(Originally posted on the website Heron Flight)

I feel lousy today.

“Lousy.” What a word.

According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “The Words You Need Today” and “Over 35 Million Sold!”, and currently sandwiched between The Roget’s 21st Century Thesaurus and The 17th Century King James Version of the Bible on my desk, “lousy” means:

1. infested with lice;
2. POOR, INFERIOR (yes, in capital letters);
3. amply supplied (~ with money).

Guess which one describes how I feel.

No, not #1. Although, I would not complain about #1 if I could have #3 also.

Using our mighty powers of deduction, that leaves me feeling like #2. Yes, I feel like #2, a big ol’ doodie. An inferior doodie, if you will. A poor piece of shit. My bank account attests to the fact, as does my mental and physical states. (The last item probably having something to do with the evil tendency I wrote about yesterday.)

But which is worse? To be “lousy” or “loutish”?

Merriam? Webster?

“Lout” – a stupid awkward fellow.

Poor? Yes. Inferior? Probably. Infested with lice? If need be.

Stupid and Awkward? Never.

And now I found a new Power Insult: “You LOUSY LOUT!” I gotta go walk around the office and find someone to try it out on. NOW!