CW3: Ten Definitions

Prompt: The dictionary atop your shelf has more than 200,000 words defined. Why don`t you blow off some of the dust on its cover and randomly pick out 10 words? Don`t look at the meanings; just concentrate on the words. Write down your chosen words on a (blank) sheet of paper. Now, you`re going to have fun creating meanings for those words. What do the words make you think of? What do you think should they mean?

I chose words I did not know by using dictionary.com's word of the day. Here are the meanings I invented.

1. louche: someone who refuses to do work; a freeloader

2. sartorial: a literary article that focuses on debunking statements or ideas rather than making a statement of its own

3. gauche: snobby, especially in high society

4. bravura: brave with female qualities; feminine form of bravado. A strong woman.

5. cosset: a large hood to keep rain and snow off the face

6. hortatory: of or having to do with horticulture (if I could remember what horticulture is)

7. abstemious: adamantly refusing to change ones's opinion even in the face of truth

8. mores: pron: MORE-ess. any land or area that is dark, dangerous, evil, scary, or otherwise bad. (or am i thinking of morass?)

9. tergiversation: an offering that has the illusion of value; a promise of an offering with nothing to back it slang: Indian giving.

10. disport: to unplug (from)

.....

I just looked up the right answers and boy did I get these wrong. But then, this was a creative writing excercise, not a class exam. I hope I didn't just scar my memory with the wrong definitions. Here are the real definitions:

louche: of questionable taste or morality.
sartorial: of or relating to a tailor, tailoring, or clothing.
gauche: lacking social polish; tactless.
bravura: a showy display.
cosset: to treat with excessive indulgence; to pamper.
hortatory: serving to encourage or incite.
abstemious: temperate; abstinent; refraining from indulgence.
mores: customs; habits; ways.
tergiversation: evasion; also, desertion of a cause, party, etc.
disport: to frolic; to amuse (oneself).

I wonder what my definitions say of me, psychologically: freeloader, debunk, snobby, brave, hood, horticulture, refusing to change, evil, empty promise, unplug. God, I really am a pessimist.

CW1: The Cabinet

Prompt: Close your eyes briefly. Think of one object that's in the room and focus on it. Without opening your eyes, recall as much detail as you can about it. After three minutes or so, open your eyes and write about that object without looking at it.

Above my desk hangs a wide cabinet. The frame is sturdy and its boxy design voluminous. The front flap glides on rollers, easily hiding valuable or unsightly objects. I'd say it's large enough to stow four screaming babies. The metal is gray and cold, a testament to my workplace. Barely visible underneath is a convenient lighting fixture, two long florescent bulbs complete with an on/off switch. A quick retro-fitting of heat lamps would not only take away the chill of my desk, but double as a toaster for my refrigerated babies should I get a mean appetite mid-afternoon. The cabinet is also kind enough to have rounded edges, since it did not come from the long line of dagger-cornered kitchen cabinets that aim for the softest spots on one's head. Despite the callousness of it being office equipment, it is practical and well-placed. I like it.