Word of the Week: a bookish meme hosted here on Mondays in which we share a word that we find entertaining, enlightening, edifying, or just plain fun to say! Share your own word on your blog, then help me grow the meme and come share it here on mine!
I’m late today. I nearly forgot my own meme! It’s so hot here, I think my brain has melted. The ridiculous heat here in my part of Louisiana has inspired this week’s word.
When you see this week’s word, you might picture a dog lying on the ground under a bush, tongue out, panting in the heat. But “canicular” doesn’t actually have anything to do with our canine friends.
Have you heard people talk about “the dog days of summer”? That expression usually refers to the hottest, most miserable part of the year. The “dog days” are actually associated with the Dog Star, Sirius, and its alignment with the sun. Traditionally, good weather during the dog days is a good omen, as shown in this verse:
Dog Days bright and clear
Indicate a happy year;
But when accompanied by rain,
For better times, our hopes are vain.
I found out with a quick Google search that it runs from July 3 through August 11 each year, so I guess they’ve started today. It’s been hot for what feels like forever here, though. I hope it isn’t THIS hot through the middle of August!
How’s the weather in your corner of the world? Leave a comment and let’s chat!
Do you have a word to share this week? Add your link to the linky below, then share to help the meme grow!
