Xerus © Hans Hillewaert / , via Wikimedia Commons
For the last two years, when it came to X, I’ve cheated. I admit it. I’ve found weaselly ways to get around the most challenging letter in our alphabet.
Not this year.
I’ve picked a pair of words, neither of which I knew before I perused my handy thesaurus. Do you know them? Here, before we get to what they mean?
I think they sound like a couple of characters in a fantasy novel, Xanthous and Xyloid, an oafy pair, Xanthous huge and unwieldy, Xyloid smaller, more dexterous, but every bit as dull. Massive long arms, skin a murky green, Xanthous and Xyloid were sent by their village chief on a quest.
Mainly to get them out of the village, because the cost of fixing the stuff they wreck is really adding up.
Interestingly, spellcheck doesn’t think either one is a word, so today we are all smarter than spellcheck. Ready for definitions? Here we go. Xanthous means blonde or fair; xyloid means having the characteristics of wood. Outside of a Scrabble board, these words probably won’t get used terribly much, as it’s much easier and clearer to say “blonde,” and much more fun to describe the characteristics of wood.
Besides, I prefer my duo of trouble-prone dolts.
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A Bit to Read 
Once again a great animal pic to draw me in.
amazing what you can discover using a thesaurus. love mine. 🙂
Joy @ The Joyous Living
#AtoZChallenge
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They’re fantastic! And yes, it’s adorable. X was tough. It lives in Africa. 🙂
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Xanthous Xarrissa xerographs xyloid xiphoid xylophones.
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Showoff 😉
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I like your louts, but couldn’t resist the idea that it might be possible to write a complete sentence only with words beginning with X…
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Which reminds me, I should see what you did today.
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I knew of xanthous but not xyloid. I do like the personification you gave them. A short story in the making?
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Who knows! Now that they’re in my head, it’s possible, they’re kinda clunking around in there… 🙂
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Bonus point for actually using X words. I do think your use of the words sounds more fun than their intended purposes. Discarded Darlings – Jean Davis, Speculative Fiction Writer, A to Z: Editing Fiction
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Thanks! I figured I had to do it eventually…it’s tough though.
(Had my coffee and STILL had to stare at “tough though” to make sure I got it right! English is hard.)
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Excellent X words. I stink at Scrabble.
Y is for the Yellowstone Conspiracy
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Aw, thanks! Yes, I like to collect words with the point totals in mind. I’m that nerdy!
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I love seeing what other A to Zers choose for the X post. What courage to come up with two words. How Xciting!
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🙂 Thanks. It’s all down to my trusty thesaurus! I just liked the sound of them together.
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