As we near the end of the atozchallenge challenge, I am feeling melancholy for the early days of April where I could look ahead at the blog calendar and marvel at all the alphabetical possibilities! *sigh*
And so I bring you Widdershins. Yet another fabulous word with a specific meaning that must be brought back from obscurity.
Meaning: Counterclockwise (like the circle on the left appears to move)
Take a gander at this website if you have a few minutes and will not be operating heavy machinery:
Image: http://www.psy.ritsumei.ac.jp/~akitaoka/rotate6e.html
The word is such a wonder, it has an entire web page dedicated just to it. It has a single page. Go see:
We’re in the home stretch folks! Almost to Z! What are we supposed to do in MAY!?
My W read (a two-fer for W):
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte… Heathcliff!! Cathy!! Heathcliff!!
The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy – you MUST read this book. (adore Conroy)
My W Listen: Wrong by Depeche Mode – something about this video has always mesmerized me.
What a lovely word! Thanks for sharing.
I have to admit I had never heard that word before reading Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books and even then for the longest time I thought he had made it up. It just sounds so awesomely ridiculous.
Corinne, thanks for your kind words over this past week. They mean so much.
I must say, those spinning wheels are quite dizzying. Great word!
Another cool word, and amazing circles. Here in New Zealand, they don’t say counterclockwise, but rather anticlockwise.
“…if you have a few minutes and will not be operating heavy machinery”
Too funny. Those things are crazy. But in an awesome way.
I love that song and that video – I posted it on my blog a while back. And I had to check out your widdershins (dizzying!). The word also has magical connotations and is an excellent book by Charles deLint.
As for may, I think I may take a few more days off!
I had an optical illusion like that set as my background once. I kept staring at it.
What a fun word too. Love it!
Also for May… um, repeat the challenge by yourself? ;)
Boy, that’s a disturbing video…But widdershins, love ’em!
Another great word I didn’t know!
Can you believe the challenge is almost over? Crazy!
I’m surprised I actually knew this word. :D they use this a lot in fantasy books–mostly when it involves witches. :D
nutschell
http://www.thewritingnut.com
Yes, the word does come up with witch stories a lot, I suppose it helps with the feeling of antiquity when drafting old spells. “draw a circle widdershins…”
:D