Our word for today is lagniappe.
The perpetually fascinating Dick Cavett used it in The Wild Wordsmith of Wasilla, the most recent of his series in the New York Times. You'll find it in the post script to his article, indicating that he is throwing in a little something extra. A freebie. A bonus with purchase. An extra donut when you buy a dozen.
It is pronounced len - YEP. It's a southern thang, and its etymology is complicated.
All right, class. To make this word your own, I would like you now to use it in a sentence.
Let me give you an example:
When I saw him at the bar, I really fell for his handsome face, but in my bedroom, when he unzipped his jeans, I screamed at the sight of the huge lagniappe he was offering me.
Your turn.
"Perge modo et qua te ducit via dirige gressum," said Venus to Aeneas.
13 comments:
By leaving our 3 month old Alsatian Len out in the back yard on a cold night, we offer our neighbours an all night lagniappe.
I think I started blogging to expand a life that had grown increasingly too small, the langiappe I received for my efforts? Interesting friends and a new love. Ain't life grand?
Dick, used his mastery of the English language not too long ago on Broadway. He was the narrator of the Rocky Horror Picture Show along with co star Joan Jett. A unique opportunity to meet such a nice New Yorker.
Compared to the full lips, the perfectly perky ass, and the modest yet gorgeous uncut cock, most would have found his pierced nipple no more than a lagniappe, but to TED, it was the main course.
And many thanks to Ted and to all who let me know when something's askew. Coffee during daylight or wine at night conspire against me.
One of my favorite words actually. I recall using it once at a bistro in LA, the resulting confusion was priceless.
I just read Cavett's column, which ricochets through genius.
Speak of, congratulations on your Billerico editorship!
-FiP
Isn't "huge lagniappe" an oxymoron? At least, considering the words origins.
I originally had the same thought as David, but then I realized that what caused you to scream was the appearance of the thirteenth bagel from a baker's dozen. In the context of unzipped jeans, it would indeed be huge, yet it would still be a lagniappe. One could hardly blame you for screaming in surprise. And/or delight, unless it was something inappropriate, like cinnamon raisin or one of those dreadful everything bagels.
One supposes that the bar must have been very dark for you to have missed the bagel in the first place. One further that it was neither sliced nor toasted, but uncut.
Referring to your example- Honey, that ain't the ligniappe, that's the main course.
Er, it's a lagniappe only if you didn't get to touch. Otherwise, it sounds more like "point of sale."
Dear TNWH,
I am in total agreement with you about those dreadful "everything" bagels (and yet C likes them and often on a Sunday morning will force me to say the words at our neighborhood bakery. "I'd like an everything bagel and a morning glory muffin". And yes, uncut is the preference in all daily breads.
I'm a Baton Rouge native with enormous amounts of family in New Orleans, and we pronounce it LAN - yap. Mind you that might be butchered French, but it's how we say it in Southern Louisiana. We never much pay attention to how things are supposed to be, we just do it our way.
Disclaimer: I am a displaced Deep Southerner now living in the DC area.
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