gnarly (comparative gnarlier, superlative gnarliest)  adjective 

Having or characterized by gnarls; gnarled.  quotations ▼

(slang) Excellent; attractive.  quotations ▼

(slang, US) Dangerous; difficult.  quotations ▼

(slang, US) Unpleasant, awful, ugly.  quotations ▼

(slang, US) Of music or a sound:  harsh.  quotations ▼

Note the word’s contradictory senses of “good” and “bad”.  Its meaning varies by community and context, and may be indicated by extra-verbal cues such as tone of voice.  https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gnarly 

In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself.  The term was originated by Angus MacPhail for film, adopted by Alfred Hitchcock, and later extended to a similar device in other fiction.  The MacGuffin technique is common in films, especially thrillers.  Usually, the MacGuffin is revealed in the first act, and thereafter declines in importance.  It can reappear at the climax of the story but may actually be forgotten by the end of the story.  Multiple MacGuffins are sometimes derisively identified as plot coupons.  The use of a MacGuffin as a plot device predates the name MacGuffin.  The Holy Grail of Arthurian legend has been cited as an early example of a MacGuffin.  The Holy Grail is the desired object that is essential to initiate and advance the plot, but the final disposition of the Grail is never revealed, suggesting that the object is not of significance in itself.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin#   

blink  verb  1580s, "nictitate, wink rapidly and repeatedly," perhaps from Middle Dutch blinken "to glitter," which is of uncertain origin, possibly, along with German blinken "to gleam, sparkle, twinkle," from a nasalized form of base found in Old English blican "to shine, glitter"  Middle English had blynke (c. 1300) in the sense "a brief gleam or spark," perhaps a variant of blench "to move suddenly or sharply; to raise one's eyelids" (c. 1200), perhaps from the rare Old English blencan "deceive."  The word existed originally with a vague and shifting set of meanings, many now obsolete, having to do with motion of the eyes; in earlier use "the notion of 'glancing' predominates; in the latter, that of 'winking'" [OED].

Blink as "to wink" is attested by 1761.  The meaning "cast a sudden, fleeting light" is from 1786; that of "shut the eyes momentarily and involuntarily" is from 1858. Related:  Blinked; blinking.  The last, as a euphemism for a stronger adjective, is attested by 1914.

blink  noun  1590s, "a glance," a word of uncertain origin, perhaps from a continental Germanic language; see blink  verb  As with the verb, there is a similar noun in Middle English, from c. 1300, that might represent a native form of the same root.  The meaning "action of blinking" is from 1924.  From the otherwise archaic sense of "a flicker, a spark," comes on the blink "nearly extinguished," hence "not functioning" (1901).  https://www.etymonline.com/word/blink 

A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water.  It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs.  Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. The unique water chemistry of fens is a result of the ground or surface water input.  Typically, this input results in higher mineral concentrations and a more basic pH than found in bogs.  As peat accumulates in a fen, groundwater input can be reduced or cut off, making the fen ombrotrophic rather than minerotrophic.  In this way, fens can become more acidic and transition to bogs over time.  Fens can be found around the world, but the vast majority are located at the mid to high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.  Specific fens:  Wicken Fen, Cambridgeshire, The Fens (eastern England), Mesopotamian Marshes (Iraq), Back Bay Fens (Boston, Massachusetts), Cedar Bog (Champaign County, Ohio), Cowles Bog, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore (Indiana), and Geneva Creek (Colorado) (an iron fen).  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fen#  

Microsoft will never provide a telephone number to call for assistance if an error or warning pops up on your screen.  The company will never contact you asking for personal information or asking to fix your computer.  ALL points of contact through Microsoft are made by the user first, not someone claiming to be from Microsoft.  Carlos Mathis  https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/fake-microsoft-virus-scam-targeting-residents/ 

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2707  August 15, 2023