Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Quick Quiz: Which Word Did the Speaker Have in Mind When He Misspoke? Case of Synaptic Malfunction

While researching my database for past usage of “miasma,” a word that will be featured in the next edition of “Words of the Month,” I came across the following from a long-ago interview on NPR:

“What they have is a miasma of half-baked ideas and proposals without a central unifying theme.”

Clearly, miasma is not what the speaker meant. [Definition of miasma in the American Heritage dictionary: 1. a noxious atmosphere or influence. 2. a thick vaporous atmosphere or emanation.]

Can you guess which word the interview guest had in mind, assuming that it too began with the letter “m”?  Tune in to this blog tomorrow for the answer.

© Copyright 2014  V. J. Singal

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