Monthly Archives: October 2011

Good-ness this house smells musty and gamey. Not surprising considering: old house, loads of creatures, buckets of rain.

Never question a dragon offering complimentary ear piercing. Just smile politely and back away.

There is a delightful spider that lives in my water closet. Much like Charlotte in E.B. White’s masterpiece Charlotte’s Web, my spider spells things out in her webs for me. Though instead of encouragement, her messages are practical: You are nearly out of toothpaste or The tile needs to be re-grouted before year’s end.

She eats well; no matter how well-screened one’s house may be, Brooklyn bugs find a way in. She is, in fact, a little on the chunky side. Lucky for us both that the water closet is of ample size.

This, of course, brings me to today’s word.

Gobemouche is a French word that means, literally, to swallow flies. In other words, it is a noun for a silly, credulous person; one who believes anything he hears. It comes from the French gober – to gobble – plus mouche – fly. (You can get fancy and go to the Latin musca but I’m feeling a little rushed since apparently I need to re-grout the tiles.)

If you see someone with their mouth hanging open in complete gullible ecstasy, feel free to point and yell “Gobemouche!” In fact, I encourage it.

Though be prepared to run in the opposite direction. People with slight vocabularies assume everything one shouts at them is an insult.

When we were younger, Silas used to make tiny chocolates in the shape of flies and when all the cousins would get together for the annual familial events, he would shout “Gobemouche!” at us as we snacked on the treats. I always took the shouting with a smile –  nearly anything is forgiven when accompanied by confectionery.

Never get between a great horned owl and her kiwi fruit.

I nearly lost a finger. Again.

Lesson learned and rather apropos; I’m off to meet a man about a griffon.