
Monday, November 30, 2009
I Feel Like a Turkey

National Lampoon is Funny Too

Pronunciation: \lam-ˈpün\
Function: noun
Etymology: French lampon
Date: 1645
: satire 1; specifically : a harsh satire usually directed against an individual
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Pa (cough), I think I have the black lung!

funny word of the day: lung
From Wikipedia:
The lung or pulmonary system is the essential respiration organ in all air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart. Their principal function is to transport oxygen from the atmosphere into the bloodstream, and to release carbon dioxide from the bloodstream into the atmosphere. This exchange of gases is accomplished in the mosaic of specialized cells that form millions of tiny, exceptionally thin-walled air sacs called alveoli.
In order to completely explain the anatomy of the lungs, it is necessary to discuss the passage of air through the mouth to the alveoli. Once air progresses through the mouth or nose, it travels through the oropharynx, nasopharynx, the larynx, the trachea, and a progressively subdividing system of bronchi and bronchioles until it finally reaches the alveoli where the gas exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen takes place.[
The quote in the title of this post is from one of my favorite movies, Zoolander, when Ben Stiller's lead character goes home to the coal mine country of New Jersey to visit his father, played brilliantly by Jon Voight.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Touche!

funny word of the day: foible
1 : the part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point 2 : a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : weakness
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Sounds Funny but Tastes Good
Tabbouleh
Tabbouleh (Arabic: تبولة; also tabouleh or tabouli) is a Levantine salad dish,[1][2] of Lebanese origin.[citation needed] Traditionally a mountain dish from the Eastern Mediterranean, it has become one of the most popular Middle Eastern salads.[3]
Its primary ingredients are finely chopped parsley, bulgur, mint, tomato, spring onion, and other herbs with lemon juice, olive oil and various seasonings, generally including black pepper and sometimes cinnamon and allspice.
In the Arab world, but particularly the Greater Syrian region, it is usually served as part of the mezze,[4][5] and is served with romaine lettuce.[6] In Iraq, the dish is considered native to Mosul, whose cuisine is tightly linked to that of Syria.[7] The Lebanese, who are considered to be master tabbouleh makers, use more parsley than bulgur wheat in their dish.[4]
A Turkish variation of the dish is known as ksir,[3] while a similar Armenian dish is known as eetch. In Cyprus, where the dish was introduced by the Lebanese, it is known as tambouli.[8]
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Does This Mean You're Really Religious?

funny word of the day: juju
1 : a fetish, charm, or amulet of West African peoples 2 : the magic attributed to or associated with
: a style of West African music that is characterized by a rapid beat, the use of percussion instruments, and vocal harmonies
Also used in the phrase "bad juju," which means that there's a bad aura around something and it spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E!
Friday, November 13, 2009
I'm in a Pickle

funny word of the day: pickle
I love pickles and, since I've been pregnant, have been liking them even more (yes, the myth is true, although I don't combine them with ice cream -- yuck). If you don't know that a pickle is a cucumber pickled in brine, you don't deserve to eat them.
If you're craving some pickles now, I'd recommend two small pickle companies (the companies are small, not the pickles!) that are sold in my hometown of Brooklyn, NY:
McClure's, which you can order here: http://www.mcclurespickles.com/
Rick's Picks, which you can get here: http://rickspicksnyc.com/
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Nothing Better than NOLA

funny word of the day: jambalaya
This is a Louisiana specialty that kind of resembles paella and one of many indigenous dishes to New Orleans and its environs. I happen to adore NOLA and its food (especially the oysters and beignets -- yum!) but I've actually never eaten jambalaya.
From Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jambalaya):
Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meats and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. It is also a close cousin to the saffron colored paella found in Spanish culture. There are two primary methods of making jambalaya.
The first and most common is Creole jambalaya (also called "red jambalaya"). First, meat is added, usually chicken and sausage such as andouille or smoked sausage. Next vegetables and tomatoes are added to cook, followed by seafood. Rice and stock are added in equal proportions at the very end. The mixture is brought to a boil and left to simmer for 20 to 60 minutes, depending on the recipe, with infrequent stirring. Towards the end of the cooking process, stirring usually ceases.
The second style, more characteristic of southwestern and south-central Louisiana, is Cajun jambalaya, which contains no tomatoes. The meat is browned in a cast-iron pot. The bits of meat that stick to the bottom of the pot are what give a Cajun jambalaya its brown color. A little vegetable oil is added if there is not enough fat in the pot. The trinity (of onions, celery, and green bell pepper) is added and sautéed until soft. Stock and seasonings are added in the next step, and then the meats are returned to the pot. This mixture is then simmered, covered, for at least one hour. Lastly, the mixture is brought to a boil and rice is added to the pot. It is then covered and left to simmer over very low heat for at least 1/2 hour without stirring. The dish is finished when the rice has cooked.
A third method is less common. In this version, meat and vegetables are cooked separately from the rice. At the same time, rice is cooked in a savory stock. It is added to the meat and vegetables before serving. This is called "white Jambalaya." This dish is rare in Louisiana as it is seen as a "quick" attempt to make jambalaya, popularized outside the state to shorten cooking time.
Jambalaya is considered by most Louisianians to be a simple dish to prepare, yet filling, rice dish; gumbos, étouffées, and creoles are considered more difficult to perfect. Most often a long grain white rice is used in making jambalaya.
Jambalaya is differentiated from other traditional ethnic Louisiana dishes, such as gumbo and étouffée, by the way in which the rice is included. In the latter dishes, the rice is cooked separately and is served as a bed on which the main dish is served. In the usual method of preparing Jambalaya, a rich stock is created from vegetables, meat, and seafood. Raw rice is then added to the broth and the flavor is absorbed by the grains as the rice cooks.
I've Been MIA with my FWOTD

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but I've been really busy and spent a few days in the hospital last week (which is why I missed a couple days of FWOTD). All is ok now so no worries but it kept me from blogging -- although on most days I still posted to Twitter and Facebook so if you follow me on either, you would have been up to date. If not, here are my latest funny words of the day:
funny word of the day: murmur Nov 11th
funny word of the day: hullaballoo 5:16 PM Nov 10th
Funny word of the day: girdle 8:56 PM Nov 8th
Funny word of the day: falafel 9:19 AM Nov 7th
Funny word of the day: clingy 7:40 PM Nov 4th
funny word of the day: putz 5:49 PM Nov 3rd
Monday, November 2, 2009
Belated Halloween

I haven't gotten around to posting the last few days but in honor of All Hallow's Eve and Halloween, here were the two funny words of the day:
10/30: spooky
10/31: ghoul
Two more previous words I didn't post:
10/29: duty
10/28: slobber
Today's FWOTD: bubble
Definition from Merriam-Webster:
1bub·ble
1 : a small globule typically hollow and light: as a : a small body of gas within a liquid b : a thin film of liquid inflated with air or gas c : a globule in a transparent solid d : something (as a plastic or inflatable structure) that is hemispherical or semicylindrical
2 a : something that lacks firmness, solidity, or reality b : a delusive scheme
3 : a sound like that of bubbling
4 : magnetic bubble
5 : a state of booming economic activity (as in a stock market) that often ends in a sudden collapse
6 : the condition of being at risk of exclusion or replacement (as from a tournament) —usually used in the phrase on the bubble