Soonly

Yes, it is actually a word. According to the 1913 Merriam Webster dictionary (via thefreedictionary.com), it is an adverbial variation of the adverb "soon" and simply means "soon." I suppose you would use it the same way?

For the poetic at heart or in mind, you now have another word to rhyme with -ly words. You should use it soonly. (Spell check does not agree that it is a word.)

Common Phrases We Mess Up

17 Phrases You're Probably Saying Wrong

I saw this on Facebook this morning and immediately had to share. I was surprised at ones I had never heard and, what is even more mortifying, had never heard correctly before... Maybe you can sympathize? I am sure most of us can.

Never heard: "the baby screamed half the night" (instead of "the baby literally screamed all night" - I feel bad for anyone with a baby that has screamed all night long!)

How could I get this wrong?!: Hunger pangs v. hunger pains

I probably knew this one but forgot... : "You have another THINK coming." (not thing)

Just funny - I can't believe someone would say this: Escape goat v. SCAPE goat

My pet peeve: "I could care less." If you could care less, that means you do care in some way. And if you care, it probably means you would sympathize with the situation. If you couldn't care less, you can walk away without any emotional attachment. Lucky you?

Growthful

Sometimes the word you really want just doesn't exist. And so you have to create a hybrid (see my other post on intentful).


growth·ful (grthfl)

adj.

1. Manifesting growth.

2. Inspiring growth, full development, maturity.

3. In the process of growing, developing fully, maturing.

4. To be full of growth that will result in complete development, maturity.

It is somewhat a cross of hopeful and growth (taken from freedictionary.com), though definitely stronger on the idea of growing. May you have a growthful March.

Waiting With Baited Breath

Phonetics mess with us so many times! If you are waiting for something or someone with "baited" breath, you are probably trying attract them with the smell of your breath, which may not be entirely attractive... Though it could work depending on what you have in your mouth and what you're trying to catch. I like this image of a man holding a sardine in his mouth in an attempt to catch a cat! (IT Knowledge Exchange)

Bated is the word you are looking for in this expression:
"We were all waiting with bated breath."

It means you are holding your breath, which communicates feelings of excitement or anxiety (according to thefreedictionary.com).

A Light Bulb Went Off

It's typically not good when light bulbs go off (unless you're trying to sleep or save on electricity costs), and it becomes quite amusing when you hear this metaphorical expression used incorrectly by a teacher describing a learning moment in her classroom. No, this teacher wasn't trying to communicate that her students were in a temporary state of intellectual darkness. She really meant to say that a light bulb had gone ON. (Gotta love those moments as a teacher!)

She may have mixed this idea with an auditory "image" of a bell or an alarm going OFF (which really doesn't make sense because the sound is actually ON, though we would never say "an alarm going on").

Le--a

The title of this entry is a name.

Take a minute to think about how to pronounce it.

I went through the possibilities myself when I was told that this was seen on a baby's crib in a maternity ward at a hospital. (Please forgive my poor phonetic attempts.)

Lee-uh or LEE-uh or Lee-UH

Lay-uh or LAY-uh or Lay-UH

Lee-ae or LEE-ae or Lee-AE

There may be other variations, but my brain only thought of the most possibly obvious.

The attitude of the mother when asked by the doctor how to pronounce the name of the child was one of shock and indignation, or at least that is how it was told to me. "It's Luh-DASH-uh." I am sure the following word "idiot" was implied in the tone of the mother's voice. I'll give her this much: the name is certainly original!

Le-a. You mean Ledasha. Of course! Punctuation marks are pronounced in the English language comma Mrs. I mean comma Mrsperiod period Of course period Silly comma ignorant Dr. comma again comma sorry comma Doctorperiod period

Should I have included the word space for the spaces?

I am surprised the doctor didn't laugh at that mother as hard as I did when the story was told to me. Maybe he did when he got home that night.

Intentful

Intentful (n-tntfl)

adj.

1. Marked by having an aim or purpose and a plan to fulfill the design.

2. Exhibiting or characterized by meaning, purport.

3. Having or planning heed for the well-being or happiness of others and a propensity for anticipating their needs or wishes.

4. Law The state of one's mind at the time one plans to carry out an action.
5. Firmly fixed; with forethought; concentrating.

6. Having the mind and will focused on a specific purpose as the result of prior contemplation.

This hybrid came about a night or so ago as my roommate described a thought I intended to do as "thoughtful." I didn't think it was exactly thoughtful because I had not actually done the thought, though I intended to do it. Thus the word intentful was created. And the definitions above are a blend of thoughtful, intent and Marlene.