Award-winning novelist and TVW member Ann Parker writes occasional blog posts about the history of American slang. I’m constantly surprised by slang that sounds old but is really quite new, and by those words that sound current but have been around for donkey’s years. Tracing the lineage of ordinary words can occupy a pleasant afternoon as well, which is why I’ll keep my old paper dictionaries. Recently, my husband and I have been translating family documents, and I’ve discovered one can find joy in words from any language. When we ran across the Russian word for delay or procrastination – ottyageevat – I knew I had a winner. It takes so long to say the word that you practically don’t need to explain yourself further for not meeting your deadline. I imagined an entire scene built around that one word. The scene will definitely appear in a short story someday. The next time you find yourself stuck in your writing, or merely bored, pick up a dictionary and find a word to amuse yourself. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself inspired.