American Heritage Dictionary


Begins with "a," strangely.  A little bit twisted, like a spiraled orange peel or a curly fry.  Say it, "a," or "eh," or "ay."  A little bit like chewing.  The sound like a sesame seed stuck in your teeth.

Or the feathers of a marabou, tickling the back of your throat.  What language feels like, a sort of giggle, or a ride in a post chaise, rocking and cranking.  Not quite natural.

I was going to tell a story here, but I know that when I say that the man looks gray, you'll think of skin tone or brain tissue when all I wanted to say was that he has a slow manner of speaking.  And that his jaw crunches when he eats French fries, especially when they're twisted, like the letter "x" or the word "gerrymander."  And that the old man lives in one of those jumbled districts of misshapen words and muddled accents.  And that the gray man has trouble understanding, which might be a matter of brain tissue.  That it's aging.  Too long past the buggy.  Too far, dragged behind the horse.

The horse only stopped to chew cud, which stuck between his teeth.  The morning was gray as the letter "z."  
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