In the past I may have intimated that I had a full grasp of the word intimate. But while making tea, some intimate part of myself intimated that this was not the case.
Seriously, it has never dawned on me that the verb “in-tim-eight” was the same exact word as the adjective and noun “in-tim-ut.” Nor had it really even flipped the switch that “intimate” (vt) means both “to make known publicly or formally” and “to communicate delicately and indirectly“. Both “to announce” and “to hint.”
Which in better times should have been mutually exclusive, but I suppose I shouldn’t be too dismissive of the ability to do both, considering I’ve been paying attention to politics. No greater verb, then, to describe the current level of political discourse, a peculiar level of preparing a speech on a topic and then refusing to say anything actually useful about said topic.
But all of this is merely attempting to add weight to what is, deep down, simply my brain obsessing over a word for a few hours. Best move along to other pastures, my intimates.