Saturday, February 11, 2012

Falling Star. For 3 Word Week

Dirk Blaise looked hard into the mirror to check the crow's feet around his eyes. "Time for another tuck, Dirk baby," he muttered, as he continued to brush dye onto the canescent patches around his temples. "Or they won't be casting you as the varlet much longer."
He smiled his youngest-looking grin, revealing his newly re-whitened teeth.
"You CAN still pass as the juvenile lead," he asseverated, at the face that grimaced back at him.
But his reflection looked unconvinced.

*********

The wonderful 3 word week is back, hosted by Steve Isaak over at Reading & Writing by Pub Light. If you want to know the rules check them out here.  This week's three words are:

I.) asseverate - v. To declare seriously or positively; affirm.
II.) canescent - adj. -
1. Biology: Covered with short, fine whitish or grayish hairs or down; hoary.
2. Turning white or grayish.
III.) varlet - n. -
1. An attendant or servant.
2. A knight's page
3. A rascal; a knave; a deceitful, unreliable scoundrel.

8 comments:

Sandra Davies said...

More haste,less speed, as per usual and I looked up - and failed to find - 'canescent' in two dictionaries before reading to the end of this.
It's as good an illustration as any that using barely-known words can, on occasion, hamper rather than add to one's enjoyment!

MorningAJ said...

Oh I agree - and under normal circumstances probably wouldn't have used canescent or asseverate. (Varlet is probably OK) But part of the fun of doing three word week is that the words are usually quite unusual.

Sandra Davies said...

Well you've hooked me now, and I've had a go myself ...

Steve Isaak said...

Enjoyed this muchly. Thanks for both participating, my friend! :^)

snafu said...

Shades of Dorian Grey! Nice use of English.

BRIDGET said...

Like it! Great example of flash fiction and inspiring way of learning new words. I'm off to put some make up on this canescent complexion....

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Anne .. what great words .. not the easiest to include - I can see that happening to 'him'!!

Cheers and have a good week .. Hilary

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Excellent AJ!

Really pleased 3 Word Week has returned - I did write a story myself but other things got in the way of posting it.

Anna :o]