Gastronomical

That’s a good word, “gastronomical.” It sounds like something really special and it’s great fun to say. In fact, it’s just one little letter away from being astronomical.

The truth of the matter is that, even though you’ll find the word being tossed around these days by food critics like too much black pepper, the word’s connotations aren’t very pretty. Don’t believe me? Gastric. Gastric juices. Gastric bypass. Gastrointestinal discomfort.

Now it’s not so appealing is it?!

Yeah, well, for some reason, I’ve had that word stuck in my head all morning. I hate that. It makes me feel weird. The fact that I get words stuck in my head, that is. Sure, we’ve all been tortured by songs. “Come on Eileen,” “Picture Book,” “Jesus Loves Me…” But words? I hope that I’m not alone here. It would feel good to know that I’m not the only one who walks around all morning with “aspire…aspirating…aspirate…aspirated…” being repeated ad nauseam.

“Ad nauseam.” There’s another great word. Nauseam. Magical. Abracadabra, prestidigitation, nauseam!

You may be wondering why I’m going on like this. Well, it’s because I don’t have the time to say anything really interesting. There. Now you know.


Fun Fact: Here are some long words. I guarantee that you won’t get them stuck in your head. TAUMATAWHAKATANGIHANGAKOAUAUOTAMATEA TURIPUKAKAPIKIMAUNGAHORONUKUPOKAIWHENUAKITANATAHU is a hill in New Zealand. PNEUMONOULTRAMICROSCOPICSILICOVOLCANOCONIOSIS is a lung disease caused by breathing volcanic dust. Then you have the stupid chemical names that are long just because they can be. Here’s the longest: ACETYLSERYLTYROSYLSERYLISOLEUCYLTHREONYLSE RYLPROLYLSERYLGLUTAMINYLPHENYLALANYLVALYLP HENYLALANYLLEUCYLSERYLSERYLVALYLTRYPTOPHYL ALANYLASPARTYLPROLYLISOLEUCYLGLUTAMYLLEUCY LLEUCYLASPARAGINYLVALYLCYSTEINYLTHREONYLSE RYLSERYLLEUCYLGLYCYLASPARAGINYLGLUTAMINYLP HENYLALANYLGLUTAMINYLTHREONYLGLUTAMINYLGLU TAMINYLALANYLARGINYLTHREONYLTHREONYLGLUTAM INYLVALYLGLUTAMINYLGLUTAMINYLPHENYLALANYLS ERYLGLUTAMINYLVALYLTRYPTOPHYLLYSYLPROLYLPH ENYLALANYLPROLYLGLUTAMINYLSERYLTHREONYLVAL YLARGINYLPHENYLALANYLPROLYLGLYCYLASPARTYLV ALYLTYROSYLLYSYLVALYLTYROSYLARGINYLTYROSYL ASPARAGINYLALANYLVALYLLEUCYLASPARTYLPROLYL LEUCYLISOLEUCYLTHREONYLALANYLLEUCYLLEUCYLG LYCYLTHREONYLPHENYLALANYLASPARTYLTHREONYLA RGINYLASPARAGINYLARGINYLISOLEUCYLISOLEUCYL GLUTAMYLVALYLGLUTAMYLASPARAGINYLGLUTAMINYL GLUTAMINYLSERYLPROLYLTHREONYLTHREONYLALANY LGLUTAMYLTHREONYLLEUCYLASPARTYLALANYLTHREO NYLARGINYLARGINYLVALYLASPARTYLASPARTYLALAN YLTHREONYLVALYLALANYLISOLEUCYLARGINYLSERYL ALANYLASPARAGINYLISOLEUCYLASPARAGINYLLEUCY LVALYLASPARAGINYLGLUTAMYLLEUCYLVALYLARGINY LGLYCYLTHREONYLGLYCYLLEUCYLTYROSYLASPARAGI NYLGLUTAMINYLASPARAGINYLTHREONYLPHENYLALAN YLGLUTAMYLSERYLMETHIONYLSERYLGLYCYLLEUCYLV ALYLTRYPTOPHYLTHREONYLSERYLALANYLPROLYLALANYLSERINE.

Oh, and the latest TAM Cartoon is up. Give it a gander. Gander. Gander. Gander. Gander. Antidisestablishmentarianism.