Wordsmith!

 Well, once upon a time, not so very long ago, when i was a rookie freelance journalist with one of the major dailies, "Wordsmith" was the title i had decoratively allotted to a filler in which i waxed eloquent about the inherent creativity of language, and so on. I am sure you know how desk editors are.

 This particular gem thought that i had freaked out on my literature specialisation, though my horrible spelling mistake, "Wordsworth", was abominable,  i was sternly told. My aghast look made the wonder realise the error, and, as usual, post a few lines read through,  my little piece passed unscathed. 

In yet another encounter of the scary kind, the title of my article on the depiction on motherhood read,"Engendering..."  which was a take on "Endangering..." as my article attempted to prove how the mothering role was a woman's, her own, (m)othering, too. The editor, a renowned scholar, full of labour(ha!) that would shame Browning's grammarian, tried to 'correct' it. Patiently i had to explicate the word play until the title would be game, that is, accepted at all.

That is what "wordsmith-y" is, a worthy game with words, playing with their shapes, their meanings to create yet another subtler level of signification. And, yes, you do not have to be a giant of a James Joyce to concoct many such. Why, advertisements, especially of the Amul variety, abound with lovely wordsmith-ed masterpieces, right?

If you thus want to play with language, a great joy indeed, you must be rather cautious as well. In 'propah' English, for instance, you possibly cannot write " more brilliant" or " most unique". Sure, Manglish, Banglish, Panglish, and other such wondrous varieties of Indian English (these can comfortably outnumber the different 'woods', Holly-, Bolly-, Molly-, Kolly-, etc, etc, etc) use blithely these "absolute" adjectives in such a fun way, and with yucky intensifiers/modifiers!

Like an ironsmith, a wordsmith, too, needs to hit when it is hot! In brief, jokes are fine if and only if readers laugh with, and not at, you! Long live Wordsmiths!

 Pratima@ "Words, words, words"!!! Some gamification!