PHRASE OF THE WEEK: Writer's Block

Summary: Continuing our series on writer's block, this week's featured vocabulary word is actually a list of synonyms for the very phrase we're exploring. Can you come up with others? (Remember: Click on the pronunciation links to hear how each word sounds when spoken.)

Writer (RY - ter) - (n.) one who physically scribes or pens words onto a page; one who creates or compiles stories, technical manuals or other written work; an author. Writer's (RY- ters) - (poss. n.) of or belonging to a writer. Block (blahk) - (n.) in this case, an obstruction or stoppage. The phrase "writer's block" was first coined in 1950 by the psychoanalyst Edmund Bergler, who was himself a prolific writer on the subject.

Here are some synonymous phrases:

Author's handicap
Composer's deterrent
Penman's impediment
Recorder's trammel
Formulater's fetter
Crafter's snafu
Bard's encumberence

To hear pronunciations or read further definitions or etymologies for any of these words, follow the links to my previously posted lists of online dictionaries. In addition to educating yourself, you're sure to kill some time and forget about your scribbler's hurdle for awhile! And if you still need more time away from that empty page, you can always get your creative juices started by seeing what phrases you can add to today's phrase list ...

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