In this edition of the Writer’ Lexicon, Ms Steinemann urges us to invent adjectives (a form of loosening the neurons, if you will) just as Lewis Carroll did.
Combination
The nineteenth century author combined words to create slithy (slimy+lithe), and even mimsy (miserable+flimsy).
Let’s have a go ourselves, shall we?
Altacomio (pertaining to, and in reference of, anything having to do with my taco)
Brutesque (resembling, or reminiscent of a brute)
Nerdful (full of nerdiness)
Lesbic (pertaining to Lesbianism; creds, this one belongs to a workshop mate back in grad school)
Curvious (a more natural, granola kind of curvy)
Gapine (relating to the Gap Store)
Waitish (having the quality of waiting)
Ballive (having the quality of a ball)
Librarialicious (delightfully and extremely being a librarian)
Nintendo-like (like a Nintendo, but not)
Delly (characterized by being a Dell, but not quite)
Boredomous (full of boredom)
Chestular (resembling a chest)
Stereotypes
Manipulate stereotype and give them an unexpected twist . . . you could liken a beautiful nurse to a curvaceous android. Just three words, curvaceous, android, and nurse, create a mini-portrait.
A hardened private detective who only drinks raspberry daiquiris.
A space alien conducting an experiment on the human race by selling ice cream from an ice cream truck.
A Chinese restaurant that serves sushi, pasta, and hot dogs, depending on the day.
Character Flaws
Combine negatives with positives to create fresh nuances of character. You’ll soon discover imaginative phrases such as: aloof radiance, icy allure, indifferent appeal, tainted loveliness.
Stinkingly adorable
Disastrously alluring
Pitiful amazement
Awfully appealing
Fantastically arresting
Passably arresting
Common astonishment
Minimally astouding
Plain attractive
Awe-inspiring evil
Awesome disappointment
Beauteous villain
Bedazzling laziness
Beguilingly clever
Bewitching commercial
Bodacious mediocrity
Bonny electricity
Boundless stupidity
Breathtaking hold music
Captivating incompetence
Celestial distraction
Charismatic lies
Charming peasant
Chaste alcoholic
Cherubic demon
Distracting come-hither
Comely cheerleader
Compelling snot
Consummate loser
Coquettish cicada
Cosmopolitan hobo
Curvaceous glacier
Cute poop
Dazzling disregard
Delectable vomit
Delicious cockroach
Delightful dork
Desirably detestable
Disarmingly attractive
Divine nap
Dreamy rock concert
Dumbfounding ingenuity
Dynamic frontiers
Dynamite undertaking
Electrifying snail
Elegant ear lobe
Empyrean dirt
Enchanting bath robe
Endearing blade of grass
Engaging pimple
Enrapturing debt
Enthralling auto accident
Enticing tummy ache
Entrancing toxicity
Ethereal yapping
Exceptionally ignorant
Exciting rain
Exotic water boy
Exquisite potatoes
Extraordinary Mondays
Eye-catching traffic
Fabulous pin prick
Fair puss
Fascinating pain
Fetching beast
Fiery drone
Fine balding
Flabbergasting paper clips
Flaming 40 oz
Flawless mole
Flirtatious weeds
Formidable knot
Foxy sucker
Genteel butter fingers
Genuine crook
Glamorous dweeb
Glittering goat
Glorious glory hole
Glowing red lights
Good-looking bruise
Gorgeous scar
Gracious tardy bell
Gripping illness
Handsome corruption
Heady trial
Heavenly affair
Hot bank robbery
Hypnotic abduction
Immeasurable death
Impeccable incest
Imposing STD
Incomparable isolation
Inconceivable betray
Incredible abortion
Indescribable crisis
Inescapable murder
Inexorable destruction
Infinite cancer
Inimitable divorce
Intoxicating crime
Intriguing desolation
Inviting prison
Irresistible horror
Jaw-dropping infertility
Knockout war
Limitless apathy
Lissome dyslexia
Lovely ghost
Luminously dirty dishes
Lush failure
Lustrous necrophilia
. . . (I’m going to do just one or two words per letter now!!)
Noble hangman
Opulent disgrace
Peerless idiot
Ravishing student debt
Sensational arm cast
Teasing pebble
Unprecedented abuse
Vivacious crack head
Wholesome homelessness
