Greetings, word nerds! It’s a while since I’ve had a Word Nerd Wednesday post, but I’m back today and ready to start a revival. You may have looked at today’s word and thought, “Sparking? How can there be anything interesting to say about sparking?”
Several weeks ago now, I came across the word in two different books in quick succession—in both cases in a completely new context for me. The first book is one that you’re going to have to wait for for a little while yet: My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel’s Dream by Pepper Basham. It’s not releasing until 1 January 2019. Sorry guys! But you can pre-order it. (It’s really sweet! 😊) The second book is available right now, and it’s Kelly Goshorn’s A Love Restored. You can read my review for that here.
Both of these stories used the word ‘sparking’ to refer to showing interest in someone romantically or courting (as in paying them more particular attention), and I fell in love with the word! What perfect imagery!
That, of course, got me thinking about some of the phrases we have today. You might say you’re dating someone, or seeing someone, or in a relationship with someone. They all fall pretty flat compared to ‘sparking’ someone if you ask me! Then there’s ‘falling in love’—a phrase I’m not overly fond of, personally. Even ‘flirting’ doesn’t have the same feel to it.
Of course, I’m not exactly the expert here. I’ve been married for sixteen and a half years to the only guy I’ve ever had a serious relationship with, and we never really dated. We got to know each other when I joined a choir he was already a member of. We did stuff together as part of a few different groups, got to know each other through phone calls (the kind where you had to sit in one place because the phone was connected to a base unit!), and pretty quickly figured out there was something more than simple friendship between us. <3 Dating was out of the budget for two poor students, but I think ‘sparking’ perfectly describes what was going on in those early weeks when our friendship was blossoming.
Going back even further, I can remember kids ‘going out together’ at school (even as far back as grade five or six!). No one actually went anywhere, of course, but if you liked a boy and he like you back, he might ‘ask you out’ or vice-versa and hey presto! You’re boyfriend and girlfriend! 😄 Well, for the next week or two, anyway. 😉 Ahhhh. Those were the days…
So what do you think? Should we be campaigning for a revival of ‘sparking’? I’m all for it!
“Sparking” is a fantastic word! I grew up hearing this word, so it isn’t new to me. <3
I’m definitely making it a permanent part of my vocabulary!
HAHAHA!!!! I love the word ‘sparkin’ 🙂 It’s also used in The Thorn Healer 🙂 Thanks, Katie!!
I might have to read The Thorn Healer again, just so I can find it 😉
Yes, love the word sparking! It is a fun term! Not sure where I heard it first but I do have this fun book called “I hear America Talking.” You can look up a term like dating and they will tell you what other words were used throughout American history for the same term. I can spend hours in that book! LOL! A word nerd’s dream!
Oh wow! What a fantastic book! If only they had something like that for Australia.