The Daily Word for August 24, 2021

 

pantechnicon - noun - British - a large van for transporting furniture (Lexico.com)

Leave it to the Brits to come up with an urbane, polysyllabic word for what we might think of as a moving van. I'm guessing that since the definition doesn't include the word "truck" that a pantechnicon is on the order of a U-Haul van as opposed to a minivan or eighteen wheeler that Atlas uses to transplant the furnishings from one McMansion into another. 

In my region, it is not uncommon to see pantechnicons, especially around this time of year as students are returning to college dorms or to apartments in the city after having lived with their parents during primetime of the pandemic. My daughter won't be a part of the exodus as she will be sticking around for a bit. I think she's a bit embarrassed about it, though. She doesn't want to be stigmatized as a thirty-year-old living in her mother's basement despite her residency not being permanent. I promised her that although she is thirty, she is not by any means the stereotype, i.e. the young adult sans legit employment who plays video games all day and considers the occupation an occupation despite not getting monetary compensation for her/his/their time. Unlike the unfortunate, self-deceived lot, she has a good job that pays her well. Plus, she is saving real money for real graduate school. Which are two solid reasons why she doesn't have to be ashamed. What she is doing is what the woke might consider woke, not that either of us cares. Come December, she'll know whether to rent a pantechnicon in January or July, depending on whether or not U.C.L.A. accepts her. Either way, the basement will be empty again by next August. And of course, I'll miss her the minute she gets into that pantechnicon and drives away. 

In case you are wondering, the takeaway here is that after today, you will now have a four-syllable word for "big van." All of your friends who will be watching your kid drive away in one will be impressed albeit they might not know what the heck you are talking about. You could have to define it for them. Or just smile inside when you see their blank, deer-in-the-headlights expressions as they stammer, "Oh, yeah. Right." 

Hope you enjoyed your Tuesday.

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