http://www.wordnik.com/lists/prosie-how-i-met-my-wife.xml by Jack Winter <br />Published 25 July 1994, The New Yorker <br /> <br />It had been a rough day, so when I walked into the party I was very <a href="/words/chalant">chalant</a>, despite my efforts to appear <a href="/words/gruntled">gruntled</a> and <a href="/words/consolate">consolate</a>. <br /> <br />I was <a href="/words/furling">furling</a> my <a href="/words/wieldy">wieldy</a> umbrella for the coat check when I saw her standing alone in a corner. She was a <a href="/words/descript">descript</a> person, a woman in a state of <a href="/words/total array">total array</a>. Her hair was <a href="/words/kempt">kempt</a>, her clothing <a href="/words/shevelled">shevelled</a>, and she moved in a <a href="/words/gainly">gainly</a> way. <br /> <br />I wanted desperately to meet her, but I knew I'd have to <a href="/words/make bones about it">make bones about it</a> since I was <a href="/words/travelling cognito">travelling cognito</a>. <a href="/words/Beknownst">Beknownst</a> to me, the hostess, whom I could see <a href="/words/both hide and hair of">both hide and hair of</a>, was very proper, so it would be <a href="/words/skin off my nose">skin off my nose</a> if anything bad happened. And even though I had only <a href="/words/swerving loyalty">swerving loyalty</a> to her, my manners couldn't be <a href="/words/peccable">peccable</a>. Only <a href="/words/toward">toward</a> and <a href="/words/heard-of">heard-of</a> behavior would do. <br /> <br />Fortunately, the embarrassment that my <a href="/words/maculate">maculate</a> appearance might cause was <a href="/words/evitable">evitable</a>. There were <a href="/words/two ways about it">two ways about it</a>, but the chances that someone as <a href="/words/flappable">flappable</a> as I would be <a href="/words/ept">ept</a> enough to become <a href="/words/persona grata">persona grata</a> or a <a href="/words/sung hero">sung hero</a> were slim. I was, after all, <a href="/words/something to sneeze at">something to sneeze at</a>, someone you <a href="/words/could easily hold a candle to">could easily hold a candle to</a>, someone who usually aroused <a href="/words/bridled passion">bridled passion</a>. <br /> <br />So I decided not to risk it. But then, all at once, for <a href="/words/some apparent reason">some apparent reason</a>, she looked in my direction and smiled in a way that I <a href="/words/could make heads and tails of">could make heads and tails of</a>. <br /> <br />I was <a href="/words/plussed">plussed</a>. It was <a href="/words/concerting">concerting</a> to see that she was <a href="/words/communicado">communicado</a>, and it <a href="/words/nerved">nerved</a> me that she was interested in a <a href="/words/pareil">pareil</a> like me, <a href="/words/sight seen">sight seen</a>. Normally, I had a <a href="/words/domitable">domitable</a> spirit, but, being <a href="/words/corrigible">corrigible</a>, I felt <a href="/words/capacitated">capacitated</a>--as if this were something I <a href="/words/was great shakes at">was great shakes at</a>--and forgot that I had succeeded in situations like this only a <a href="/words/told number">told number</a> of times. So, after a <a href="/words/terminable delay">terminable delay</a>, I acted with <a href="/words/mitigated gall">mitigated gall</a> and made my way through the <a href="/words/ruly">ruly</a> crowd with <a href="/words/strong givings">strong givings</a>. <br /> <br />Nevertheless, since this was <a href="/words/all new hat">all new hat</a> to me and I had no time to prepare a <a href="/words/promptu speech">promptu speech</a>, I was <a href="/words/petuous">petuous</a>. Wanting to make only <a href="/words/called-for remark">called-for remark</a>s, I started talking about the hors d'oeuvres, trying to <a href="/words/abuse her of the notion">abuse her of the notion</a> that I was <a href="/words/sipid">sipid</a>, and perhaps even <a href="/words/bunk a few myths">bunk a few myths</a> about myself. <br /> <br />She responded well, and I was <a href="/words/mayed">mayed</a> that she considered me a <a href="/words/savory character">savory character</a> who was <a href="/words/up to some good">up to some good</a>. She told me who she was. "What a perfect <a href="/words/nomer">nomer</a>," I said, <a href="/words/advertently">advertently</a>. The conversation become more and more <a href="/words/choate">choate</a>, and we spoke at length <a href="/words/to much avail">to much avail</a>. But I was <a href="/words/defatigable">defatigable</a>, so I had to leave <a href="/words/at a godly hour">at a godly hour</a>. I asked if she wanted to come with me. To my delight, she was <a href="/words/committal">committal</a>. We left the party together and have been together ever since. I have given her my love, and she has <a href="/words/requited">requited</a> it. http://www.wordnik.com http://www.wordnik.com/words/chalant Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:32 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/chalant http://www.wordnik.com/words/gruntled Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:28 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/gruntled http://www.wordnik.com/words/consolate Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/consolate http://www.wordnik.com/words/furling Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:16 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/furling http://www.wordnik.com/words/wieldy Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:12 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/wieldy http://www.wordnik.com/words/descript Fri, 25 May 2007 10:39:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/descript http://www.wordnik.com/words/total array Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:47 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/total array http://www.wordnik.com/words/kempt Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:36 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/kempt http://www.wordnik.com/words/shevelled Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:33 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/shevelled http://www.wordnik.com/words/gainly Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:30 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/gainly http://www.wordnik.com/words/make bones about it Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:19 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/make bones about it http://www.wordnik.com/words/traveling cognito Fri, 25 May 2007 10:38:05 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/traveling cognito http://www.wordnik.com/words/beknownst Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:59 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/beknownst http://www.wordnik.com/words/both hide and hair of Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:49 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/both hide and hair of http://www.wordnik.com/words/skin off my nose Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:37 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/skin off my nose http://www.wordnik.com/words/swerving loyalty Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/swerving loyalty http://www.wordnik.com/words/peccable Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:19 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/peccable http://www.wordnik.com/words/toward behavior Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:09 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/toward behavior http://www.wordnik.com/words/heard-of Fri, 25 May 2007 10:37:04 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/heard-of http://www.wordnik.com/words/maculate Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:54 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/maculate http://www.wordnik.com/words/evitable Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:44 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/evitable http://www.wordnik.com/words/two ways about it Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:40 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/two ways about it http://www.wordnik.com/words/flappable Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:27 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/flappable http://www.wordnik.com/words/ept Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:13 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/ept http://www.wordnik.com/words/persona grata Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:06 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/persona grata http://www.wordnik.com/words/sung hero Fri, 25 May 2007 10:36:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sung hero http://www.wordnik.com/words/something to sneeze at Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:59 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/something to sneeze at http://www.wordnik.com/words/could easily hold a candle to Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:54 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/could easily hold a candle to http://www.wordnik.com/words/bridled passion Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/bridled passion http://www.wordnik.com/words/some apparent reason Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:37 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/some apparent reason http://www.wordnik.com/words/could make heads and tails of Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:33 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/could make heads and tails of http://www.wordnik.com/words/plussed Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:21 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/plussed http://www.wordnik.com/words/concerting Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:19 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/concerting http://www.wordnik.com/words/communicado Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:15 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/communicado http://www.wordnik.com/words/nerved Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:12 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/nerved http://www.wordnik.com/words/pareil Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:09 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/pareil http://www.wordnik.com/words/sight seen Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:06 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sight seen http://www.wordnik.com/words/domitable Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/domitable http://www.wordnik.com/words/corrigible Fri, 25 May 2007 10:35:00 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/corrigible http://www.wordnik.com/words/capacitated Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:57 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/capacitated http://www.wordnik.com/words/was great shakes at Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:53 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/was great shakes at http://www.wordnik.com/words/told number Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:44 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/told number http://www.wordnik.com/words/terminable delay Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:40 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/terminable delay http://www.wordnik.com/words/mitigated gall Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:35 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/mitigated gall http://www.wordnik.com/words/ruly Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:30 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/ruly http://www.wordnik.com/words/strong givings Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:28 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/strong givings http://www.wordnik.com/words/all new hat Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:21 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/all new hat http://www.wordnik.com/words/promptu speech Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:18 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/promptu speech http://www.wordnik.com/words/petuous Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:14 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/petuous http://www.wordnik.com/words/called-for remarks Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:11 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/called-for remarks http://www.wordnik.com/words/abuse her of the notion Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:05 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/abuse her of the notion http://www.wordnik.com/words/sipid Fri, 25 May 2007 10:34:00 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sipid http://www.wordnik.com/words/bunk a few myths Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:58 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/bunk a few myths http://www.wordnik.com/words/mayed Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:54 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/mayed http://www.wordnik.com/words/savory character Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:51 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/savory character http://www.wordnik.com/words/up to some good Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/up to some good http://www.wordnik.com/words/nomer Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:44 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/nomer http://www.wordnik.com/words/advertently Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:39 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/advertently http://www.wordnik.com/words/choate Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:12 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/choate http://www.wordnik.com/words/to much avail Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:04 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/to much avail http://www.wordnik.com/words/defatigable Fri, 25 May 2007 10:33:01 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/defatigable http://www.wordnik.com/words/at a godly hour Fri, 25 May 2007 10:32:56 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/at a godly hour http://www.wordnik.com/words/committal Fri, 25 May 2007 10:32:51 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/committal http://www.wordnik.com/words/requited Fri, 25 May 2007 10:32:49 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/requited