100 Words a Day 490, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 20/20

He was tired by eventide, having worked most of the daylight hours. He shut his computer and donned his coat, preparing to brave the winter cold while waiting for the bus. He passed by Veronica’s desk and gave it a forlorn look. That day she had worn a red and orange dress, making her a stand out like a fire in the night against the colorless walls that he inhabited. He had never spoken to her; she arrived after him, left before, and they never worked on the same project. He wished he could find some excuse to say hello.

100 Words a Day 489, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 19/20

Barbigerous was the term often used to describe the guard. To a man, they cultivated long, flowing, and luxuriant beards. The two standing at the portcullis had particularly substantial examples of what a man could do if he put his mind to it. The first guard’s beard seemed to glow, so healthy was its sheen. He kept it braided and decorated it was bits of gold and silver. The second man’s beard was unkempt. It was black and prickly with a few streaks of grey. People had been known to describe him as a man walking behind an angry bush.

100 Words a Day 488, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 18/20

Dene stepped through the dull metal door, leaving the sterile corridor behind and entering the ship’s nature dome. She was assaulted by a myriad of hues, bright and sharp, that were otherwise absent from the rest of her life in utilitarian passageways and workstations on The Guzzler. After several moments of being overwhelmed by the colors, her eyes adjusted and she was able to distinguish the various flora and fauna that populated the ship’s verdant oasis. Looking up at the sky, she saw several birds reaching the highest point of the welkin. Though holographic, they were still creatures of beauty.

100 Words a Day 487, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 17/20

The economic troubles in America in the first half of the twenty first century caused considerable reevaluation of their political elite. Mounting catastrophes, ranging from quagmire wars to a botched attempt at universal healthcare, perpetrated through the deception of the populous or at the behest of private industry, made it obvious to the average citizen that those in charge had ceased to value the precepts upon which the country had been founded and were instead simple snollygusters.

Backlash began peacefully, but angry dissatisfaction eventually resulted in more violent protests and harsher suppression thereof. Predictably, the final outcome was violent revolution.

100 Words a Day 486, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 16/20

They found their lost cow in a gory mess deep in the troll’s cave. The large monster was guttling great handfuls of the poor beast’s flesh, shoveling them into its gaping mouth as fast as it was able. They watched silently from the shadows as blood and bits of innards dripped down the troll’s bulbous face.

A loud noise from behind caused them to turn. They froze when they saw a second troll ambling down the tunnel, outlined by the cool light of the moon streaming through the cave entrance. They were suddenly quite trapped with no way to escape.

100 Words a Day 485, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 15/20

When the bell rang, the bench went wild. It was their first win in years, and against last year’s champions. The players were jumping up and down, crying, hugging, simply losing it.

The afterparty was unusually lavish. There were tables piled with food and the drink flowed freely. What was normally a mutual celebration of athletic achievement and community quickly turned into a pannychis running long into the night.

By the end, most of the food was gone, either scattered about or swelling the bellies of the overindulgent. Who would have a hangover wasn’t the question, rather who would not.

100 Words a Day 484, Twenty Forgotten Words That Should be Brought Back 14/20

“You should definitely put ice on that when you get home,” John told Duane before leaving the room.

After he had left, Silvia leaned out from her cubicle, “I wouldn’t listen to Duane if I were you, John. He has a bad habit of Ultracrepidarianism. It’s cause more than a few people trouble at the office.”

“What do you mean?” John asked.

“Well, when Irene was pregnant, he kept telling her it was nonsense that she had to avoid her cat litterbox. Turns out, your baby can develop a lot of problems if it gets a particular bacteria found there.”