On Words and Upwards! » Bug http://www.onwordsandupwards.com Your Hapax legomenon is showing... Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:09:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Forficulate http://www.onwordsandupwards.com/forficulate/ http://www.onwordsandupwards.com/forficulate/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:25:39 +0000 onWords http://www.onwordsandupwards.com/?p=211 verb. To have a sensation as if a creepy-crawly was crawly-creepy all over you.

There is not a part of me that has not..crept, crawled, and forficulated ever since.
The Caxtons, a family picture, Edward Lytton (1849)

Ew, bugs. I hate bugs. But I love the word. The word comes from the name of the insect, Forficula auricularia, commonly know as an Earwig.

I often have forficulating experiences. Sometimes a hair will find its way into my face or elsewhere and I will immediately freak out, thinking that vile bug-creature has paid me a visit. False alarm. I am forfic-elated that it was not a real bug.

But sometimes a real bug decides to come my way. It looks at me with its eight eyes for just a moment before I kick its eight asses.

I have a black belt in Kung Shoo Fly.

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