I love words. They’re fun. Words are a lot of things to me: comforting, beautiful, entertaining. They are also toys. I like playing with words, experimenting with sounds, making up new words and more. I even collect words, like pub names and epitaphs ( fun and free sort of collections). I’m going to record examples of all that in this blog just for the fun of it. Well-written essays and stories are great, but sometimes I just want a tiny, clever bit of literary stuff. Word play is like popping a piece of communication candy in my mouth, a sweet, creamy verbal truffle, a bite of literary cheesecake.
“Flag” Explained
I don’t like explaining word play; I prefer letting a pun or double-entendre stand on its own. That works sometimes but other times I’m afraid my slightly esoteric or obtuse joy of messing with words might not be obvious. For example, here’s an early post in The Life Literary: Flag. It’s a picture of kilted gents carrying flags in a parade. The title of the post is Flag and it contains four short phrases. It’s a good example of what I love doing with words. Here’s what it means:
Take Note!! (to flag something is to get someone’s attention)
Tartans and Colors: (a synonym for flag is color, as in presenting the colors)
High standards (an actual flag can also be called a standard, and the four in the picture are being held high).
Weary of word play? (flag also can mean to get tired of something, like his attention or energy flagged).
So there it is, a good example of how I have fun with words.
A Word Play a Day Keeps the Blues Away?
I’ll be playing with words in this blog partly, simply for the joy of it. I also am suggesting it as another way to live literarily. The word literary sounds so highbrow, so elitist, sort of unattainable. It doesn’t have to be that way. The joy of words is available to almost everyone. In the course of a day, while working or playing, at the store or taking a walk, anybody can be aware of words, puns, rhymes, double meanings, and more. That’s all I’m aiming for here: to provide another way to live literarily. And word play can happen anyplace, anytime, interwoven into the fabric of living. I’ll be peppering this blog with lots of word play.
So let the fun begin!
