Lara-isms

[We did it! 500 comments! Congrats to Tpiglette, who was the lucky 500th commenter. Her prize is a sleepover with me… which is actually more a prize for me than her. Hooray for Tpiggy!]

In today’s post, I’ll clue you in to a little bit of Lara Vernacular. These are some of my favorite words that I use in my informal language (but NOT my academic language, I promise). You all should pick your favorite and use it in a sentence today – I’ve given some handy examples of usage for each one.

- craptastic: really awful
Condensed version of fantastically crappy, to be used when “crappy” just doesn’t cover it. Ex: “I’ve been feeling pretty craptastic these last few months, but I guess that’s to be expected.”

- fantabulous: really great or amazing
Combination of fantastic and fabulous, to be used with neither “fantastic” nor “fabulous” is expressive enough for the situation. Ex: “Mrs. Chicky, that new laptop of yours is fantabulous!”

** Note: Both craptastic and fantabulous can be intensified or made more extreme by inserting “f*cking” after the first syllable. When work is indescribably awful, you could say it was “crap-f*cking-tastic.” Similarly, for anything really great, it is “fan-f*cking-tabulous,” though this can also be said sarcastically and used as a synonym for “crap-f*cking-tastic.”

- blarg: yuck; blech; ugh
A general expression of disgust, upset, sadness, or frustration. Ex: “Mocha, how are you feeling today with that virus all up in your respiratory grill?” “Blarg.”

- shiggles: fun or amusement
Condensed form of “sh*ts and giggles,” to be used as justification for a particular course of action when no legitimate justification exists. Ex: “Just for shiggles, let’s tour the Tour de Blog.”

- er: um; uh
A filler word (e.g. um or uh), to be used as an indication of reluctance or uncertainty, especially if you need to stall while thinking of something polite to say. Ex: “What do you think of my stripper shoes?” “Er…”

OR

An interrogative word (e.g. what or huh), to be used to indicate confusion or request clarification; it serves a similar function to WTF?. Ex: “These shoes are kind of daggy.” “Er?”

- ack: oh!; oh no!
An exclamation of surprise or dismay, to be used when facial expressions cannot be seen (IM, blog, or email, for example), or when Botox has impeded the ability to make facial expressions at all. Ex: “One of your students brought a GUN to school? Ack!”

And my personal favorite:

- a whole lot of not awesome: uncool; not good
A phrase indicating severe disapproval with something that has happened, something someone has said, or anything seen, heard, tasted, or otherwise experienced. Ex: “My dad was hovering over my shoulder all weekend, which was a whole lot of not awesome.”

Which Lara-ism will you incorporate into your vocabulary today?

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Day 29 of LaBloShoeMo: Black Heels

Okay, I did buy the last two pairs I wanted this afternoon, but I had to order them online, so they won’t be here for a week or so. I was telling my mom recently that after this whole month of shoes, I’d feel obligated to take a picture and post any new shoes I buy from now on (okay, not *just* obligated – I’d be excited to do it, too). But she brought up a good point, which is that after December ends, I should keep all new shoes a secret, so that next December I’ll have enough new and exciting shoes to do the second annual LaBloShoeMo. It’s going to be tough, though, I’m sure, to keep my shoes from my loyal readers. It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make, however, for a successful LaBloShoeMo, part deux.

First pair of Day 29: The Black Kitten Heels

Kind of cheap, ‘cause these are just the black versions of the Day 7 shoes. But I like them, and shoes look remarkably different when they’re in such different colors. I like the flash of teal when my heel picks up as I walk, and of course I like the comfort of the round toe and low heel. That’s probably most of the reason why I bought two pairs of the exact same shoes. Oh, and what’s that in the front? A cute little bow? I’m so predictable.

Second pair of Day 29: The French Heels

These have been around for a few years now, but I like them so much that I can’t bear to get rid of them. I like them best with these pink pants, but they’re versatile and look good with lots of slacks. I like the mini-MJ style with the small strap across the front, and I love the look of a nice French heel.