Bill W

The word "conspire" comes from the Latin conspīrāre, which literally means "to breathe together". It is made up of the prefix com- ("with, together") and spīrāre ("to breathe"), combining to suggest an agreement or a shared purpose, originally with an implied secret or malicious intent. This root is shared with other English words like aspire, inspire, and expire. The original definition of conspire means to act or work in harmony with another to achieve a common goal. The meaning has evolved over time to specifically mean "to plot together," often for a criminal or mischievous purpose. The word "conspire" came to English from the Old French word conspirer and Latin conspirare. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the verb "conspire" was first used in English in in 1362 by the poet William Langland. Examples of "conspire" used in a sentence: To plan something harmful: "He suspected his colleagues were conspiring to sabotage his project." I had a persecution complex and thought people were conspiring against me. For events or circumstances to come together: "It felt like the universe was conspiring to prevent him from reaching his goal." "Events conspire to leave her alone on the streets of London." To secretly plot an illegal act: "The two spies conspired to steal the classified documents". "The criminals conspired to rob the bank." When many things work together to create a specific outcome: "The combined effects of the cold and the wind conspired to make travel difficult." "Bad luck and poor timing conspired against the team's efforts to win."

What could be more universal than a moving story about a boy and his dog. When the story begins, Jake, the protagonist, is at the age when the hormones are beginning to stir within his body and the angst of his youth and the feeling that he doesn't quite fit in are beginning to weigh on his mind. However, his questions about his life are suddenly set aside when he runs across a stray puppy one day while walking in the woods, and the pup looks uncared for and badly malnourished. Of course, Jake takes the puppy home with him and convinces his parents to let him keep it, and now that it's his, he names the pup Buster and the pair grows up together. This story has a great deal of action, a lot of drama, an enormous amount of love and tenderness, and we get to watch how this little puppy ends up affecting Jake's entire world. Buster not only forms a deep connection with Jake, but he makes a lasting impression on the whole family, many of Jake's friends and teammates, and a large segment of the community in general. Don't be surprised if some of the tender moments of this wonderful tale cause you to shed a tear or two, and I hope these words will encourage you to sit down and read this marvelous short story.

What a tender and touching story with plenty of action and drama. Very moving and enjoyable. A job well done.

The word "adroit" comes from French, where adroit in Old French meant "handsome, elegant, skilled (in combat)" and came from the adverbial phrase à droit, which is made up of the preposition à (from Latin ad-) and the noun droit (from Latin directus, meaning "straight"). The combination of these roots gives "adroit" the sense of being "dexterous" or "skilled" in a "straight" or "right" way. It evolved into the English meaning of being skillful, deft, or clever. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the first known use of the adjective "adroit" in English was in 1652, in the writings of diarist and writer John Evelyn. Examples of "adroit" used in a sentence: "Johnson's adroit footwork was behind the team's first goal in the soccer tournament." "it took some adroit maneuvering to get the car parallel parked." "This is an adroit sidestepping of the issue, but a sidestep all the same." "She is adroit at handling all sorts of problems." "The fire ants Hugh was studying in his lab turned out to be adroit escape artists." "McConnell's stewardship of the health care issue has proved less adroit than his predecessor."

I read all of week 1 stories, but I'm still working on week 2. 😞 Too many interruptions this past week, but I'll finish them soon. @centexhairysub, a spanking isn't punishment if you're looking forward to it. 😜

Well, they finally agreed on something!

One very large group of horny bastards! 😜 Thank god they're not babysitting. 😈

I, like you @Zombie, am intrigued by things like this! The maps paint an interesting picture of some of those places and what they 1) don't know what those terms mean or 2) what the majority of the people are trying to get hooked up with. A side note to those living in California - beware of your friends that are trying to hook up with your mom, because they may end up becoming yoou step-daddy. 😵

This is an intriguing look at what the after thinks your existence might be like after death if you go to the hereafter, at least what it was like for Peter. He wasn't expecting to die, nor did he know what to expect once he was dead, but he thought he would go to either heaven or hell, yet he ended up in the hereafter. In fact, Peter's hell might have been the life he was living on earth with his often troublesome spouse. To find out if he made out better or worse in the hereafter you'll have to read this creative short story, and you may be surprised by what you discover.

Peter's hereafter was temporarily under the supervision of Curly, Larry, and Moe, or their doppelgangers. Personally, I would have chosen the park, because at least there would be others there so it wouldn't be quite so boring. And if Peter was sent to the hereafter, what was it that kept him from going to heaven? Was it just because Suzie was with him and might he have gotten to heaven without her? Interesting, and somewhat frightening take on what we might face after death. Carl, I hope you don't have a pet and fare better than Peter did.

The word "grifter" is believed to have originated from American criminal underworld slang around the early 1900s, likely as a variant of the word "grafter" (a slightly older slang term for a person who acquired money dishonestly or was a swindler, such as con artists, pickpockets, and card sharks). The word may have also derived from a combination of "grafter" and "drifter" reflecting the rootless nature of many con artists. It first appeared in print around 1915 and initially referred to a con artist or non-violent criminal, particularly those associated with carnivals and circuses. The term has evolved from its criminal origins to describe anyone perceived as self-serving or deceptive, especially in politics, where it is used as an insult to accuse someone of using the political process to enrich themselves. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the first known use of "grifter" is in 1915, in the writings of George Bronson-Howard. Examples of "grifter" used in a sentence: "The con artist was a skilled grifter, convincing people to invest in a fake business before disappearing with their money." "The grifter used charm to get close to his elderly neighbor, and soon the neighbor's savings were gone." "Critics accused the politician of being a grifter, alleging that they engaged in dishonest practices to enrich themselves." "Below that, thousands of comments tumble in, calling him a terrorist and a grifter." "So while Fuentes may survive longer as a true believer, he'll never gain as much money and influence as the grifters."

If you're looking for a story that's full of drama and suspense, and that also includes a unique character, then this is the story for you. It also features a very caring individual with a strong moral compass, something that not everyone involved in this story seems to possess. Trust me, you'll be clinging to every word until you finish reading the final sentence.

A wonderful story and you had me fully invested in it. One image I kept having in my mind was something from Harry Potter - when Viktor turned into a shark for one of the challenges for the Tri-Wizard Tournament when he went to save Hermione in the lake. Found it totally interesting and you had me rooting for Patrick as well.

This is a humorous tale about a gay otter that is experiencing numerous difficulties and obstacles when writing his submission for the GayOtters.org (GO) anthology theme Creature Feature. If you're up for a good belly laugh, then be sure to read this creative story.

Very creative and comical use of the anthology theme. Nicely done.

The word "clarification" comes from the Latin clarificatio, meaning "a making clear", which is derived from the verb clarificare ("to make clear"). This Latin verb itself combines clarus ("clear") and facere ("to make"). The term entered English via French (clarifiier "clarify, make clear"), with the first known use dating to the early 17th century. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the first known use of the noun "clarification" was in 1617, in a work by surgeon John Woodall. Examples of "clarification" used in a sentence: “This will hopefully bring clarification for market participants and foster the development of sustainable products,” he says. "Still, there are a variety of ways in which we might seek some clarification." "The council said it had contacted the mosque to "seek urgent clarification" after reports about age and gender restrictions." "Make sure you understand the answers, and if not, ask for clarification." "This spontaneous clarification was at one time the only method in vogue."

The word "absurdity" comes from the Latin absurdus, meaning "out of tune" or "incongruous," whichy was formed from ab- ("away from") and surdus ("dull" or "deaf"). The word "absurdity" came into English from Late Latin absurditās (meaning "dissonance" or "incongruity") and Middle French absurdité, first appearing in Middle English around the late 15th century as absurdite. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun "absurdity" was first used in English around 1429, appearing in the "Mirour of Mans Saluacioune". Example of "absurdity" used in a sentence: "It is an absurdity that she can't prescribe antibiotics." "The sheer success of such an approach in many cases makes it an absurdity to argue that this approach is always mistaken." "But there is an inherent absurdity when you try to take a compliant approach." "The final scene in the production should illustrate the absurdity of the charge. "One capital argument of the Christians was the absurdity of a man making an idol and then being afraid of or adoring the work of his own hands."

The word "concoction" comes from the Latin verb concoquere, meaning "to cook together". from the prefix con- ("together") and coquere ("to cook"). It originally referred to the act of cooking, mixing, or digesting ingredients, or to purifying metals by heating them. Over time, its meaning expanded to include any mixture or a cleverly invented story or scheme. The earliest use of the word concoction referred to the literal cooking and mixing of ingredients, such as in food or medicine. The extended meaning is the sense of "making by mixing" evolved into "making up" in a more figurative sense, leading to the modern use of "concoction" for something invented, like a story or an excuse. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun concoction was first used in English in 1531 in the writings of the diplomat and humanist Thomas Elyot. Examples of "concoction" used in a sentence: "The keirin is a strange concoction of speed, tactics and nerve." "The secret is a wondrous concoction of red jalapeno chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar and salt." "I used to make a thick, sweet concoction of honey, yogurt, oats, and apples." "After 5 p.m., the space shifts from cozy teahouse to experimental mixology bar, serving boozy concoctions that all feature tea as an ingredient." "The treat is so beloved that Somerville is home to an annual What the Fluff? festival, where tens of thousands of people celebrate every possible use of the concoction, a mixture of corn syrup, sugar, egg white and vanillin." (according to The New York Times)

The word "intoxicant" comes from Latin intoxicare, meaning "to poison:, which in turn comes from the Greek word toxon meaning "bow" or "arrow" and referring to a poison used on arrows. Initially, "intoxicate" meant "to poison" in English, but it later evolved to describe the effects of alcohol or drugs that diminish physical and mental control. The earliest known use of the adjective intoxicated is in the mid 1500s. The OED's earliest evidence for intoxicated is from 1550, in the writing of Jean Veron, religious writer and translator and Church of England clergyman. The word "intoxicant" was first used in English in the mid-1700s, with the earliest known evidence coming from 1757 in a work called Poison Detected, althoughthe modern meaning is of a substance that can cause a state of drunkenness. Example of "intoxicant" used in a sentence: "He was driving under the influence of an intoxicant." "The use of intoxicants and stimulants is prohibited." "She was then taken to the hospital — not for treatment, but to get a blood draw to test for intoxicants." "The suspect refused a urine test to check for intoxicants."

The word "precedence" comes from the Latin praecēdere, meaning "to go before," and has roots in the French précédence. It is derived from the present participle stem of praecēdere, which means "to go in front of" or "go ahead of". The word was likely derived from or influenced by other linguistic items, possibly including the noun precedent, along with the suffix -ence, and was a synonym for "precedent," it may have also been modeled on the French word précédence. Over time, precedence evolved to have a distinct meaning related to priority and rank, which distinguishes it from the related but separate word precedent, meaning "an example", It had a distinct meaning of priority, rank, or importance, particularly in formal contexts like assemblies or social gatherings. However, over time, precedence evolved to have a distinct meaning related to priority and rank, which distinguishes it from the related but separate word precedent, meaning "an example, such as act or right of preceding another in order, rank, or importance. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, (OED), the noun precedence was first used in English in 1484. It originated during the Middle English period, which lasted from approximately 1150 to 1500. Examples of the word "precedence" used in a sentence: "These skills took precedence over more craft-based or manufacturing work skills." "He felt that an individual's character took precedence over what they looked like." "In the event of a conflict, federal law takes precedence over state law." "The captain's orders have precedence during a military operation. "Safety considerations must always be given precedence when designing buildings."

The word "cobble" comes from two separate origins in Middle English: the noun cobble, meaning "rounded stones often used as paving stones", likely came from a diminutive of "cob" (a lump or rounded object). The verb cobble, meaning "to patch or mend" is likely a back formation from "cobbler" (shoemaker) or also related to the idea of "lumps". The origin of "cobbler" as a profession comes from the Middle English word cobelere, meaning "one who mends shoes", which appeared in the 13th and 14th centuries. In the 19th century, the meaning of cobbler was expend to "one who makes and mends shoes". The verb's sense of "to put together clumsily" developed from the patching sense. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest known use of the verb "cobble" (meaning a rounded stone) was in 1691, while the noun "cobble" (meaning paving stone) appeared around 1600. Examples of "cobble" used as a verb in a sentence: To make something quickly or imperfectly: "They had to cobble together a plan to meet the deadline." To assemble from various parts: "The show was cobbled together from old clips and new interviews." To create with effort and few resources: "The students cobbled together a functional model for the science fair." Examples of "cobble" used as a noun in a sentence: "The students walked on the cobbles of the city square." "A geologist found an interesting cobble at the riverbed." "The stable yard was covered with cobbles." "They had to be careful of the loose cobbles after the rain." "In early America cobbles were used to make cobblestone streets."

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, Nanuk... er I mean Steve. Do otters eat turkey? And how do they handle the snow and frozen (ice covered) sources of water. And to any of you that haven't read the Creature Feature stories, you're missing out on some great takes on the theme. Do yourself a favor and check them on. I did, and they're all truly amazing.

Must be the dementia setting in. My bad!

Oops, did I confuse the names? I was thinking of the one that tore up the nurse's station at the hospital and retrieved the fingers.

Whew! I just finished reading this first set of incredible stories. Kudos to all of the wonderful authors that created thrilling and thoroughly enjoyable stories with unique interpretations of the theme "Creature Feature)!