Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Train your brain for life-long learning by expanding your vocabulary. Here's a little gem from the vernacular of the Wild West, more for fun than for everyday use:

Cut your wolf loose: To go on a bender, to do something outrageous, to raise some h*ll while stimulated by strong drink. (See also "roostered") Ramon Adams' example is riding a horse into a saloon. He tells of a bartender who received a complaint from an Eastern customer about the horses in the saloon. The bartender answered that the Easterner had a lot of nerve coming in on foot. -- "Dictionary of the American West", Winfred Blevins, Facts On File, NY, 1993.

Example: If you really want to cut your wolf loose on Saturday night, Stockman's is the place to be.

Book Alterations

We're finally getting into the whole "First Friday" scene in Missoula this August! For non-Missoulians, First Friday takes place on the first Friday of each month and art galleries and other venues open their doors and display local artwork. Downtown Missoula is packed and it always turns out to be one of the most exciting nights of the month. We'll be hosting an Altered Book show. There's still time to submit an altered book for display.

You can see some of the submissions in the display case near the checkout desk right now, and get a sneak peak of a few right here!



Super cool. I like how the first one says no! to both Richard Nixon and Alfred Nobel (the inventor of dynamite). I think its was a good page to alter. And they are all stunning. Come check them out in person on August 1st. More details to come!

Word Woman

Welcome to another mind-bending episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Keep your brain in shape for the long run with life-long learning. Now, get ready to work out those neurons with the Word of the Week:

Hyaline: (hi-alin) (adjective) glassy; crystalline; transparent. -- "The New York Times Everyday Reader's Dictionary of Misunderstood, Misused, Mispronounced Words", Laurence Urdang, Ed., The New York Times Book Company, 1972.

Example: The summer skies were far from hyaline on Wednesday night when Mount Sentinel burned. In fact, they were more fuliginous*.

*Bonus word: Sooty, murky, obscure

Mount Sentinel is burning!

It's not unheard of for my family to take a leisurely stroll over to Dairy Queen after dinner in the summertime. It seems like half of Missoula is there on any given summer night. Last night was different, however. Normally when we go for ice cream, we don't end up walking toward a massive pillar of grey smoke boiling up from the side of the mountain. Nor do we often get a chance to see a firefighting helicopter drop its load. Needless to say, I ran back for my camera. Here are some of the pictures I took:

After the 10:00 news, I stepped out to check on the fire's progress and was treated to the sight of a line of fire crawling down the mountainside like a stream of angry lava. Unfortunately, my camera is not set up to take pictures after dark, but I assure you that it is a sight I will remember for many years to come. Luckily, the library is well out of harm's way, so none of our materials are in any danger from the blaze, but Mount Sentinel will bear the scars for quite some time.

Word Woman

Welcome to another wild and woolly episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! While you're busy keeping your muscles in great shape with all of the fun outdoor activities available in Montana during the summer months, don't forget to work out your cerebral cortex by learning a new word or two. Here's a timely one brought to my attention by my co-worker and fellow blogger, Ben:

Staycation:

	A vacation that is spent at one's home enjoying all that home and one's home environs have to offer. -- Urban Dictionary Example: With no end in sight to rising prices at the gas pump, many people are choosing to take staycations rather than endure the high cost of travel.