The Right Word

In Diamonds and Rust, Joan Baez wrote:

“Then give me another word for it
You who are so good with words
And at keeping things vague”

Perhaps there is a time for vagueness and a time for specificity.

When wandering around the Web, I learned that the Arabic language has over one thousand ways to refer to a camel. The names may denote the age or sex of the camel, whether a female camel has been bred, how fast the camel runs, or how much water the camel wants to drink.

Think of how many expressions we have for our vehicles. We have slang terms like gas-guzzler, specific expressions like ’56 Chevy Biscayne, and general acronyms like SUV. We have hot rods and clunkers, Vespas and H.O.Gs (Harley Owners’ Group), mopeds and monster trucks.   

It all comes down to using the right word at the right time in the right place.