Isn't the word "slog" fun to say? I look for (and find) opportunities to use it just because. Slog is kind of a grumpy word, so apply it sparingly. But on certain days, it just works.
Slog
The verb "slog" means to walk slowly, encountering resistance. To walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud. It can also be used to mean to work slowly and deliberately (overcoming significant boredom), or to strike something with a heavy blow. All of these meanings please me. If you like (and I do like), you can even say slogs, slogging or slogged.
Although I have never used "slog" as a noun, I think I might try. To the British, "slog" apparently can mean a long tedious walk or session of work. As in: "So how was your day, honey?" "It was a slog." I also just learned that in the game of cricket, a "slog" is an aggressive shot played with little skill. Many of my days could accurately be described as such.
The origin of the word "slog" is unknown, but some dictionaries suggest that it may be related to "slug(2)," which means to strike hard or to push onward, especially through mud, snow or other obstacles; trudge. Although there's no real etymological link, I also like the definition of "slug(1)," which is any various snaillike terrestrial gastropod mollusks having no shell or only a rudimentary one, feeding on plants, and often a pest of leafy garden crops. That's an apt description of how I sometimes feel on my sloggiest days. Is sloggiest a word? Oh, why not.
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