The only people who should use the possessive "we" are kings, newspaper editors, and persons with tapeworms. Mark Twain

Chiffonade [shif-ə-NAHD] noun French, late 19th century A preparation of shredded or finely cut leaf vegetables, used as a garnish for soup. Examples "Sprinkle the soup with a chiffonade of basil before you serve it." "The chef assigned the assistant to cut the chiffonade needed for the day."

Is a carrier imposed surcharge the tariff?

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. Carl Sagan

Divaricate [di-VAR-ə-kayt] verb Latin, early 17th century Stretch or spread apart. Diverge widely. Examples "You'll want to divaricate the new plantings in the garden to allow the roots to grow." "We divaricate on certain issues, but we agreed to put our differences aside for family dinner."

Hazardous to the Touch will be on sale until 10/8 to get you ready for Halloween.... www.amazon.com/Hazardous-To...

Will ICE be paid when the government shuts down?

Writers are what they write, also what they fail to write. Diane Trilling

Incipient [in-SIP-ee-ənt] adjective Latin, late 16th century In an initial stage; beginning to happen or develop. Developing into a specified type or role Examples "His incipient excitement built up the week before he started the new job" "We started out as colleagues, but we're incipient friends."

Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. William Faulkner

Twitterpated [TWIH-dər-pay-dəd] adjective American English, 1940s Infatuated or obsessed. In a state of nervous excitement. Examples "I'm twitterpated over the new collection from my favorite designer." "The family was twitterpated as they waited for the announcement of the new baby."

I haven't failed, I've found 10,000 ways that don't work. Thomas A. Edison

Pastiche [pah-STEESH] noun French, late 19th century An artistic work consisting of a medley of pieces taken from various sources. Examples "I prepared a jazz pastiche to perform at the reception." "It was clearly a pastiche, but I still admired the painting."

Women do not always have to write about women, or gay men about gay men. Indeed, something good and new might happen if they did not. Kathryn Hughes

Breviloquent [brə-VIL-ə-kwent] adjective Latin, mid-19th century Using very few words; concise Examples Usually he was breviloquent but he went into great detail when describing his favorite book If you find it hard to be breviloquent, ask someone to edit your paper before submitting it for a grade

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. Frank Capra

Factotum [fak-TOH-dəm] noun Latin, mid-16th century An employee who does all kinds of work. Examples "I earned a reputation as a jack of all trades, but I prefer the more professional-sounding term 'factotum.'" "You'd better give him a raise; he's a real factotum."

I try to leave out the parts that people skip. Elmore Leonard

Emeritus [ə-MER-ə-dəs] adjective Latin, mid-18th century (Of the former holder of a college professor) Having retired but allowed to retain their title as an honor Examples The banquet was held every year to honor the emeritus professors As an emeritus member, she was welcome to sit in on lectures

Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop. Lewis Carroll

Kaffeeklatsch [KAH-feh-klach] noun German, late 19th century An informal gathering, talking or gossip where coffee is served. Examples The highlight of the neighborhood meetings is the kaffeeklatsch that always follows. My grandmother loved nothing more than a good kaffeeklatsch with her friends.

Sinclair stations won't air Kimmel unless he gives a personal donation to Charlie's foundation??? Doesn't that have a name?

The thing about Tylenol and autism is that Trump is in the Epstein Files.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please. Mark Twain

Rumbustious [rəm-bəs-chəs] adjective British English, late 18th century Boisterous or unruly. Examples "The kids were being too rumbustious, so I shooed them outside to play." "Expect the litter of puppies to be rumbustious when they hit 6 weeks old."

Pay no attention to what the critics say. There has never been a statue erected to a critic. Jean Sibelius

Capricious [kə-PREE-shəs] adjective French, early 17th century Given to sudden and unaccountable changes of mood or behavior. Examples "During the autumn months, the weather can be quite capricious." "I had to stay on my toes when working with the capricious chef."

The reason 99% of all stories written are not bought by editors is very simple. Editors never buy manuscripts that are left on the closet shelf at home. John Campbell

Declivity [də-KLIV-ə-dee] noun Latin, early 17th century A downward slope. Examples "The landscape architect designed the garden to complement the natural declivity." "There was no longer a creek, but the bridge still spanned over a large declivity."

I always write a good first line, but I have trouble in writing the others. Molière

Blithesome [BLITH-səm] adjective Old English, 17th century (Of a person) Having a cheerful disposition. Filled with, marked by, or causing pleasure. Examples "Waking up to sunny weather put me in a blithesome mood." "The blithesome shouts from the playground were welcome background noise."

They came!

No great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness. Aristotle

Kinetic [kə-NED-ik] adjective Greek, mid-19th century Relating to or resulting from motion. Depending on movement for its effect. Examples "The garden has a large kinetic water fountain as the centerpiece." "The museum featured a breathtaking display of kinetic art for the spring showcase."

A little inaccuracy sometimes saves tons of explanation. Saki

Sagacious [sə-GEY-shus] adjective Latin, early 17th century Having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment. Examples "She could always rely on her mentor to provide sagacious feedback." "The op-ed provided a sagacious viewpoint on the recent city council controversy."

There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it. Alfred Hitchcock

Zephyr [ZEH-fər] noun Greek, late 17th century A soft gentle breeze. A very light article of clothing. Examples "The warm zephyr was a welcome sign that spring was here. " "You only need to wear a zephyr over your swimsuit for a trip to the beach."

Wow!! Reclusive is now in the top 100!! On sale for $.99

I can't write without a reader. It's precisely like a kiss - you can't do it alone. John Cheever

Rhapsody [RAP-sə-dee] noun Greek, mid-16th century An effusively enthusiastic or ecstatic expression of feeling. A free instrumental composition in one extended movement, that is emotional in character. Example The story captured the rhapsody of first love and the emotions that go along with it.

Not Robert Redford!! So sorry, RIP... #Redford, #Sundance

Where I am not understood, it shall be concluded that something very useful and profound is couched underneath. Jonathan Swift

Moil [moyl] verb Latin, mid-16th century Work hard. Move around in confusion or agitation. Examples "You'll need to moil to get the bulbs planted before a frost, but it will be worth it in the spring." "She seemed lost as she moiled around the street corner."

Most writers regard the truth as their most valuable possession and therefore are most economical in its use." Mark Twain

Bildungsroman [BIL-dungz-ro-mahn] noun German, early 20th century A novel dealing with one person's formative years or spiritual education. Example "The Bildungsroman told the story of his journey from a one-room schoolhouse to graduating from medical school."

Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better. Flannery O’Connor

Gnomic [NOH-mik] adjective Greek, early 19th century Expressed in or of the nature of short, pithy maxims or aphorisms. Enigmatic; ambiguous. Examples He seemed incapable of original thought and spoke only in gnomic riddles. The campaign speech excited the voters but remained gnomic in substance.

Come on Dems, write that bill named for Charlie to create safe gun laws for the Reps to shoot down...

They say great themes make great novels. . . . but what these young writers don't understand is that there is no greater theme than men and women. John O'Hara