8 Scrumptious Words to Describe Your Thanksgiving Dinner

Chefs are like writers—always combining the elements of their trade to create new works of art. How else do you think we got ice cream made with liquid nitrogen? When it comes to describing food, some writers stick to common words: delicious, tasty, yummy. But eating is a multisensory experience. Here are some scrumptious food adjectives to appeal to all our senses.

Toothsome means pleasing to the taste. But the mention of teeth conjures up thoughts of how food feels in your mouth. For some, the appeal of potato chips is in the delightful crunch. Many disdain cereal after milk changes its texture. Which foods please your palate and your teeth?

Ambrosial derives from ambrosia. You might know it as a sweet fruit dessert, but it was first the name of the food of the gods of Greek mythology. Now, anything especially delicious or fragrant is ambrosial. Can you think of a snack that smells and tastes divine?

Redolent refers to having a pleasing odor. Writers often use it for foods that are naturally fragrant, such as garlic, herbs, and citrus fruits.

Nectarous foods have the sweet, delicious taste of nectar or resemble it in appearance. Rarely, the adjective is spelled nectareous or nectarean. However you spell it, the food it describes is delish!

Sapid dishes are agreeable to the tongue. Sapid also means flavorful. Yes, it’s a rather mild compliment to give, but praise is praise.

Aperitive means stimulating to the appetite. You may know the related French word, apéritifs: appetite-boosting alcoholic beverages such as pastis, champagne, or dry sherry. Fragrant spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, and fennel are aperitive. That’s why the smell of highly spiced foods may make your stomach rumble.

Many of the adjectives in this article are defined in the dictionary using the terms “agreeable” or “pleasing”.

Piquant is no different. In particular, piquant meals are pungent, sharp, biting, or tart—in a good way. To give you an idea, peppery, zesty, and highly seasoned are among the synonyms of this flavorful word.

Herbaceous fare often smells amazing. Rosemary, mint, and other aromatic herbs are responsible for the mouthwatering odors. In addition to their smell and taste, herbs offer health benefits. Research from the National Academy of Sciences suggests that oregano, for example, is helpful in fighting inflammation.

How was your last meal? Perhaps before reading this article, you would have been content to describe it as delectable. But after considering how eating activates the senses, can you think of a better adjective? Why not surprise your host at the next dinner party you attend with an adjective that reflects how multidimensional the food is!

First, Firstly, At First…Which Is It?

First and firstly are both ordinal (or ordering) adverbs that English speakers and writers use to enumerate related points (e.g., first…second…third… or firstly…secondly…thirdly…). Because first, second, and third work perfectly well as both adjectives and adverbs, some people find that adding -ly is superfluous and even a little bit pretentious. In other words, it is grammatical overkill.

Is “Firstly” a Real Word?

Dictionary giants Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster did not recognize firstly as a word at all. Surprised? Native English speakers naturally warm to the word firstly as an ordinal adverb because most adverbs end in -ly. Not all adverbs do; consider fast, well, and often, for example.

Johnson and Webster clearly believed that first should be included in this irregular adverb group, and that firstly should never be used at all.

Yet it would be silly to say that firstly isn’t part of the English language. We hear it all the time. The question is this: will using firstly when you enumerate points make your writing seem less correct?

Should I Use “First” or “Firstly?”

It is not wrong to use firstly, secondly, and so on to enumerate your points. Nor is it wrong to use the simpler first, second, etc.

I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. Firstly, I would love to see the Colosseum. Secondly, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Thirdly, they have great pizza.

I have three reasons for wanting to visit Rome. First, I would love to see the Colosseum. Second, I’m sure the pope is dying to meet me. Third, I need better pizza.

These statements are equivalent in meaning. Nevertheless, there are good reasons for choosing the “first” sequence over the “firstly” sequence.

First, using first is a sure win. If your writing is being published or evaluated, or even if you would like to seem proficient to your coworkers, use the construction that is never criticized rather than the one that is frequently criticized.

Second, the unnecessary -ly may not seem pretentious to you when applied to the lower numbers, but they will, once you follow them logically up the scale. Beyond fourthly and fifthly, they become quite ridiculous. (Seventhly? Eleventhly?)

Third, have you ever noticed that firstly doesn’t have a cognate in the idioms we use every day? You would never say firstly come, firstly served or at firstly glance.

Whichever system you choose, avoid mixing your methods. For example, using firstly then second and third, will simply open you up to more censure, even if there is no hard-and-fast rule to stop you.

When to Use “At First”

At first is not used to enumerate points as first and firstly are.

There are two steps to signing in to our website. At first, type your login name. Next, type in your password.

There are two steps to signing in to our website. First, type your login name. Next, type in your password.

The phrase at first means “in or at the beginning.”

At first, I thought a burglar had come in, but then I realized it was the cat.

She denied eating the cookie at first, but she soon understood that the crumbs on her dress had given her away.

I disliked bungee jumping at first, but now I can’t imagine living without it.

If you just can’t get enough of ordinal numbers now that you have learned about first vs. firstly, find out some more about them.

12 Essential Books to Read on LitMas

Merry LitMas!

Joy to the world, the bookish holiday has arrived! How will you celebrate?

We will be cracking the spines of a few of our favorite reads from this year (which, incidentally, make great last-minute gifts for that other holiday that rhymes with LitMas). We may curl up with a book and some tea, stretch out with cocoa and a sweater, or bring a book to a favorite literary haunt. Wherever we end up, we’ll be reading some of the best books of 2016, a year marked by some impressive contributions to the fiction and nonfiction worlds alike.

What will you do today to make the world a little more bookworm friendly? Tweet your thoughts at us with #LitMas.

Here are our official LitMas best books of 2016, neatly organized by category.

Fiction

1 Swing Time by Zadie Smith

It’s no secret that this is one of the best books of the year. It’s been a top pick on even the most discerning book critics’ 2016 lists, and for good reason. Zadie Smith is a masterful storyteller, and this book is proof.

2 Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood

To read or not to read is never a question we ask, especially about this instant classic. Margaret Atwood takes on Shakespeare’s The Tempest from a fresh, Canadian point of view. It has the advantages of a familiar plot arc and brand-new characters, and is definitely worth a read.

3 What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

Not looking for a long read? This loose collection of stories will keep you reading, without the emotional tax of one narrative. Keep an eye out for #trending references to YouTube stars amidst the magical prose.

Nonfiction

4 Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

If the trailers for the upcoming film adaptation don’t excite you, then we’re not sure what we can say about this important work. It has space, math, strong female characters, and a true story that would rival any novel.

5 Atlas Obscura by Joshua Foer

We’ll admit, this one is a bit obscure. But, if you need a gift for the family hipster cousin or want to journey into the weird unknown solo, this is definitely the map to guide you.

6 Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Jahren may be a geobiologist by trade, but she writes like a seasoned memoirist. Her descriptions of her life, peppered with musings on the natural world, are as moving as they are beautiful.

Graphic Novels

7 MARCH by Andrew Aydin

Much like Swing Time, this book comes with its fair share of positive hype. Luckily, its blend of breathtaking illustration and historical fact lives up to every word.

8 Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

For those with younger comics enthusiasts in their lives, Ghosts is a great last-minute gift idea! A touching story combines with bold images to make a lovely graphic novel.

9 Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan

Okay, this one may be stretching the idea of “graphic novel,” since it is actually a series of comics. However, the weird and wonderful storytelling from a bunch of strong pre-teen girls is refreshing enough to make this a must-have on this list.

Books on Books

10 The Bad-*** Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer

Despite its off-color title, this is one awesome (and true) story of literary perseverance. These warriors for knowledge and cultural preservation prove that librarians are the true superheroes, and Hammer’s description of their struggle is at some points touching and at others simply action-packed.

11 A Child of Books by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston

This entry might strike you as a bit odd, since it is a short picture book. However, the wonder the main character experiences when talking about books will help you recapture the feeling of reading your first novel. Read it. You’ll see.

12 How to Write Like Tolstoy by Richard Cohen

If you’re a fan of Grammarly’s blog, the Brain Pickings blog, or any of the other books-and-writing-related blogs around, chances are you’ll love this book. Cohen analyzes different writers’ mindsets, habits, and routines to see how they wrote what they wrote. It’s great whether you’re looking for writing tips or are just fascinated with the eccentric daily lives of writers.

The Nobel Prize, Modern Shakespeare, and Tweeting Your Way to Better Writing

This week, Svetlana Alexievich broke new ground in the literary world by becoming the first journalist to win the Nobel Prize for her nonfiction writing. In other news, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival has commissioned a rewrite of Shakespeare’s plays and the Internet can be both a friend and foe when it comes to your writing. Check out the full stories below:

Our Favorite Stories:

1. 2015 Nobel Prize for Literature Winner Svetlana Alexievich’s Life and Writing, Explained (Vox)
2. Shakespeare in Modern English? (The New York Times)
3. How Twitter’s 140-Character Limit Made Me a Better Writer (Life Hacker)
4. Internet Distraction: The Writer’s Main Dilemma (The Huffington Post)

Staff Book Picks of the Week:

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (A Song of Ice and Fire) (Fiction) George R. R. Martin

“Taking place nearly a century before the events of A Game of Thrones, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms compiles the first three official prequel novellas to George R. R. Martin’s ongoing masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. These never-before-collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness.”

 

A House of My Own: Stories from My Life (Nonfiction) Sandra Cisneros

“From the author of The House on Mango Street, a richly illustrated compilation of true stories and nonfiction pieces that, taken together, form a jigsaw autobiography—an intimate album of a beloved literary legend.”

Author & Illustrator Birthdays

Donald Sobol — October 4, 1924

Anne Rice — October 4, 1941

Louise Fitzhugh — October 5, 1928

R.L. Stein — October 8, 1943

 

To Correct or Not to Correct? How to Instill Strong Language Skills in Children

By Laura Wallis for The Stir by CafeMom

I come from a long line of English teachers on my mother’s side. I remember being corrected on my grammar pretty much as soon as I could speak—for my grandmother, my full grasp of the distinction between “bring” and “take” was as vital as covering my mouth when I yawned. Speaking and writing correctly was just good manners.

These days, though, the school of thought on correcting kids has relaxed somewhat. Even if you have the heart to correct your kids (see our previous post, “Too Cute To Correct”)—it isn’t necessarily the best thing to do. Here are a couple of reasons why and some suggestions on what you might do instead.

Correcting can actually disrupt learning

In the early years of writing, your child is absorbing a lot of information. Learning to tell a story, explaining who the major characters are, adding details and action, and expressing emotions are complicated tasks. I learned this lesson from my children’s kindergarten and first-grade teachers, who would remind us parents to let small things like spelling mistakes go when reviewing our kids’ early writing efforts.

Many teachers think that the creative or “temporary” spellings of words that our kids come up with are perfectly fine placeholders and help to keep kids on task. Focusing on the correct spelling of each word—and even on proper punctuation—can slow down all the heavy-duty thinking that goes into writing.

What to do instead of correct? Take cues from the teacher. What is the focus of the writing assignment? If it’s persuasive writing, look for an instance where your child made a good argument, and praise that. Same if she did a great job of adding descriptive detail in recounting a small moment. If a word from your child’s weekly sight-word spelling list appears, it’s okay to make sure that one is spelled correctly and review it if not. Otherwise, it might be better to let it go.

Correcting can discourage

Although some mistakes can be grating and hard to ignore, interrupting your child’s speech on the regular to say “Jimmy and I, dear, not Jimmy and ME” is a pretty good way to torpedo your kid’s confidence.

A friendlier, and maybe even more effective approach in the long run, is to take a page from the nursery school teachers’ playbook and model correct speech yourself. If your little one says “Daddy drived me to school” you can say “He drove you to school? Did you miss the bus?”

It’s just a nicer way to go, and if she hears it the right way often enough, eventually it’s sure to stick.

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Laura Wallis is a freelance writer and editor specializing in all things family, home, food, and health. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and dog—none of whom take grammar as seriously as they should. She writes for The Stir by CafeMom.