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Kibble:
verb (used with object), kib-bled, kib-bling
1. to grind or divide into particles or pellets, as coarse-ground meal or prepared dry dog food.
noun
2. grains or pellets resulting from a kibbling process
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I have a childhood memory of a friend telling me that they fed their dog kibble. That would have been fine, except we fed dog food to our dog and I had no idea what kibble was. Was it a dog vegetable? Was it dessert? Was it a super special snack that made her dog stronger and smarter? What?
When she showed me her dog's food, I was relieved to find out that it was, in fact, plain old dog food. But I was also a little annoyed. Why didn't she just say dog food?
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I love words, and I love learning new words, but not in the middle of a gripping story. Have you ever been happily reading along when you tripped on a word? It completely stops the flow, doesn't it?
There is a time and place for complicated words, but we want the readers of our devotionals, articles, and stories to ride the waves of our words in a secure pinnace. Oops! I mean boat, or ship, or even vessel, of course.
The point is, don't say crepuscular when you mean dim.
Simple is often the best way to say what you mean. Do you agree? Or perhaps you concur. At any rate, I hope you don't acquiesce.
Now, if you'll excuse me, our new kittens have knocked over the bin of dog food and there's kibble all over the floor.
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Photos by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash
