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Bollard: (BOL-uhrd) noun  
            
            A thick post on a ship or wharf, used for securing ropes and hawsers.

[Middle English, probably from bole, tree trunk.] 

            He was a great, big, bollard of a man with more veins than brains. Of course, Maraj was captivated.

            The image of herself in a Rolls sporting a license plate that said "KEPT," was foremost on her mind as she let the security guard collect her ticket (smoothly pulled from her cleavage of course,) and then glided over to Davey Crockett the Rockett's cheering section at the Professional Zen Domination Wrestling Dome. – N

             While enjoying a soak in the Jacuzzi after the most incredibly long, hard day of shopping for something to wear to whatever social event came up next, Maraj planned the menu for the get together with friends. Quiche Lorraine, a frabjous pork and hominy Mexican stew, cheddar biscuits and a relish tray. Chips and salsa of course. And something classy like that house wine that came in a box decorated like a little cottage!

             She would call Rosario and have her prepare everything.  -- N

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Background: 

Along with countless other people the world over, I enjoy my subscription to A. Word. A. Day. that results in a daily email message with interesting, sometimes completely unknown-to-me words, along with pronounciation guide, etymology typical usage and more.

The New York Times hailed AWADmail as: "The most welcomed, most enduring piece of daily mass e-mail in cyberspace."

One day way back when, I decided that for learning, it would be helpful and fun to use the words AWAD sent to me in a sentence or two. Of course I found myself going beyond that and using them in not-so-obvious ways that entertained my friends as well as myself. Sometimes I use words incorrectly on purpose. But if you know the meaning, you get the joke. It is kind of a backward way of doing things, but that's creativity, right?

The first character inspired by AWAD was Maraj (not her real name.) She has quite a few fans. At the encouragement of several persistent friends, I decided it was time to share her and the others with my new friends here at OS, and begin on the first day of 2010. 

I'm offering vocabulary words I received from AWAD and what I wrote to practice using them. Tell me this isn't a much more fun way to work on improving one's vocabulary. Enjoy. Maraj and more will be back – and check out www.wordsmith.org to sign up for the free subscription. They don't know me, but for fun tell them I sent you. Like OS, it can be addictive. -- Natalie