As a writer, the most important items in my toolbox are words.

They continually challenge me. They often elude me. They frequently enchant me. I’m in a constant search for the right ones at the right time.

When words are your stock in trade, it’s sobering to realize that the English language is in a never-ending state of change. Just keeping up with the newest expressions takes concentrated effort, when you realize many of the words we use today didn’t even exist twenty years ago.

For instance, modern technology is often responsible for the latest dictionary entries. Who would have guessed a decade ago that a major activity of today’s population would be “texting.”

At the same time, like antiques relegated to the attic, many once familiar words have fallen into disuse.

An example is “carbon paper.” Today’s teens have no idea what us “oldsters” mean when we mention that once vital copy aid.

To keep my on