3 words

I love to come across words I don't know because I look them up and learn something.
In my recent reading I've come across three new words.

In the book Understanding Thomas Jefferson by E. M. Halliday I found Jefferson using the word 'hebetude.' It means 'dullness of mind, or mental lethargy.' The context: In 1819, at age 76, Jefferson writes a letter to William Short, reminding him that the pursuit of happiness is not compatible with laziness. The happiness he speaks of in this letter is related to the philosopher Epicurus whom Jefferson tried to follow. To Short he writes:

"Your love of repose will lead, in its progress, to a suspension of healthy exercise, a relaxation of mind, an indifference to everything around you, and finally to a debility of body, and hebetude of mind."

Lord, keep us from hebetude of mind.

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The second word comes from the book To the Castle and Back, the memoirs of Haclav Havel, translated from the Czech by Paul Wilson. Here's the sentence:

"I would say, though, that whenever things begin to get really serious, others might succumb to panic or despair, but I find myself possessed of a strange sangfroid and élan that allows me to make quick decisions and come up with solutions."


The word 'sangfroid' was a new one for me. First of all, it's French and not pronounced like it looks. The pronunciation is: sawn-fraw. It means 'composure under trying conditions.'

Lord, give us sangfroid.

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The third word is also from Havel's memoir. It's not actually a new word for me, but I don't ever remember seeing it in print before. The context: Havel, former President of Czechoslovakia, is staying in Washington while working on his memoir. He writes:

"The time difference, the change of climate, the wine, the pill, and the relief that the long flight is over combine to create a certain kind of discombobulation."


Sure, we've all heard the word, but have you seen it in print? Discombobulation. To be discombobulated is to be confused or to lack clarity about what is going on or where you are. Sort of the opposite of sangfroid. But I wondered if the word discombobulation inferred an opposite term, 'combobulated.' After all, if you become discombobulated, doesn't that imply that before your discombobulation you were combobulated? Makes sense to me. But there is no such word as combobulated. If there was, it would mean having composure, being clear about things.

Lord, make our lives combobulated.

Amen.