This blog is for everyone who uses words.

The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.



Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Thing To Do Today: waltz.

I've been doing a fair bit of waltzing, lately.



Pierre-August Renoir

I'm glad to report that I did it without putting a foot wrong, too, even though yesterday the waltzes happened to be rather complicated things by Brahms and Liszt.

Well, I was sitting down at the time, which helps.

So how do you waltz sitting down? Well, I was playing the piano (and though my feet didn't stray I can't vouch entirely for my fingers). I'm usually more of a Bach type, but the odd waltz is good fun from time to time.

Even if you don't play a musical instrument you can still waltz; even if you can't sing you can waltz (though very nearly everyone can sing); and not being able to dance shouldn't stop you, either.

All you have to do is suddenly take yourself off somewhere without a care in the world.

So, will you waltz off to the pictures?

Waltz off to the shops?

Or even waltz off to go, well, waltzing?

There is a slight idea that the waltzer is leaving someone resentfully behind to do all the work, but...

...hmm, that is a bit of a problem, isn't it.

Ah well. I suppose you could always go on a waltzer:



or perhaps waltz Matilda, which in Australia means to travel the road carrying your possessions in a bag as you go:



Extra points if can do it in triple time without a care in the world.

Thing To Do Today: waltz. This word comes from the German Waltzer, from the Middle High German walzen, to roll. 

6 comments:

  1. I had to comment, since I, too, love Bach. I haven't heard much of Lizst and Brahms, so I think I'll go see what I can find! Especially where waltzes are concerned.

    (I found your blog on Lexicolatry, by the way)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Welcome, Emily, it's great to hear from you.
    I'd much rather listen to a Bach minuet than a B&L's waltz, but I find with a lot of music that the relief when it stops generally makes it worth the trouble of listening.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh people in England love getting themselves Brahms and Lizst - every Friday and Saturday night, town centres across the land are filled with people celebrating their love.

    And it's funny you write about this now, Sally, as just yesterday I was showing my daughter a waltz I wrote on the piano many, many years ago (and had forgotten about) for a music exam.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What a dad! She's at an age to be impressed, too.
      Clever of you to make the most of it.
      I'll look forward to COMPOSE on lexicolatry.

      Delete
  4. Tuesday's episode of Strictly: It Takes Two included a lesson on how to waltz. Now I know where they get their ideas from!

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03jv6r3/Strictly_It_Takes_Two_Series_11_Episode_42/ (starts at 8.19)

    Maybe next Tuesday's word could be 'charleston'? Or perhaps 'samba' or 'tango'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. All very good ideas, Anon. Watch this space!

      Delete

All comments are very welcome, but please make them suitable for The Word Den's family audience.