The Letter P
For some reason I have always been obsessed with the letter P. Strange, I know. All the wonderful things in the world start with P. Want Proof? Here's ten wonderful things that start with P.
1. Peru- country of Macchu Picchu. Yes, I've been there.
2. Pride and Prejudice- a classic novel by Jane Austin.
3. Peanut Butter Cups- My favourite treats.
4. Passionfruit, Peach, Pineapple and Plum- delicious fruit.
5. Penguins- the coolest bird on the planet.
6. Platypus- the coolest mammal on the planet.
7. Pavlova- a delicious meringue dessert inspired by a tutu.
8. Plato- a grand philosopher
9. Puccini- wrote wonderful operas such as La Boheme
10. Persephone, Pygmalion and Pandora- mythical Greek characters.
I think I became obsessed with the letter P very early on in life. I know, it's weird but it's better than being a serial killer or something. My father used to sing a piece from Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' called 'Papagena Papageno'. It's a pulchritudinous song and starts out with a bird singing 'Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa, Pa-pa-pa-pa-'. Well I'm sure you get the picture. They were the first words I uttered.
Since then, I have virtually memorized the 'P' section of the dictionary. Don't ask me why. All the great words start with P. Peace, prudence, preponderance. You'd be surprised how intelligent people perceive you to be if you pepper a lot of P-words in day-to-day conversation. Of course, you might be accused of being a pretentious, pernickety, pompous, pontificating, pedant but you can always tell those pugnacious, perturbed, petulant, plebeian, purveyors of perniciousness to piss off.
Here's a list of words beginning with P that I'm sure you will come to love. They are not in alphabetical order, nor have I singled out adjectival or nominal forms. They are just there. Enjoy!
- Proclivity- natural tenancy or inclination
- Pabulum- food, especially for the mind.
- Preponderant- superior in weight, force, influence, number
- Peruse- to read thoroughly
- Pervasive- penetrating everywhere
- Pernicious- ruinous, highly hurtful, fatal, wicked
- Pernickety- (US persnickety)- fastidious, over-precise
- Preclude- prevent, exclude, shut-out
- Pulverize- to reduce to dust or powder
- Prudence- cautious practical wisdom, good judgment
- Procrastination- the process of putting things off (the thief of time)
- Pundit- one who sets up as an expert
- Pervious- admitting of passage or entrance, permeable
- Poltergeist- ghost or spirit that moves about
- Polygamy- practice of having several spouses at one time
- Pluvial- of or relating to rain, rainy
- Plethora- overfullness, superabundance
- Platitude- a dull, trite remark uttered as if it were profound
- Precarious- uncertain, dangerous, beyond ones control
- Perfunctory- performed as routine duty, uninteresting, mechanical
- Perpetuate- preserve from oblivion, cause to always be remembered
- Perspicacious- having mental penetration or discernment
- Perspicuous- easily understood, expressing things clearly
- Pertinent- relevant to the matter at hand
- Persiflage- banter, light raillery
- Perplex- greatly puzzle
- Precipitate- to hasten the occurrence of
- Paradigm- the set of all forms containing a particular element
- Paucity- smallness of quantity, scantiness
- Pertinacious- holding tenaciously to a purpose, course of action
- Pestilence- a deadly, epidemic disease
- Polemic- a controversial argument against some opinion, doctrine etc.
- Pragmatism- the art of being practical (has other meanings too)
- Paroxysm- any sudden, violent outburst of action or emotion
- Paradox- Statement that seems absurd but expresses a truth, a person or thing exhibiting contradictions
- Pejorative- having a disparaging force, as words
- Pontificate- to speak in a pompous manner, office of a pontiff
- Perturb- to disturb or disquiet greatly in mind, agitate
- Penury- extreme poverty, destitution
- Plebeian- commonplace, vulgar, relating to the common people
- Pomp- stately or splendid display, ostentatious or vain display of dignity
- Pecuniary- consisting of or given or exacted in money
- Preposterous- directly contrary to nature, reason, or common sense
- Profligate- utterly and shamelessly immoral, thoroughly dissolute
- Perennial- enduring, everlasting
- Prerogative- an exclusive right or privilege
- Presumptuous- readiness to presume in conduct or thought
- Pretense- pretending or feigning, make believe, a false show of something
- Propensity- natural or habitual tendency
- Propagate- to cause to multiply, reproduce naturally from parent stock
- Propaganda- the systematic propagation of a given doctrine
- Periphrastic- Circumlocutory, roundabout
- Primordial- consisting from the very beginning, original, elementary
- Purveyor- provider, supplier, agent
- Penumbra- the partial or imperfect shadow outside the complete shadow of an opaque body
- Peculate- to embezzle or appropriate dishonestly
- Pulchritude- beauty
- Punitive- serving for, concerned with, or inflicting punishment
- Protege- One who is under the protection or friendly patronage of another
- Prodigy- A person (especially a child) bestowed with extraordinary gifts or powers
- Prophesy- To foretell or predict
- Pedagogue- teacher
- Purgatory- place of temporary suffering, place of spiritual cleansing
- Pungent- sharply affecting the organs of taste, as if by a penetrating power, biting, acrid
- Promiscuous- indulging in sexual intercourse with a number of partners
- Proliferate- to grow by multiplication of parts, as in budding or cell division
- Proletariat- the working class or wage earner
- Provincial- belonging to a particular province
- Providential- having foresight, careful in providing for the future
- Puerile- childishly foolish
- Procreate- to generate offspring, to bring into being
- Permeate- to penetrate through
- Procure- to obtain by care or effort- to obtain for the purposes of prostitution
- Pugnacious- given to fighting, quarrelsome, aggressive
- Petulant- showing sudden, impatient irritation especially over some trifling annoyance
- Prodigious- extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force- wonderful or marvelous
- Pusillanimous- lacking strength of mind or courage, faint-hearted
- Prevaricate- to act or speak evasively, equivocate, quibble
- Putsch- attempt at political revolution
- Putrid- in state of foul decay or decomposition
- Preamble- an introductory statement, a preface
- Predilection- a predisposition of the mind in favour of something. Partiality, preference
- Palaver- Casual chat, long talk
- Proscription- Ban; prohibition
- Peripheral- Marginal, incidental
- Pillory- to expose to public ridicule or abuse;
- Punctilious- attentive to details; strict or exact in the observance of forms in conduct or actions
- Peroration- Conclusion of a speech
Have you got a favourite P word that's not listed here? Send it to lair@angelfire.com