Tags
Ready for the word of the week? Before continuing your education, let’s review! How many of you can remember the definitions of the following words, and better yet, use them correctly in a casual conversation?
amplexicaul
bifarious
callipygian
deipnosophist
hyperopia
Noël
epenthesis
facinorous
catachrestical
dispanded
If you don’t remember all (or any) of them, I have given you a break – instead of making you run to the dictionary – which of course you all would – I have linked each word to the post in which is was featured.
It is time to add even more to your ever-expanding vocabulary. In an effort to get back in line with a more alphabetical order, this week’s word will pick up where we left off before being sidetracked by some “timely” inclusions. Today’s “G” word is:
galeanthropy - A mental condition of thinking that one has become a cat, usually manifest in the adoption of feline mannerisms and habits.
At this point in the discussion of the week’s word, I usually give you the etymology – the origin – of the word. Unfortunately, I have not been able to come up with it. As a matter of fact, I find it interesting that Wiktionary is looking for it as well!
Moving right along – I decided to look for related words – other words that started with the same prefix “gale” or “galea.” What really flummoxed me is that while there are words having to do with cats that begin in that way, there are also some words that have no relationship to felines. My guess is that the word mint ran out of ideas the day they were looking for words to do with headaches, helmets, cats and lemurs – so they lumped them all together. For instance,
galea:
1. A headache that hurts your whole head.
2. The upper lip or helmet-shaped part of a labiate flower.
3. A kind of bandage for the head.
4. In anatomy, any of several helmet-shaped structures.
galeated:
1. Having a helmet-like part, as a crest, a flower, etc.; helmet-shaped.
2. Wearing a helmet; protected by a helmet; covered, as with a helmet.
galeiform:
Helmet-shaped; resembling a galea.
galeomania:
An abnormal desire to have many cats around.
galeophilia:
A fondness for cats.
galeophobia:
An intense fear of cats (polecats, skunks, weasels); also of sharks. These come from two different Greek sources with the same spelling.
galeopithecus:
A flying lemur.
Judging from some of the comments I have received in the past, there are a number of galeophiliacs among my readers. I am a card-carrying member of that club as well. However, I really have no desire whatsoever to be a cat. Even as an actress, I have not coveted the part of Catwoman. But it is my understanding that when it became known in Hollywood that the part was open for casting, a rather large group of galeanthropists came out of the woodwork to audition.
On further thought, though, I have changed my mind. On observing the behavior of our cat Justin, if i could live my life as he lives his, perhaps galeanthropy is not such a bad idea! Let’s see now, if I were a cat like Justin, I would
1. Sleep 23.75 hours a day.
2. Know all the most comfortable places on which to sleep, such as Ashley’s lap, Paula’s face, just-washed laundry (warm from the dryer).
3. Be fed on demand.
4. Be able to communicate using only one word – “Miaow.”
5. Have my own built-in vibrator, and be able to turn it on at will.
6. Be able to make a dog insanely jealous, simply by hopping on to Ashley’s lap or Paula’s face.
7. Know how to disguise my desire for a back rub by pretending to have sympathy for a human’s feelings.
People talk about a dog’s life. A dog’s life? A cat’s life sounds pretty good to me.
“In order to maintain a well-balanced perspective, people who have a dog to worship them should also have a cat to ignore them.”
~~ Anonymous
I wish you all, my Gentle Readers, enough. . .
Paula, I just laughed like a maniac at no. 4! I think I succeeded in scaring my kid. BTW, I definitely lean towards being galeophobic. I only like cats from a (great) distance.
I have the perfect use for today’s word. I will use it in professional conversations for a person I call the Crazy Cat Lady.
Oh !! My poor memory, Paula. A case of “old age and infirmary”, as my granny used to say.
As for cats, I am at best galeotolerant. My Border collie Daisy, now two years
gone, used to be a true cat hater. She got raked several times in giving way to that.
Thanks for the post, Paula.
John
I think I have just the poem for you:
Whimsical Word Junket
by Rose Mary Boehm
Where goes your glorious bobbery
without much of the appetence
of yesteryear? Pangerize the poltroon
for all your worth, but knavery
knows no mitigation and the fascicle of
false judges do the quean in their
pansophy, singing in opuscules of minor
notes and the quality of her strange
metempirical enriched the simplest
expression of their simplest thoughts.
Sleeps a lot – Justin case?
Maybe that helmet root has some connection with the fact that cats like going to one’s head – and/or face!
Veerrryyy interesting- a la Laugh-In. Yes, Justin has a pretty good life. You didn’t meantion his “catted” determination to knead anyone’s throat whose lap he manages to land upon, then to lay upon their chest while they’re sitting or lying down.
Hubs