Word: Fenestrated

fenestrated

or fenestrate

[fen-uh-strey-tid, fi-nes-trey- or fi-nes-treyt, fen-uh-streyt]

adjective, Architecture.

1. having windows; windowed; characterized by windows.

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The house seemed nice.  Eggshell walls, clean hardwood floors, and all the amenities of modern life.  Sunlight streamed through the windows, giving the various rooms a warm, bright feel.

    “And here we have the living room.” The real estate agent said as she guided the young couple through the pleasant house.  “Note the beautiful windows.  They’re perfectly positioned to let in just the right amount of natural light.  Plus, they have an excellent view of the yard.”

    “Uh huh.” Ted, one of the potential customers, said.  He did not look so enthused.  His fiance, Heather, looked much more interested.

    The agent continued on, “And they’re very well made.  Top of the line.  Well insulated, so you don’t have to worry about getting too hot or too cold.  And they’re also very sturdy.  It’ll take more than a thrown ball to get through these.” She said with a knowing grin.

    “Oh that sounds wonderful.” Heather said.  She was already picturing a future child throwing things against it and not breaking the glass.

    “Plus, they’re long lasting.  In fact, all the windows in this house are.  Guaranteed to last a lifetime and more.”

    “Great, great.” Ted said.  “Now what about the rest of the house?”

    “Excuse me?”
    “You’ve talked a lot about the windows so far.  In fact, that’s pretty much all you’ve talked about.  What about other parts of the house?”

    Heather leaned in close and spoke quietly.  “Don’t be rude Ted.  She’s just doing her job.”

    “I’m not being rude.  It’s a reasonable question.”

    “Uh, well, if you look around, this living area is quite spacious.  You’ll be able to do quite a bit in here.” The agent said.  Her eyes darted around the room and her smile was a bit too wide for Ted’s taste.  “Now then, why...why don’t we move on to the next room?”

    “Where we’ll no doubt see a lot of excellent windows.” Ted said.

    “Well, yes, we will.” The agent said quickly.  “Top quality windows.  Really, the best.”

    The agent continued to expound on the quality of the house’s many windows.  Ted grumbled while Heather took in every word the agent said.  Finally, Ted could take no more.  He stopped dead in the middle of a hallway.

    “You know what?  This is getting ridiculous.”

    “Uh, Ted…”Heather started to say.  Ted held up his hand to stop her before continuing.

    “No, Heather, it is.  She’s talked about nothing but windows this entire tour.  Listen, this looks like a lovely house, but if you can’t tell us about anything other than some pieces of glass in the walls, we’re leaving and looking for a different agent.”

    “Ted!”

    The agent recoiled against the threat.  “W-well...I...uh...this...this hallway is...very well positioned for foot traffic and…” Her forehead developed a fine sheen of sweat as she floundered to find something to say.  Ted continued to glaire.  His gaze finally broke the agent.  “Okay, fine, you want an honest tour?  You want me to tell you about something other than the windows?  I will.  This house is junk.  Complete and utter junk that’s beyond repair.  The windows are the best part of it, I wasn’t lying.  They really are top of the line.  Nothing else is though.  The pipes are rusted to the point of bursting.   Everything creaks and rattles while the wind is blowing.  The wiring could fail at any moment. The walls are so thin and rotten that the paint is sturdier.  Seriously, I can punch through the walls right now without much trouble.  I’m actually a bit surprised it hasn’t collapsed from us walking in it.”

    The agent paused a bit and took a deep breath.  “Wow.  That...that actually felt good.  You have no idea how hard it is to try and sell a junker like this.”  She smiled a much more genuine smile than any before.  “Thanks for making me say that.”

    “I...you’re welcome?” Ted said, confused.  

    “Let’s get out of here.  I know a few houses that are a lot better than this one.  They aren’t as pretty but the quality is a lot better.” The agent said.  “And yes, I am telling the truth right now.”

    The young couple looked at each other and followed the agent out of the skin deep house.  It really was amazing what a little brutal honesty could do for a person.  

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I've said it before and I'll probably say it again: English is weird. I mean, look at fenestrated and defenestrated. If fenestrated means having windows, shouldn't defenestrated mean something like not having windows? Instead it means throwing someone out a window. Doesn't make much snese does it? I still think defenestrated is an awesome word though, just because of that definition.