Amuse-bouche:

“It’s not the best time to go because it’s Easter weekend.”

“Yeah, it’ll be Paque’d.”

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Today’s Wonderful Word: “quiddity.”

Definition: the essential nature of a thing.

Etymology: “Quiddity” is from the Latin word quidditās meaning “essence” or “whatness.” Quintessence or quintessential refer to the perfect embodiment of something and also derive from the same Latin root, quid, meaning “what.” Quiddity was first recorded in 1350–1400.

Example: Understanding the quiddity of the problem is key to finding a solution.

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If you’ve ever tried to spell something over the phone, you understand it can be difficult to differentiate between letters like “f” and “s,” “p” and “b” and “v,” etc.

Or maybe you’ve found yourself in this situation:

“And your last name?” 

“Autochthonous.”

“Could you spell that for me, please?”

“‘A’ as in, uh, ‘apple.’”

“‘A’ as in ‘an apple.’”

“Yes, ‘an apple.’ And then ‘U’ as in…uh…‘you.’ No wait, that’s a ‘Y.’”

“I understand.”

“Yes, ‘U’ as in ‘understand.’”

Don’t let this happen to you. Be prepared! Learn your ABCs. That is: Alfa (or Alpha), Bravo, Charlie. It’s easy as 1, 2, 3.

And why not learn a little Morse Code while you’re at it. (Dot dot dash, ya know? U know?)

Answer to Saturday’s riddle:

An echo.