Save the Words
Sunday, February 8th, 2009You’re reading this page, so it’s safe to say you’re probably not an ordinary Internet user. By ordinary, I mean someone who logs on once, maybe twice a day to read some headlines, check out a few sports scores, catch up with your friends on Facebook and maybe glance at your cousin’s latest photos on Flickr.
I’m guessing you’re someone who spends a little more time online and digs a little deeper while you’re there, looking for information on a wider variety of subjects, probably a list of subjects that changes day by day. You like to venture a little closer to the edges of the Web. You look for things that are a little different, something you haven’t seen before.
You probably also like words.
It’s always possible I’ve pegged you wrong. Perhaps you clicked an incorrect link and stumbled in here while looking for the latest stock prices. If so, I apologize. If not, then have I got a site for you.
Save The Words is one of those simple but fascinating little places, those quirky little sites that are fun to visit once in a while, that make you shake your head and say, “Gee, what a weird idea” or “That’s cool” or even “I wish I’d thought of that.” Sometimes they have a point to make, sometimes they’re just there to entertain. They won’t change the world, but that’s seldom their goal. They tend to do one thing and one thing only, and they do it in a way that manages to baffle you or amuse you or make you smile or make you frown or make you call your significant other over to the monitor to take a look. They also tend to make you click your bookmark button so that you can come back again.
What Save the Words does is present you with a panoply of unusual, little known, often utterly forgotten words, ask you to “adopt” one of them, and then pledge to keep that word alive by using it in conversations, letters, presentations, e-mails, blog posts, whatever. That’s it. Simple. Straightforward. A little silly, perhaps, but also pretty interesting for those who appreciate the offbeat — and especially for those who also love language.
I haven’t adopted my own word yet. I’m being careful and cautious, wanting to choose precisely the right one. When I do make my decision, I’ll try my best to honor my pledge and slip it into a few future posts.
If you also decide to take pity on a poor, neglected word and welcome it into your home and heart, feel free to share it in the comments.