It’s not a word that compares in significance to others I have chosen for comment. It won’t approach the national economy, the war in Afghanistan, or the machinations of the members of Congress. I doubt that it occurs in the daily language of the President of the United States, the coach of the Boston Red Sox, or the mayor of Providence.
It’s just a delicious word. Piccalilli. Just saying it brings a smile to my face. Piccalilli is a prepared, jarred chili-type condiment that you can use in a hundred ways. When I was a kid we always had piccalilli in the cupboard to put on hamburgers. I’m sure the Heinz people had more glamorous intentions for this pickle-type relish, but that’s my history with it. It is surprising to me to discover that piccalilli is of Indian origin, and that it has a spicy element to it. I remember it more as a sweet relish.
I haven’t thought about the word for years. Then, the other day I read an article in which piccalilli was used as a metaphor to describe a spicy mix of elements making up a decision made in congress. The author was indicating that the decision was chopped up, included a lot of seemingly-unlikely elements, and ending up as a pretty mixed bag. I liked the use of it. I would never have thought about using the word in that way, but it worked for me. I knew immediately what the author was indicating. The result was not bitter, but sweet, with a little bit of a bite to it.
It’s great how words like piccalilli can crop up in literary use. This is one that will find its way into my stories. There are no disclaimers needed for this post. I have no financial interest in Heinz, unless you count the hundreds of dollars I have spent over the years purchasing their catsup and other fine condiments.
Photo Credit: Heinz
An adjective like ephemeral is one which deserves a place in the “on deck circle” in a writer’s lexicon. It not only is a useful word, it is one of those words I would label as colorful and beautiful. You might wonder if there is such a thing as a beautiful word; I think so. Words like ephemeral have a rich spoken quality. It is enjoyable to say, and adds a quality to a spoken piece which catches the ear of the listener.
Unfortunately, it is also a word that is not commonly-used enough to be familiar to many people. To use it too frequently would sound pretentious to listeners. Like a valuable piece of jewelry, it should be reserved for special occasions. In many cases when using it I would be tempted to use an explanatory phrase with it. Example:
Her contributions to the conversation at the dinner table were occasional and ephemeral, meant to be temporary and not remembered for their significance. It would be wrong to say her thoughts were insignificant. They were just meant for the moment, like a butterfly that flits into your presence and then disappears.
Ephemeral seems to be a word which lends itself to this kind of literary usage more than everyday language. It would seem strange to me (although correct) to say that a temporary detour on a road under construction was ephemeral. Similarly, the substitution of a pinch-runner in a baseball game, although temporary, would be a strange place to use the word. Can’t you just picture the response of fans to the sentence of the commentator:
Jacoby Ellsbury will be the ephemeral runner for David Ortiz.
I can picture the e-mails and Twitters which flood the NESN studio. “What the heck was Orsillo talking about?”
However, ephemeral is a word that does lend itself to political commentary. Some pieces of legislation, particularly at the local level, are meant to be temporary, taking a municipality through a difficult moment, or speaking to a specific need or cause which will disappear with time. Legislators need to exercise caution when exercising that privilege, however, recognizing that a precedent may be established by a ruling meant to be ephemeral but not carefully identified as such. It may come back to bite a legislature at a later date.
My affection for the word remains in the literary realm. There it has the capability of enhancing a thought in a way that lifts it from the mundane to the remarkable.
I would recommend your taking a look at a very interesting blog, Ephemeral New York, which says of itself that it is “Chronicling an ever-changing city through faded and forgotten artifacts.” For those of us who know themselves to be suffering from Gothamitis, it is a blog which is capable of transporting one’s self into past days of the magnificent city. The blog is a great diversion in the middle of an afternoon when you need a break from a routine.
Photo Credit: mediawavefestival
