This blog is for everyone who uses words.

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



Friday 20 June 2014

Word To Use Today: pompom.

Here's one small word: pompom.

What does it mean to you?

Joy?

Or killing?

It's joy for me: tumbling clowns with pompom buttons; a pompom bounding along on top of a child's hat...

...mathematical dahlias (someone's pride and joy)...

File:Dahlia pom pom.jpg

...carnival!

But some of us hear killing.

Pompom (or pom-pom): a cannon, especially an anti-aircraft cannon.

Well, I've made my choice.

What's yours?

Word To Use Today: pompom. The cannon word is an imitation of its noise. The fluffy-ball word comes from the Old French pompe, a  knot of ribbons.





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