by It’s embarrassing how often I have to resort to a thesaurus when I’m writing, for instance. It’s not like I use the words I find there, although I actually often do, but I need it as a kickstarter for finding other ways to express myself.
Subtle, but enjoyable Halloween decorations on 11th Street. Rat skeletons crawling all over the front of an apartment building.
Those are very subtle, the rat skeletons! I love the one in the flower box.
Oy, what would I do without a dictionary, never mind a thesaurus? I learned most of my vocabulary while reading at a tender age and there were many words I thought I knew the meaning of, because I had read them in a particular context. However, years later, as an adult, I would use them and find that people were puzzled by how I used them and so I looked them up, to discover the meaning I thought they had was a little bit ‘off’ in one direction or another. Amusing but frustrating. But these exercises expanded my vocabulary even more.
At least we’re still trying!