Word of the Day for Friday May 6, 2005 frisson \free-SOHN\, noun: A moment of intense excitement; a shudder; an emotional thrill. When we think a story hasn't been invented, there's an extra frisson in reading it. --"Too true," [1]Independent, April 12, 1998 As every parent knows, children have a love-hate relationship with stories about monsters. They love the frisson of hearing about such terrifying creatures as the Cyclops -- but hate to think about what they might do if they bumped into one. --"Strange but true: One in the eye for all those Homer-phobes," [2]Daily Telegraph, June 21, 1998 When we stopped in traffic at the Plaza de la Cibeles on the Paseo del Prado, where a grandiose 18th-century statue of the goddess of fertility poised on a chariot seemed to be waiting for the light to change, a little frisson of pleasure jolted through me, because this part of Madrid reminded me of Paris. --"Counting Pesetas in Madrid," [3]New York Times, March 17, 1996 _________________________________________________________ Frisson comes from the French, from Old French friçon, "a trembling," ultimately from Latin frigere, "to be cold." References 1. http://www.independent.co.uk/www/ 2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ 3. http://www.nytimes.com/ Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=frisson