You know why I do the A to Z Blogging Challenge every year, despite the extra work? Because it makes me stretch and learn.
Hubby and I were talking over “Z” words (especially after yesterday’s Scrabble post) and trying to decide which one would make the coolest “Z” post to end the challenge with a bang, if you know what I mean.
We came across a site called The Phrontistery (that means: a thinking place). (S)he had this Groovy List of Unusual Words Beginning with Z. It is amazing.
[And I swear, this guy is Julie Glover’s twin separated at birth. She’s the only other person I know who knows these things.]
Our favorites were as follows:
| Word | Definition |
| zabuton | flat Japanese cushion for kneeling or sitting |
| zalambdodont | having molar teeth with V-shaped ridges |
| zampone | stuffed pigs’ trotter sausage (LOL…trotters) |
| zarf | ornamental holder for hot coffee cup (but it sounds like barf… *whines*) |
| zatch | female genitalia (yep, made me snort) |
| zebrinny | offspring of male horse and female zebra (Really??) |
| zebroid | like or resembling a zebra |
| zelatrix | older nun in charge of disciplining younger nuns (Now I’m thinking about nuns with whips. Freaky…) |
| zenzizenzizenzic | eighth power of a number (Say it…it’s a great word!) |
| zizel | chipmunk (Oh, Gene…do you whisper zizels too??) |
| zoanthropy | delusion that one is an animal |
| zoppetto | medieval Italian limping hop dance (how do you hop AND limp at the same time?) |
| zorino | euphemism for skunk fur (WHY is there a euphemism for this?) |
| zyzzyva | South American weevil (Can YOU pronounce it?) |
Do you have zany “Z” words that you love? Which of the above words made you laugh? Did you have a favorite More Cowbell post during this year’s challenge? Enquiring minds always want to know these things here at More Cowbell!
Jenny
ANNOUNCEMENTS: I’ll get one more quick post up this week before the DFW festivities begin so that you don’t have to wait to find out who won the last bumper sticker and who won the Amazon card (remember you must subscribe to be in the running for that last one)!
p.s. I’ve got my gorgeous Cowbell ready to deliver to Julie Glover, the kickoff gal for the Cowbell Chronicles. 🙂
Jenny Hansen's Blog 
Congratulations in completing the A to Z Challenge.
Yvonne
A to Z AMBASSADOR.
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Thanks, Yvonne! It was sweet of you to stop by. 🙂
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Zakked! Superb dear freind! You made it! mwahhh!
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Thanks, Honore!! It’s been a fun challenge. Thanks for cheering me on. 🙂
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Why yes, I do also zizel-whisper. We have a family of three living along our property line that come to visit us often. So much in fact, that they will now move through areas we are in with a nod of greetings and no real fear. Great word collection, Jenny – thanks for including me 🙂
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Nice! I figured the answer would be a resounding ‘yes.’ You are so cool.
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Those are some awesome ‘Z’ words, my friend. Wow. It’s too early for me to be clever and I haven’t had tea yet, I will quietly applaud your achievement and ponder how to use these words throughout my day. Well done.
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Love it. And aren’t you happy to know you’re in possession of a “zatch.”
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I think that “eighth power” word was something a bunch of mathematicians TAs made up while passing around a bottle of tequila and grading student exams, LOL. And now I can add “zarf” to my Scrabble list!
I also like…Zamboni, and ziggurat. 😉
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And, I spilled hot coffee on my zarf when I read the meaning of zatch, K.B.
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*snorting with laughter down here in Austin*
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I actually knew zebrinny (there’s one that lives nearby at a wildlife park) and zoanthrophy (there’s an example of zoanthropy in the Bible, specifically lycanthropy, but I digress…). I am totally looking at that list! And yay on the cowbell! So excited.
Thinking about your phobia post and this one, I figured there had to be some phobias that begin with Z. Sure enough, there is zelophobia (fear of jealousy), zoophobia (fear of animals, of course), zeusophobia (fear of God/gods), and zemmiphobia (fear of the Great Mole Rat). Who thinks these things up? LOL.
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What is the word for fear of hanging out with Psych majors while planning shenanigans at writers conventions, Julie?
Because, my freedom may be at risk. Make the straight jacket cobalt blue, okay?
Please and thank-you.
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I don’t know, but the fear of cowbells is “vaccatintinnabulatophobia.”
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You made that up….right?
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Nope. But I checked the Latin, and it’s sound.
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“zemmiphobia (fear of the Great Mole Rat)??? That’s hysterical! I can’t wait to see y’all in a few days. Squeeeeee!!!
Just remember, Julie…I’ve got your cowbell! I’m sure Gloria will try to fight you for it
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Wow, a cowbell and a purple wig…I’m sure to land a book deal with that look. LOL.
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You know it!!!
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But does Gene suffer from zoanthropy? zemmiphobia?
Z makes one stretch, doesn’t it? 🙂
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LOL…As long as the item that stretches DOESN’T start with “Z” I think I’m good. 😀
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Jenny —
Love your zzzzzzany post!
I knew a few of your snazzzzzzy Z words — zebroid ( -oid words are easy to remember, think schizoid.), zenzizenzizenzic (Winning cadence!), zoanthropy (Another easy one.).
Here’s one I bet you’ll love. ZEUGMA!
Zeugma is one of the umpteen rhetorical devices. I won’t TELL what it is, I’ll SHOW.
Margie grabbed her purse, her keys, and her steely resolve.
That’s a ZEUGMA!
If I just grabbed my keys and my steely resolve, it would still be a zeugma.
Happy Z day!
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Ha! I have Zeugma forever etched in my memory — along with the other Margie Lawson Rhetorical Devices. nanner, nanner Yes. I’m
odda groupie.Every time I say it, I think I should slam back a shot of Ouzo.
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Now I see the error of my ways, Margie! I should have asked you to post on Zeugma today. Agggghhhhhh! Next year….
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Me? No words to add (yet), but I picked up a great tee shirt idea.
I’ve got Zatch!
If queried about what it means? Well…
Ever have one of those brain fart moments when you say something back-a$$wards, like week of the day, or water under the damn and over the bridge? No?
[Grrrr. And, get over yourself.]
So! Back on topic. If queried what it means, I could say, “Look up it. Yikes! I mean look it up.”
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*choked on coffee*
That is fantastic! Alas, I don’t think you’ll have time to get your “I’ve got Zatch!” printed before DFWCon. But I want a picture of you wearing it when you get the Cowbell. 🙂
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I can’t stop laughing…no, really. Really, really…really.
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😀
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I laughed at zebroid. Such a great word. Could start a whole new fashion trend 🙂
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I believe you are right. You go first…
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What fun! I love learning new words. 🙂
Favorite z word (today) is Zeitgeist, which is my final Z post’s title and theme. (Thank you, God.) 😉
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Oh, I have to go look! I love a good Zeitgeist…
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You are so zany and I am impressed you made it through the whole A-Z challenge. Congrats! Great work! Zeee-riffic!
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Thanks, Phil! Seriously, with all the fun y’all bring me, the month flew by. 🙂
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Congratulations!! You made it from A-Z and you did it your way! Loved the journey with you!
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Thank you, Pauline!!! When I read this earlier today, it made me grin from ear-to-ear. My hubby asked: “What are you smiling about?” And I said, “the More Cowbell posse freaking ROCKS.”
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When I hit Z I was stuck. In the shower I thought of zymurgy: the study of fermentation as in wine and beer. It was the last word in my high school dictionary (the one with all the pages with dirty words highlighted) Fermentation led to ZZ Top and Zydeco which go well with products of zymurgy.
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Awesome, Tom!!! I saw that word on the “Z” list I referenced above, along with a bunch of other “zy” words. I’ve gotta go take a peek. And Zydeco is the best thing going. 🙂
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I think that those that hang out here for More Cowbell are members of a Zooidal, one that lives in a colony in which each member is joined to others by living material, which is exactly what Jenny Hansen writes. 🙂
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I think this might be the very best comment I’ve ever gotten (and you know that’s saying alot with the posse that hangs out here). Thanks, Karen, and that’s a really, really cool word. 🙂
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LOL! I know a few people who don’t need to be delusional about being an animal. My favourite in your list has to be zebroid. I do like zebras. Sounds like fun here!
Congrats on getting to the end of the A-Z! Liz ~ http://www.lizbrownleepoet.com
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I thought EXACTLY the same thing, Liz. These words made me laugh. 🙂
We have a great time here at More Cowbell and hope to see you again soon!
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🙂
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I love the list. I’m going to memorize those words so I can play them against my brother-in-law in Wordfeud. LOL. See you at DFWCon! 🙂
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I hope you kick his a$$!!! And ‘zarf’ and ‘zatch’ have got to be the best new game words ever, right??
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I’m gonna be pretty upset if the game dictionary doesn’t recognize those words, especially zarf and zatch!
Also, zarf rhymes with “narf,” which is Pinky’s favorite thing to say to annoy Brain. So don’t be sad that it rhymes with that other word. Because narf is more fun to think about.
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All I have to say is that reading your blog posts is not unlike conversations with my 12 and 15 year old sons. In fact, I believe you could teach them a thing or two, IYKWIM….
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Yay, Jenny. You have done it again! And those z-words were the icing on the cake! I cannot wait to hear all the juice from DFW this weekend. The airwaves are already steaming! Wigs at the ready!
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Hmmm, not quite sure how I’d fit any of those words into a conversation. (That’s a job for the protagonist in my WIP.) Congratulations on completing the Challenge!
Faye at Destination: Fiction
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These were great! Thanks for sharing. I feel so enlightened!
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It’s crazy to think how many words there are out there that we’re not yet aware of.
Congrats on completing the challenge. 🙂
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