Comfort Words

Word Nerd, Part 2: Comforting words for a cold month. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, January is likely a month when you are drawn to blazing fireplaces, soft blankets, warm socks, and hot cocoa. The Danish call this hygge: a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being. In other words, January is a month for snuggling, cuddling, and snerdling. What’s that you say? You never heard of snerdling? Maybe not, but I bet you do it. Snerdle is an 18th century word meaning to wrap up beneath your cushy covers and hold off the day for a little longer. It’s a month for other comforting words you may or may not know, like:

• If you live in a not-so-cold climate, you might be experiencing petrichor, the smell of rain on dry earth, a smell so pleasing that perfumiers have tried to capture it. And if you have more snow than rain, perhaps you can at least experience apricity – the warmth of sunshine in winter. And as the day fades, bask in the wonderful Scottish word gloaming, which is twilight or dusk.
• If you ever feel like a nitwit for a minor error like losing a mitten, forgive yourself, turn your mind around, and reclaim inwit, your intrinsic nature, and maybe even clean inwit, which means a pure heart.

• You can aim for kalopsia, a state in which everything and everyone looks beautiful, but it may mean you have indulged in quafftide (the season of drinking = December, but could be anytime)
• Some words that you think don’t exist, really do. You have heard of disgruntled, but gruntled means to be in good humor, happy, content. Try to regain that state. If you are unkempt, you can become kempt, i.e., neat and tidy. If you are uncouth, you can become couth, i.e., cultured, refined and well-mannered. You can become ruth (full of compassion) instead of ruthless, and if you are nonplussed (bewildered), you can become plussed (calm, collected, and unconfused).
• But my favorite seldom-used word for early January is respair, which means a recovery from despair with fresh hope. May we all feel it!
• Finally, if all else fails, when you are shivering through January, turn to lalochezia – A Greek word meaning to use foul language to alleviate stress, pain, or frustration. Its effectiveness has even been backed up by science experiments which have shown people can endure immersing their hand in icy water for 120% longer if they swear loudly rather than shout out neutral words.

Note: ?The inspirational source for many of the above words came from the 2020 book Word Perfect by Susie Dent.

What other words bring you comfort this month – or any month? ?Let me know: [email protected].

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Kathy Laurenhue, M.A, C.H.P., is the creator and CEO of Wiser Now, Inc., dedicated to fostering wellbeing in people of all ages through a lighthearted approach. As the author of multiple books and newsletters, dozens of training courses and webinars, and hundreds of trivia quizzes, word games, and discussion exercises, she is eager to expand her reach. Check out the many offerings of her websites beginning with Wiser Now, Inc. She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].?