What in life has left you breathless? If something did leave you breathless, wouldn't you be, uh, like dead? Living folks are certainly NOT breathless.
I can think of a few situations in which I've left one breathless. Years ago, I took a physiology class where many poor frogs' brains got scrambled by my lab partners. I never pithed a frog because I couldn't bring myself to turn a living creature into a vegetable. As awful as it was for those poor amphibians, one science experiment has stayed with me forever. It left the creature breathless.
 |
| Flat Frog Lungs |
After pithing the frog, we removed it's lungs and connected them to a compression unit. I believe those flat gray things on the right are lungs; however, they enlarged quadruple the size and became pinkish with a little air pushed into them. Then we'd release the air and watch them deflate leaving the little guy breathless. This, dear readers, is the only time I've left anyone breathless... unless you count the flies I've swatted or spiders I've sprayed with Windex. I'm too scared to get close enough to smash them, so Windex does more than cure pimples.
I've also made myself almost breathless from running or heavy exertion. I remember doing a runners' series years ago. As depicted in the clip below, I felt like the hippo at the end of the stampede scene from Jumanji. Tired I was, but not totally breathless or I wouldn't be writing this post.
See the fat little hippo trailing behind the fast, fit animals?
 |
| That's me on the left. |
I wonder if I've ever left a reader temporarily breathless when they laughed so hard they couldn't breath. Hopefully, no one died from reading my blog. Then again, if one laughed that hard, one would eventually pass out, pee one's pants, and life would continue. Whew! Dodged that murder rap. Death by surfing. Whether good or bad, shocking events make me breathmore. If someone were to stick a gun to my head, I'd hyperventilate from fear. Then maybe I'd faint, in which case I'd be breathing less than I had before, but I still wouldn't be breathless. Why did the infamous they define "breathless" as short on breath due to excitement or other strong feelings? It doesn't work that way!
If I caught sight of something magnificent, like the Grand Canyon or a snow-capped mountain, once again, I think I'd go into a state of breathmore with the thrill of it all.
The English language is strange in how we define our words. Next time you see something stupendous, think about it. Does it leave you breathless or breathmore?
11 comments:
Nice take on the topic, Joyce! Is it possible to simultaneously be breathless and breathmore? I think so. :)
Beachlover, I never really thought about it that way. LOL
Kathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
Again, you brought out giggles at the pictures you paint with your words. I have been breathless for instants many times and I must say, it never before occurred to me that I was without breath, only that for those instants, I didn't have enough. The beauty, the fear, the love whatever caused it, was totally worth it.
:-)
Are you going to turn in breathmore to the dictionary committee? :)
Not too long ago I watched a show on weird ways people have died and there was a guy who literally died from laughing too hard and for two long. Kind of makes you think.
Yes, the English language is funny. I'd hate to have to try and learn English as a foreign language.
You are so right, nothing leaves us breathless, hmmm, so who came up with this word?? And are they still breathing today lol! Good post, you always make me laugh, Thanks for that Joyce.
Janet :)
You always make me laugh! Thanks for sharing this :)
Cheers, Jenn.
So funny, you crack me up! I do love 'breathemore'!
For some reason "Breathmore" makes me think of The Raven and "Nevermore: And again, how opposite those two could be. :) Thanks for not only the chuckle but a unique perspective on Breathless!
Frog lungs? I'm with you Joyce, let the little guys breath.
Post a Comment