A Real Favorite Word

We saw an on-line feature today about the 10 Favorite Words of people in the U.S.

We looked to see how they determined this, but found it was a silly promo listing a bunch of whimsical words, and if there is anything we do not like in general it is whimsy. We don't even like the word whimsy.

But it reminded us of a real person with a real favorite word, for a real reason, our friend Anne.

Anne asked us out of the blue one morning whether we had a favorite word. It was one of those questions you ask when you would like to be asked it yourself. But we bit and didn't mind; we like Anne and she doesn't normally talk that much, and we like to encourage expression.

So we said,

- No, Anne, do you?

- I do.

-What is it?

- It's the word "muffin."

We pondered this and thought of a couple of possible reasons why, neither of which we hoped was the reason; so we asked. Why muffin?

"Because," Anne said. "Because there is the word 'muffin,' I don't have to say, 'I eat cake for breakfast every morning.' "

Steve Burke
for Ithaca NY Blog