"Words are the physicians of the mind diseased" ~Aeschylus

I would like to take some time to make a formal homage to my best newfound friend of the week. She is fun, and a fellow word-nerd like myself. Plus, she handled my ribbing with maturity and humor. And so it is with great linguistic fanfare that I share with her (and everyone else) my all-time favorite word: pip. The definitions are as endless as they are varied:

1. one of the spots on dice, playing cards, or dominoes

2. each of the small segments on the surface of a pineapple

3. metal insigne of rank on commissioned officers' shoulders

4. an individual rootstock of a plant (e.g., lily of the valley)

5. an entire root of a plant (e.g., peony)

6. a contagious disease of poultry causing tongue scales

7. one of the scales of the afore-mentioned disease

8. any unspecified ailment (in a person)

9. a small seed from fleshy fruit (e.g., an apple)

10. someone or something wonderful

11. to peep or chirp

12. to break out from a shell (e.g., like a bird)

13. to crack or chip a hole through

14. a spot of light on a radar screen indicating position of an object

15. to defeat by a narrow margin

16. to shoot, especially to wound, by a gunshot

17. to blackball

18. a feeling of irritation or annoyance

19. a speck

20. a short high-pitched tone

And there you have it -- the most versatile and indefatigable word in the English language, and my humble apology to wendybird.

Next week: solipsism.