights in my car, shine a pretty ghostly blue. Me likes pretty lights. But me also wonders how a gas can be heavy? Huh.
5. Xenolith (n) - a fragment of a rock embedded inside another rock. Kinda like a pregnant rock. Does not make for a good skipping rock, due to it's weight. But never call a xenolith fat. Not nice, she's just fluffy.
4. Xebec (n) - Possibly a made up word, since I've never heard it before. "Supposedly" it stands for a small, three-masted sailing ship once commonly used in the Mediterranean. Not sure if the other bodies of water around the world were biased, but it sure sounds like it to me.
3. Xenoien (n) - The perfect human being, thought only to exist in legend. Although, this is according to UrbanDictionary.com, so who knows what kind of bologna this is. Gross, bologna. And I only know how to spell that, because I had to sing the jingle out loud. My dog howled. It's a talent, I know.
2. Xylophone (n) - a percussion instrument with a series of graduated wooden bars that is played by stricking with two small mallets. Not to be confused with the glockenspiel, which has bars made of metal. And also has a way cooler name: glockenspiel, glockenspiel, glockenspiel. Great, I'll be saying that all day now.
1. Xanadu (n) - an exotic, luxurious place. This word comes from the poem "Kubla Khan" by Samuel T. Coleridge. Also happens to be one of my favorite ABBA tunes. Don't judge. Yes, I love ABBA.
So there you have it, my top ten words that begin with "X", and their meanings. Which I am in no way liable for confirming or validating, if the meaning or the word, actually exists.