word flash.

so, rachelle is a blogging genius. not only is she the world's champion blog stalker, but she figured out all of the weird little idiosyncrasies of the program. so now she's snagged me into a joint blogging venture. i am excited. not only because she and i are most anal about things like spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc., but because to us, this stuff is fun.

we look for mistakes everywhere. we debate about punctuation. we make phone calls to friends who (we think) are smart to settle such debates. since chelle is getting the m-w.com word of the day (i already am, too), then i decided to get another word of the day via dictionary.com. so our readers will be SO enriched. except for the part where i am a slow blogger...

well, to start off, here is today's dictionary.com word of the day! i have never heard of it, nor will i probably ever use it. but there is a chance that sometime in my future i will come across it and i will think, "hmmm...i've seen that word somewhere..."

lumpen \LUHM-puhn; LUM-puhn\, adjective;
plural lumpen, also lumpens:
1. Of or relating to dispossessed and displaced individuals, especially those who have lost social status.
2. Common; vulgar.

noun:
1. A member the underclass, especially the lowest social stratum.

. . .an academic sweatshop where underpaid lumpen intellectuals slave for a pittance.
-- Ashlea Ebeling, "I got my degree through e-mail", Forbes, June 16, 1997