This blog is for everyone who uses words.

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



Tuesday 19 May 2015

Thing To Do Today: kiss.

The one rule for all writing is to omit unneeded words, which I suppose can also be represented by the letters KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid.

Well, I'll do my best.

So, kiss someone. 

If you're surrounded by people you don't actually want to kiss, then kiss the air beside their cheeks.  If even that will get you punched or arrested, then a light touch on any part of the body can be called a kiss (but do still bear in mind the punched/arrested thing). If you don't want to touch anybody at all in any way, then balls in a game (snooker, say, or croquet) can kiss, which also describes the slightest possible touch.

You can even make your own kisses. That recipe is for lemon kisses, but for those on diets then there are always kiss curls:



(they're known in America, much less endearingly, as spit curls).

The kiss of life is something everyone should be able to do if necessary, but do try to avoid killing an enterprise by giving it the kiss of death, or killing a relationship with the rude dismissal called in America a kiss off.

And where does one do all this kissing

At a kissing gate, of course. 

File:Kissing Gate near the Devil's Pulpit - geograph.org.uk - 752097.jpg
Photo by Roy Parkinson.

If you can find one.

Word To Use Today: kiss. English people have been kissing for a long time. The Old English form was cyssan.



2 comments:

  1. My baby son has just learnt the meaning of 'kiss' (and the corresponding Spanish 'beso'). This doesn't have a lot of relevance to your post - I just wanted to boast about it : o )

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Quite right too - the boy is plainly a genius, he can't be much more than six months old.
      I wonder if beso is anything to do with the old Scots word for to kiss, buss?

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