Perusing the Dictionary In Pursuit of Pursuit

I’ve been pretty good with spelling as far back as I can remember, but there are a few words that I always seem to have problems spelling correctly. There are two categories here, actually:

1. Words that I spell incorrectly and which I know are wrong as soon as I see how I’ve spelled them, and

2. Words whose spelling, despite looking at them on the page or screen, still eludes me.

This second category caught my attention recently. I began to wonder what it was about these words that make them so hard for me to get right. I mean, when I look at (or just think about looking at) the word spelled however I think it should be, I have an odd, sinking feeling that it's not right. But I can't figure how it should be spelled, either.

So, today the word is “pursue.” I tend to spell this “persue.” Sure, when they’re right next to each other, I’m pretty sure that the first one is correct - though there’s still room for doubt. So, I thought about this particular word for a while . . .

I think what messes me up is that there are two “u” vowels in it, right next to each other, but they are not pronounced the same. I think that’s why my brain wants to put something different than a “u” in the first spot. After all, the other “u,” in the “sue” part of the word, actually sounds like a “u” - “yooooooo.” I suppose that from now on I will need to remember that this word is one of those odd ones in this language. Odd to me, anyway.

Oh yeah. Don't even remind me of the existence of “peruse!”

Assorted Insanity (a.k.a. English Sucks)

What do you associate with the word, "assorted?" For me, it is a box of assorted chocolates - the kind that are all mixed up so that you can't really tell what's inside the candy until you bite down on it. I mean, these boxes of chocolates almost always have the word "assorted" printed somewhere on the outside. So, for me,

Assorted = Chocolates

A few days ago the Word of the Day that is emailed to me from the Merriam-Webster web site was "assorted." Here's the definition that came with it:

as·sort·ed /əˈsɔrtɪd/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[uh-sawr-tid] how IPA Pronunciation– adjective

1.	consisting of different or various kinds; miscellaneous: assorted flavors; assorted sizes.

2.	consisting of selected kinds; arranged in sorts or varieties: rows of assorted vegetables.

3.	matched; suited.

---

[Origin: 1790–1800; assort + -ed²]

The first definition matched up closely with my own understanding of the word. But I read further and realized an interesting incongruity in my thinking. The second and third definitions imply some kind of order: sorting; arranged; matched. Funny, even though the root word, "sort" is pretty obvious, I'd never thought of this word as having anything to do with order - it was always miscellany/chaotic/unorganized to me.

So, does anyone use "assorted" to refer to something that's been sorted? Something that has varying parts, but which parts have been grouped together by some kind of sorting process? Not me. And I'm kind of ticked off that I never thought about it before. I mean, the word even says "sorted" in it!

I dunno. The weirdness probably comes from some long-forgotten, but gruesome past.

Stupid English with its sordid origins.

Plain Vanilla

I have met perhaps two people whose favorite flavor of ice cream is vanilla. I have met so many more whose is chocolate. Those who are fans of vanilla, when asked about their flavor tend to be a bit apologetic. Has anyone else noticed this? Why apologize? It seems obvious to me: Vanilla is Plain.

It is even in our common parlance: “plain vanilla.” Is it “plain” because things with vanilla in them tend to be white? Why is that? Why is that the color that we associate with vanilla? Well, certainly ice cream is where it starts - for me, at least. Any tasty treat that I know of which has “vanilla” in its name is predominantly, if not completely, white. Vanilla extract, though, is kind of brown. If I understand vanilla origins correctly, brown is the color of the dried vanilla bean. (It is green prior to drying out.) The vanilla flower can be white, green, greenish yellow, or cream. So who chose white?

Now, I can see where “white” and “plain” can go together. I think that is really what the connection is. But why are “vanilla” and “white” so linked, and thus the supposed plainness of vanilla? Personally, if I ate brown-colored vanilla ice cream, I think it would taste amazing. I really like the flavor of vanilla. This summer I made several batches of my own “Orange Julius” with my new blender. The ingredients: ice, water, orange juice concentrate, vanilla ice cream, vanilla extract. When I make this, as when I make just about anything that calls for vanilla extract, I usually double the amount of extract, at least. The way that the pungent vanilla flavor hits me makes me want to have more.

I’ll admit it - I Love Vanilla Flavor. But I still think vanilla ice cream is plain. I can’t get over that for some reason. Is vanilla ice cream “plain” because its flavor goes so well with so many other things? Think about all the toppings that we would put on vanilla, but which might not go so well on other flavors. And how about vanilla ice cream accompanying other sweets: pie, cake, and the like? I think that makes vanilla somewhat versatile and universal. Does that make it plain?

What would life be like if whoever picked the color for vanilla had chosen brown? I read a review of a book about vanilla on Amazon.com, where it stated that Cortes and his troops became aware of vanilla and chocolate at about the same time, and introduced them to Europeans. I wonder if the colors associated with these two flavors were also “picked” around the same time. What if the color for chocolate had been white, and vanilla had been brown? I have actually opened a live cacao pod and the seeds inside are encased in a gooey white mess. And given the brownness of the vanilla bean, it certainly seems like it could have come out this way.

Would we now be calling the simple, boring choice a “plain chocolate” one?

I think that the association of plainness with vanilla comes, without question, from its whiteness. That, and the fact that vanilla is so plentiful. I mean, if vanilla were really had to come by, I wonder if it would still be “plain,” even if it were also white. If it were rare, would it still be white?

There’s something to ponder . . .