Words I love, part 1.

I’m always learning new words. Lately, I’ve been listing the words I come across in books and articles (who doesn’t love a list?). Words that are new to me. Words I want to know more about, even if I never use them in my work.

It’s so writer of me to be like, aren’t words magical? But they are. One noun that I’ve been obsessed with for years is petrichor.

Here’s a complete definition (courtesy of Merriam-Webster):

“A distinctive, earthy, usually pleasant odor that is associated with rainfall especially when following a warm, dry period and that arises from a combination of volatile plant oils and geosmin released from the soil into the air and by ozone carried by downdrafts.” 

That’s one of my all-time favorite smells (this post could also be called “Smells I Love”), and once I learned that there was a specific word for it, I cleared a spot in my brain where it could live forever.

Petrichor. Let that word sit with you for a moment. I love the way it sounds. It was coined by Australian researchers Isabel Bear and RG Thomas in 1964. Hats off to them. Raincoats off to them.

In fact, it’s raining as I write this. Maybe I should close my laptop, head outside, and enjoy that spectacular wet earth smell.

One last thought:

Snow has a smell, too. I wonder if there’s a petrichor-style word for that. 🤔

Lorelai Gilmore could famously smell snow before it fell.