Thursday, December 07, 2006

Day 7: Alliteration

al-lit-er-a-tion (noun): the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from medieval Latin alliteratio(n-), from Latin ad- (expressing addition) + littera 'letter.'

While I'm no Dr. Seuss, this is what might have happened at this year's Christmas party at my house:

Avuncular actuarials and academics eat Adriana's Advent asapargus aspics while bulbous, bodacious babes and beach bums brag about sunbathing along the boardwalk in Barbados. Cats cavorting, cuddling, and conjoling, connivingly convince convivial canines to conspire to capture and consume crunchy crudite. In the corner, dilly-dallying dervishes drain devilishly dramatic draughts of drink while dancing with Di. Eccentric electricians eat eggs as elegant engineers extrapolate explanations for Einstein's evocative eee equaling em-cee-squared.

Outside, fortuitously frolicking firearms amateurs face off with a gun safety guru, the Gunfighter, who guides gunslingers on the grange goosing grouse and grousing geese with gunshot. Meanwhile, hotelier Hilton heeds headlines regarding hotty-totty daughter and hollers, "Heel!" I spy and eye jazzed up Jews for Jesus in jammies jauntily juxtaposed with Kip and Kelly in kilts a-kimbo keeping kebabs kosher as Lena lends her luscious libretto to the lively alleluias ringing out in the lyceum.

Men mainly meander and muck about mincing words without modesty or modicum while naysayers and nabobs nit-pick over obtuse orators and politicians pontificating proudly pursuant to pork barrels and pay raises. In the observatory, the Queen quells queries regarding regimental raiments and regal robes. Sitting serenely on the settee, Sister Mary Lisa sagely supplies succor and solace to sad seekers in smelly sneakers and supine sots in soggy socks.

Twitterpatted toadies temptuously attempt to tantalize taciturn tarts with talking points who then end up understandably upset and uninterested. Varietals from vineyards various and vast flow from vats large and small. While back at the ranch, W whittles away at what's left of the world, 'xpecting 'xigent acceptance of his 'xistential claptrap.

Why worry over year-end yearnings and yadda yadda ya's? It's yuletide! Throw a yule log on the fire and yodel. Zany, zooty Zwinglians and Zorasters with zithers will serenade Zouaves with zydeco as we gather 'round the egg nog and shout "Zounds!"

Note to readers: If you can craft a sentence that uses your blog name in an alliterative manner, I'll post it here. I tried to include everyone who's over in my Links list, but alas, I failed.


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UPDATE: Please read the Comments section for other examples of fabulous alliterative writing by Sideon, Sister Mary Lisa, Miss Understood, and the Gunfighter...

7 comments:

Sideon said...

This is SPLENDID.

You made my day! I was thinking of Dr. Suess this morning. A lovely coincidink.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

Jumpin' Jehosephat, Janet!

Alliteration junkies jump with joy, just to journey with Janet in jubilation over jocular jive.

Anonymous said...

At midnight, Miss Understood - with Merlot in mouth, mince pie in microwave and Mozart on MTV - majestically mounted the mistletoe on the mantelpiece, moved merrily to Mr Mohammed's mouth and mumbled into his moustache (mimicking the most magnificent Marilyn Monroe), "Make me melt."
Mr Mohammed, more often than not a masochist, mistook her meaning and made a move for the matches. Mortified, Miss Understood (making a mighty mean attack on his manhood), mangled him and Mr Mohammed, mystified and more to the point, in much need of medical attention, is unlikely to be masturbating much.

Anonymous said...

Nicely done, Janet.

Now that you have pointed this out for me, it occurs to me that I have been rather alliterative myself, just recently.

I mentioned in a recent post that Iwent to Border's Bookstore on my birthday... while I was there, I took sad note of the fact that they are expanding the section dedicated to pens, paper and associated products. I mentioned to a fellow shopper that I was bothered by the additional space being consumed by nonsensical knick-knacks and notions.

She smiled brilliantly and told me that she would remember that phrase... I shrugged and kept walking.

Imagine that. Me, being alliterative and not knowing it.

Janet Kincaid said...

Sideon: Isn't Suess the best? If I could have one wish, it would be to spend an hour inside that man's splendid brain. Can you imagine the machinations that went on in there? Splendid indeed, as Sideon said!

SML: Fabulous alliteration, darling! Ab fab! And, by the way, wasn't my sentence invoking your name appropo? I also thought it was the most Suessical of sentences, as well. I'm rather proud of that one. See? You're inspiring in so many ways! ;-)

Miss U: ROTFLMAO! Your muse is marvelous and makes me mirthful! My sympathies to Mr. Mohammed.

Gunfighter: I knew you knew what alliteration was! Nonsensical knick-knacks and notions... I'm going to have to remember that one, too, the next time I go to Borders Books and Bling.

Sister Mary Lisa said...

Miss Understood, I stand in AWE at your comment alliteration here. Too good.

Anonymous said...

I liked the alliteration.

Appreciatively,

Always Alice