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This weeks word has a classic regional dialect difference : 𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒈𝒈𝒂𝒏

to·​bog·​gan

tə-ˈbä-gən

1: a long flat-bottomed light sled made usually of thin boards curved up at one end with usually low handrails at the sides

2: a downward course or a sharp decline

3 (chiefly Southern US and Midland US ): stocking cap

Whether you wear your toboggan, or fly down a hill of snow in one, I think we can all agre

‘Tis the season for this week’s fun word: 𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒚𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒆

sku-ree-fun-j

1. to rush around cleaning when company is on their way over. (Old English)

Example sentence: “Whenever my mother-in-law was due for a visit, I’d have to have a scurryfunge no matter how tidy my house was.”

You might just find yourself having to scurryfunge as more visitors than normal stop by to celebrate the holidays with you!

This week’s word is highly relevant to one of the main therapies we provide at DSSS: 𝒅𝒆𝒈𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏

de·​glu·​ti·​tion

ˌdē-glü-ˈti-shən

1. the act or process of swallowing

Example sentence: “After the patient’s surgery, we will work on strengthening the muscles responsible for deglutition,” said the doctor.

Try implementing this new word into your vocabulary!

Hopefully you enjoy saying this week’s fun word: 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒙𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄

quix·​ot·​ic

kwik-ˈsä-tik

1: foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals: marked by rash lofty romantic ideas or extravagantly chivalrous action doomed to fail

2: capricious, unpredictable

Example sentence: Although Jack’s plan for killing the giant was quixotic, it was the village’s only hope.

Fun fact: “Quixotic” was coined from the name of the titular character in Miguel de Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote.

This week’s word is a bit of a mouthful: 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒍

lack·​a·​dai·​si·​cal

ˌla-kə-ˈdā-zi-kəl

1: lacking life, spirit, or zest

2: languid

Used in a sentence: Feeling particularly lackadaisical in the summer heat, they lazily tossed a ball back and forth.

Fun fact: When folks living from the late 17th to the late 19th century had one of those days when nothing goes right, they could cry “Lackaday!” to express their sorrow and disappointment.

Today’s coffee toast is a truly an enormous one! As our practice has grown, we’ve been blessed to witness countless miracles, awe-inspiring healings, and patients overcoming incredible adversity. This young man’s journey is one of the most remarkable miracles. After suffering a traumatic brain injury in 2019 during a motocross accident, Dylan’s prospects for survival were slim, let alone achieving the incredible milestones he has today, but God had greater plans! Dylan began working with me around four years post-injury (2023). While some might think the chances of recovery were slim to none, after already being 4 years post injury, this story showcases the power of perseverance and finding someone who believes in limitless potential! Doctors thought he’d never eat or speak ag

This week’s word might sound like a cough or sneeze if you say it too fast:

 𝒄𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒚 (noun)

ca·​coph·​o·​ny

ka-ˈkä-fə-nē

1: harsh or jarring sound

2: an incongruous or chaotic mixture : a striking combination

Use it in a sentence: Between the blaring boarding call announcements and the cacophony of slot machines, the concourse at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas is deafening.

Ironic that a word describing harsh sounds, sounds so harsh when you say it!

This week’s word is fun to say, and can be fairly simple to implement into your vocabulary: 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐟𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞

bum·​fuz·​zle¦bəm¦fəzəl

Definition: confuse, perplex, fluster

Example sentence: The tricky riddle was enough to bumfuzzle the contestants, who couldn’t figure out the answer.

Can you bumfuzzle your friends by using this word?

With roots in ancient Greek, this week’s word is the shortest English word that contains one of every vowel: 𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐚 (noun)

/juːˈnɔɪ.ə/

1. a feeling of goodwill (being friendly and wanting to help), especially one that exists between a speaker and an audience.

Example sentence: “His compassion and eunoia made him a fantastic candidate”.

Today’s coffee toast salutes one of our superstar pediatric patients who crushed a milestone in therapy yesterday, mastering the /sh/ sound for the first time!

 This week’s word is 𝐛𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐭.

bum·​ber·​shoot

ˈbəm-bər-ˌshüt

1: (noun) an umbrella

Here it is in a sentence: Mr. Whifflebottom shifted to his other arm the long black bumbershoot he carried ever with him, against the rain that seldom came, even as he wore always knee-high rubber boots for the same reason

With the rainy Gainesville days we’ve been having, don’t forget to bring your bumbershoot with you in case of an unexpected downpour! 

This week’s word is 𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 (adjective).

mac·​a·​ron·​icˌma-kə-ˈrä-nik

1: Characterized by a mixture of vernacular words with Latin words or with non-Latin words having Latin endings

2. Characterized by a mixture of two languages

Example sentence: “The play was a macaronic mix of English and Latin that confused some audience members.”

While this word sounds like it might be delicious covered in cheese, it is actually just a fun way of saying two different languages are being combined!

Our word of the week is 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧.

ses·qui·pe·da·li·an/ˌseskwəpəˈdālyən/

1: having many syllables : long

2: given to or characterized by the use of long words

Isn’t it ironic that a word describing long words is 6 syllables? Try saying it five times fast!

Our fun word of the week is 𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧.

abe·​ce·​dar·​i·​an

ˌā-bē-(ˌ)sē-ˈder-ē-ən

As a noun, it means “one learning the rudiments of something (such as the alphabet).” So, if you decide to pick up a new hobby or skill, you might just find yourself as an abecedarian.

 I’m thrilled to celebrate the outstanding progress of a pediatric client who has worked tirelessly to overcome communication challenges.

May is National Speech and Hearing Month!

The process of speech production is a remarkably complex and rapid motor behavior, necessitating precise coordination of over 100 muscles. Typically, a child’s first words are spoken between 10-14 months.

On average, an individual’s daily speech consists of approximately 16,000 words. (we know those who speak way more than this and those who speak way less ).

Generally, most people speak at a rate of around 110-150 words per minute. Fun Fact: auctioneers possess the ability to speak at an exceptionally rapid pace, typically

Raise your coffee cups my friends!