Every month a question will be posed that may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Remember, the question is optional. You can write about anything that relates to your writing journey.
Let's give a warm welcome to our co-hosts: PJ Colando, Jean Davis, Lisa Buie Collard, and Diedre Knight!
This month's question is: November is National Novel Writing Month. Have you ever participated? If not, why not? I have participated, back when it was still new. I did it twice and finished both times. The novels I wrote languish in their files because 1) they need a lot of work and 2) I'm lazy. One is a crazy fantasy with lots of humor that's kind of a combo of Oz and Disc World. The other is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty, West Indian style. Both have potential, but both need soooOOOOoooo much work...
Origins: a recurring post in which I delve into the history of a word or phrase.
Last month is was about pie, so it's seems only right that this month it be about turkey.
Back in the 1540s the Portuguese imported the guinea fowl from Madagascar and it arrived in Europe via... you guessed it... Turkey. But wait, guinea fowls were not called turnkeys.
The North American bird we call the turkey was first domesticated by the Aztecs and introduced to Spain by the Conquistadores. Because North Africa was under Ottoman (Turkish) rule and because it looked similar to the guinea fowl, by the time the North American bird arrived in Europe in the 1550s, the name "turkey" was starting to stick. However, the wild undomesticated bird arrived in England from the American colonies in the 1530s and was already becoming a popular main course at Christmas by the 1570s..jpg)
So there you have it, from Madagascar to Mexico we get look-alike guinea fowls called turkeys.
LoanWord: A word adopted from a foreign language with little or no modification. Today's loanwords are Arabic and Turkish/Persian in origin. All are very familiar and rather pretty, too. Arabic: Safari, Lemon, Admiral, Alcohol, Algebra, Sofa, Zero, Candy, Caravan, Shawl, Alchemy, Cotton, Zenith, Hazard, Apricot, Giraffe. Turkish/Persian: Sherbet, Talc, Tapestry, Sandal, Scarlet, Bazaar, Carafe, Percale.
Turkish Delight Dribble
She lounged on the sofa, sipping her alcoholic beverage, and nibbled on Turkish Delight. The shawl draped about her shoulders warded off the chill. Some idiot offered her a dish of sherbet. In a scarlet rage, she threw her sandal at the offender.
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Being Thankful
Today I am thankful that we've had some rain. Not much, almost three of inches, but it's been heavenly.
We also had our first serious cold front, dropping into the mid 30s at night, and staying in 40s during the day.
What are you thankful for? Have you participated in NaNo? Are you ready for the holidays?
