Lie Is to Equivocation as Ringing Is to Tintinnabulation

(Words of the day: equivocation and tintinnabulation)

It was dark when I drove to school. I swear. (No, Terrell, that’s not because I forgot to take my eye shades off.) I switched my headlights on, just to fit in on the freeway. The theme of the day is trying to fit in. I wondered if I had studied enough for my quiz.
 

If I were to arrive late, I planned to resuscitate some of my old Mrs. Muir excuses. How about this one: “We lost power this weekend. The garage door opener is electric. When the power is out, I can’t get my car out of my garage. I am going to be late to school today.” All factual statements, but  they omit the important fact that we got power back on Sunday, and that I overslept on Monday. They illustrate how I learned a new English verb: equivocation, which I understood meant to be ambiguous not to lie. But here’s what Webster’s has to say about it:

equivocate     verb: prevaricate, be evasive, be noncommittal, be vague, be ambiguous, dodge the question, beat around the bush, hedge; vacillate, shilly-shally, waver; temporize, hesitate, stall, hem and haw; informal pussyfoot around, sit on the fence; rare tergiversate. See note at lie.

Alas, I see the final note; I see the light. And, in the budding daylight, I arrived at school, early; that’s good.

I dropped off my vintage 1980, yellowing folder of mimeographed devoirs (homework) and papiers to Mme. Jenks this AM. It was fun to look at all my old work (I can’t believe I have saved it this long!). Remember the smell of the mimeograph machine? Back in the days when no one worried about toxic substances ("I didn’t inhale!”).

The bell “rang,” or, rather it tintinnabulated (Marcie, don’t bother looking that one up: it’s not there).

Now I’m in class. Ugh, there’s a live caterpillar under my desk. I just stood up on my chair and screamed bloody murder. (Just wanted to make sure you were still reading.) I’m kidding. I asked the class, in a tintinnabulating voice if anyone is NOT afraid of bugs. One brave student picked it up and noted, “It’s just a caterpillar; it’ll be a butterfly in 30 days.” If it were up to me, I’d wait 30 days to touch that thing!

Be right back. Here comes the French quiz. 

Dang, dang dang. I forgot the word for elbow. I think I guessed the English equivalent of “the horse.” Otherwise, I think I did well, and I am glad I studied.

Shoot. I saw Mme. Jenks after class and learned that I got another thing wrong—a careless mistake. So, I guess I got 36/38. I’m bummed. It just goes to show you: even a prepared adult with 20 years of French can get things wrong on a French II test. It’s not easy! Je me suis fait mal a la fier. (I hurt my pride.)

Off to my PSAT tutor....