In honor of my present reading material, The Professor and the Madman, this week's top ten list will address my favorite words. My reasons for choosing these words vary. Some I like simply for the way they sound. Others I chose for their definitions. Others are chosen due to the fact that their sounds and their meanings don't coincide. In no particular order, because it is just too difficult to decide, here they are: 10. ratiocination (n.)--To reason methodically and logically. I first heard this word as an English Literature student in reference to Milton's "Paradise Lost". I fell in love with this word, not just for the meaning, but for the fact that if you throw this word into everyday conversation, you tend to get some strange looks. 9. mellifluous (adj.)--Having a smooth, rich flow. The word itself is indeed mellifluous. It really just rolls off the tongue. Perhaps I like it because I myself never speak in a mellifluous manner, but rather more staccato, which is also a great word, but didn't make it onto the list. 8. philology(n.)--The study of literature and of disciplines relevant to literature or to language as used in literature. I, in fact believe myself to be somewhat of a philologist. That is, something more than a linguist (which I'm surely not), more than a theorist, and more than a lover of literature. It is all of those things. And it is fun to say. 7. lugubrious (adj.)--1. Mournful; indicating sorrow, often in a way that seems feigned, exaggerated, or ridiculous. 2. Gloomy; dismal. Just saying this word puts me in a lugubrious mood.  6. quixotic (adj.)--1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality. 2. Capricious; impulsive. Another word that is fun to say, it is almost a complete antithesis to the concept of "ratiocination". I wish I were more quixotic. 5. ju-ju (n.)--1. An object superstitiously believed to embody magical powers. 2. The power associated with a juju. I don't believe any comment is necessary. It's just a great word. 4.  vex (v.)to irritate, annoy, provoke.  I'm often vexed.  Not by life's usual predicaments, but by my own actions and reactions to those predicaments. 3. doppleganger (n.)--1. A ghostly double or counterpart of a living person. 2. Alter ego; double. Mostly, I love the idea of a doppleganger. So many literary works address this notion and I find it fascinating. I could have a second self wandering about the planet. How delicious it would be to meet such a person. I'd probably kill him or her. 2. cacophony (n.)--Harsh or discordant sound; dissonance. A fun word to say and actually not at all cacophonous when heard. 1. gravitas (n.)--high seriousness. I actually have to say this word with a gravelly voice. And slow: "graveeetaaas". This was a difficult list and one that is constantly in transition.