Enough Z’s to make you feel dizzy!
Zuche – a tree stump
Zitella – a young girl, maiden
Zufolo – a small flute
Zingaro – a gipsy
Ziganka – a Russian country dance
Zappy -. lively
Zinke – an old wind instrument similar to a cornet
Zugtrompete – a trombone
Zamacueca – a Chilean dance where people weave in and out of each other
Zapateado – South American dance with rhythmic tapping of feet.
Zambra – a Spanish dance
Zoppetto – Italian limping hop dance
Zydeco – Creole dance music.
On a sun-drenched hilltop, a young girl sits upon a zuche. A butterfly dances in the air, and the zitella dances along. From somewhere unseen, the sweet sound of a zufolo fills with the air. In minutes, they are joined by fluttering doves, skipping rabbits, and leaping toads.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Russia a zingaro devushka wanders into the centre of a town square and starts to perform the ziganka, her gaudy skirt billowing as she spins round and round. Standing close by, her father plays a zappy tune on his zinke. Suddenly the square fills with dancing men, women, boys and girls.
As the clock strikes twelve the folk of a Chilean township appear on the main street, and to the sound of an echoing zugtrompete, take part in a zamacueca weaving in and out and clapping their hands in time with the jolly music.
Across the Latin world, pavements vibrate with the stamping feet of joyful zapatiedo merry-makers.
In the midday sunshine, an endless stream of folk makes its way to a Mediterranean beach where they perform the zambra. Across Italy, they hop the zoppetto. Thousands of miles away, the good folk of Louisiana leap around to the zydeco.
Soon all the world is dancing, from the east to the south, the north to the farthest west.
In war-torn countries, they lay down their arms. Sworn enemies dance together. Suddenly the world is a happy place. Suddenly we are one.
We all dance together.
Previous episodes
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z
Thanks to everybody who visited my blog during April. Your delightful comments made it all worthwhile.
Thank you also for keeping me entertained with your A-Z posts, I’ve learned through some, been amused by others and held in suspense by one or two! Best of all, I’ve made new friends along the way!
Definitely dizzy from all the zeds (or zees). Thank you for delightful short stories, new words and including the definitions 🙂
Congratulations on completing another A to Z April challenge
Look forward to when the whole world will be dancing together
Zeds to me!!! Thanks so much for your kind words Anne, and I totally agree.
Let the music begin, i am ready for the world to dance together.
Congratulations on finishing the A to Z!
Me too! Cheers Mimi.
Perfect ending Keith.
Thanks so much for your support Sadje, it’s much appreciated.
A pleasure Keith.
Enjoyed dancing through the alphabet this month. 🙂
Are you familiar with how zydeco music got its name?
I haven’t, please enlighten me!
A Cajun folksinger explained this to us once:
There was a really popular song among the Cajuns with a real jazzy tune: “Les haricots sont pas salés,” said like, “Z’haricots sont pas salés.” The French ‘rolling r’ was hard for the local creoles of that day, so the opening words like “Z’edicos” which was taken as zydeco by listeners and that style of music became referred to by that word.
Your description of “zoppetto” makes me think of the aboriginal dance here: the Crow dance, where dancers imitate crows hopping. The action looks more like “Crow on a hot tin roof.” 🙂
Thanks so much for that Christine! That’s a couple of things I’ve learned from you today!
You saved the best for last. Bravo on your vision. I’ve enjoyed your stories very much this month.
Thanks so much Jade, enjoyed yours equally!
My pleasure and thanks!
That’s truly a lot of Z’s . And I honestly thought a zitella was a baby zit . I echo your sentiments and hope the world begins dancing soon with the end of the virus in sight .
Enjoyed learning new words and your stories which often made me chuckle .
Baby zit! Love it! Thanks so much Unishta, let’s hope.
A colourful post full of movement and activity and zappy. I enjoyed your series. On another note the sound of a zufolo is one of my favourites.
Congratulations on finishing the challenge and thank you for visiting my posts.
Thanks so much for sticking with me Suzy, and I really enjoyed visiting your blog this month.
I never knew there were so many words with Z. Thanks for sharing.
I was surprised! I imagine several of them are from the same root. Thanks Balaka
That’s a lot of zees. Or zeds on your side of the pond. Unfortunately, we can only be together in spirit in my state, if we have any spirit left. Thanks for the entertainment this month, though you are pretty good at providing that on a regular basis.
You say potatoes, I say….! Denise, you truly do say the kindest things, that’s what makes it so worthwhile. Thank you.
So many Zees! And all those dance forms that start with Z. How beautiful this is. I reminded of the cheerful videos of street dancing I see on Instagram. Absolutely loved your posts, Keith. I don’t remember the words but I remember the stories you wove. It was great knowing you in month. Will be visiting yuor blog often to read. 🙂
Congratulations on the success.
*this month.
*your
😊
I can’t thank you enough for your kind words Srivalli. I’m not sure I’ll remember them either. Another blog friendship made methinks!
Amen to your ‘Z’anthem Keith. Thank you for the tickles, the guffaws, the Hee-Hees and the Ha! Ha s!
Your posts never failed to put a smile on my face (except that one dark tale) throught the A to Zee.
Wishing you good health and happiness.
Cheers.
Thanks for delightful comment, it’s made it all worthwhile!
Congratulations on completing your A to Z Challenge! I’ve enjoyed reading your stories.
That’s so kind of you Liam, thank you.
Such a positive, happy and sweet note to end the challenge with. Thanks Keith for enriching us with the long lost words in the most entertaining way.
Heartiest congratulations on successful completion of the challenge (which I believe is nothing new but a routine every year for you!)
Cheers.
Another year done! I so appreciate your kind words Anagha, and thanks for following me throughout the month.
So fun. Congrats on finishing A to Z with a flourish!
Thank you so much Lynnette
What a beautiful picture of dancing Zs all over the world! If only it would happen. Congratulations on a great Z and on completing the Challenge again!
We can only hope! Thank you so much
kristin.
Allez zou, let’s dance all together and celebrate the end of this challenge!
Thank you so much for your great theme, so fun (and sometimes hard to me!) to read,fun old words.
Take care and stay healthy.
Thanks so much for sticking with me despite the odd words!
Cheers to dancing together!
You ended it on a high note. That’s how it should be. The whole world dancing.
Congratulations on another successful A-Z! And thank you for all the laughs
One day we will, hopefully! Thanks so much for your kind words.
Way to finish on a high note! =D
Black and White (Words and Pictures)
Indeed it was! Thanks Anne
Woaah, that was one too many Z’s xD
I loved reading every post of yours. So unique, so creative!
I’m glad I found your blog 🙂
Congratulations on completing the A-Z challenge!!
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, and thanks for following me throughout the month.
What a delightful ending to the challenge Keith. All these Zs and all this dancing, made me think of the buzzing bee dancing out directions to the best flowers. That’s what this April’s challenge has felt like – so many beautiful flowers to visit.
What a lovely comment! Thanks so much Deborah.
Amen to all the dancing Keith. Yours has been a blog I’ve looked forward to visiting each day. Who would’ve thought Z would be one of the longest lists!
I see you have a host of other sections and blogs that I hope to visit gradually. Best wishes
💐💐
Thank you so much for your kind words Sonia and thanks also for dropping by daily and commenting. I surprised myself with he long list of Z’s!
That paints a lovely picture. I hope that we can all go back to a simpler time – when it was possible to dance together, out on the streets! This is a great conclusion to a brilliant series, Keith. Those Zs did make me dizzy but I loved it. Congrats on making it to the end, Keith. You’re officially an AtoZ survivor. 🙂 I will keep visiting. And do come by and participate in 6WSP when you feel up to it. I’ve missed your half a dozens! Take care, Keith.
Thanks so much Shweta, I can’t thank you enough for following my stories. I had already made up my mind to revisit 6WSP, so I’ll see you there very soon!
I love your stories. There is absolutely no question of not following them! 🙂 Yay. That is great news. 🙂
I’m on a Facebook page, in a group where there’s a woman whose last name is Zingaro. I’ve told her about your post.
Really, I wonder what she’ll make of my definition! Cheers, Larry.
She says she’s part Gypsy anyway~
Zippity do dah….my oh my what a list of Z’s!!! I’ve have thoroughly enjoyed your blog and unusual words…zounds! Take care and be well! May we all dance together!
One day we’ll dance as one! Kathe, Thanks for your loyal support during the A-Z and for entertaining me on your blog in your inimitable manner!
my pleasure! See ya later!
This definitely was the best. Though I came to your blog a bit late, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your posts. Congrats on making it. Looking forward to your future posts as well. And thank you for coming over to my blog and for your comments.
We were both a bit late to each other’s parties, but better late than never! Thanks so much.
Such a great conclusion of your challenge. It’s an hearthwarming story.
And I don’t think I’ve ever read a story so full of Z-words. LOL!
Great job. Congratulation for a great challenge.
That’s so kind of you, thanks so much.
Wow, most folks really struggle finding a good Z-word. Here you are with thirteen of them! Nicely done!
Some are very similar and from the same roots, but what the heck, it’s the last day! Cheers.
Hi Keith – well done … you’ve entertained yourself and many others … and taught us ‘a few’ words – and we can come back to remember them. Congratulations on another A -Z successfully completed … all the best Hilary
That’s really kind of youHilary, thank you so much.