Wondrous Words Wednesday
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered or spotlight words you love. Feel free to get creative! If you want to play along, grab the button, write a post and come back and add your link to Mr. Linky!
I came across several new words in BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
1. agitprop – “My professor, Linda Heywood, was slight and bespectacled, spoke with a high Trinidadian lilt that she employed like a hammer against young men like me who confused agitprop with hard study.”
Agitprop is a noun that means political propaganda, especially in art or literature.
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2. dap – “But I know that I had love for this boy, Prince Jones, which is to say that I would smile whenever I saw him, for I felt warmth when I was around him and was slightly sad when the time came to trade dap and for one of us to go.”
According to Urban Dictionary, dap means to knock fists together as a greeting or form or respect. I’ve seen people do this plenty of times but had no idea that’s what it’s called.
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2. carceral – “The abuses that have followed from these policies — the sprawling carceral state, the random detention of black people, the torture of suspects — are the product of democratic will.”
I should have been able to figure this word out. Carceral means of, relating to, or suggesting a jail or prison.
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What words do you want to celebrate today?
I love new words….I will definitely be a weds admirer!!!!
All new to me, especially dap!
All 3 new to me.
It’s funny how listening to it, I don’t remember noticing those words. Different when you are confronted with words on the page, I think.
My record remains intact – 0/3!
I was clueless on all three!
I hope I can remember these words. Our county is set to read this book as part of the Everybody Reads program. I’m looking forward to reading it and now, hopefully, I’m prepared.
Dap proved interesting, all new to me.
All new to me, but, like you, I should have tried harder with carceral. Thanks for the lesson!
Those are sure new
Dap is a great word to remember, and use! I hope to do this wonderful meme again before too long.
I’ve never heard of these words! You’ve always discovered the most interesting words – I learn so much from your weekly words post!
I bet my kids would know what the word dap means. Honestly, they come up with new words I’ve never heard of all the time. I just can’t keep up with them, and when I ask my kids, “What does that word mean?”, they roll their eyes and give me the “get with it, Mom” look.
Well once again, I feel rather stupid. I didn’t know any!