Friday, July 19, 2019

Friday Frivolities



Trying to be cute, I decided to title today’s blog post, Friday Frivolities. To be sure I had the correct meaning for frivolous in mind, I Googled “frivolity”.  What I found boggled my mind to the point that I forgot completely what I intended to say.

Here is what I found in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.  

 noun
fri·​vol·​i·​ty | \ fri-ˈvä-lə-tē  \

plural frivolities

Definition of frivolity
1the quality or state of being frivolous. He has no patience for frivolity.

2a frivolous act or thing. He spends money on the latest fashions and other frivolities.

So what is it that discombobulated my mind to the point of total forgetfulness?!  

One thing and one thing only threw me for a loop. My #1 favorite high school English Teacher, taught us that you cannot define a word using the word itself.


Here it is in plain English, frivolous used to define frivolity.

Okay enough already, I tried. The more I talk about this, the more bewildered I get.      

Have you heard the rule about not defining a word using the word? Do you use online sources to check meanings/definitions, etc? Do you find these sources helpful or not?


6 comments:

  1. Hi Dellgirl,lol great post ,yes sometimes i use online sources but not often,hope you have a lovely weekend my friend xx

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    1. I am so thankful for your visit today and especially that you took the time to comment. I hope to see you again soon.

      Wishing you all the best!

      Delete
  2. Okay, here's the thing...that is one bad dictionary. Bad dictionary, bad! bad! bad! Your teacher was right and whoever published that dictionary is just plain ignorant! The Merriam-Webster says
    frivolous... 1 of little importance: trivial 2 lacking in seriousness
    Frivolity, being the noun, is so listed under that but has no separate entry.
    Apparently, they think the noun is rarely used. Au contraire, mon frere! Good one for this WE.
    Have a good one! Evelyn

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    1. Evelyn, thank you for visiting and for reading, and especially for commenting on my post. I’m glad you stopped to look at it. That was truly awesome, you're the best!

      I love, love, love the comment. It's enlightening and thought provoking.

      Your support means a lot, wishing you all the best.

      Delete
  3. … perhaps you should have entitled the post 'Friday Thoughts'

    LOL!

    All the best Jan

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    1. LOL Jan. Good idea! Thank you for visiting and for reading, and especially for commenting on my post.

      I’m glad you stopped to look at it. That was really nice, you're the best!

      Your visits mean a lot, wishing you all the best.

      Delete

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