The word canoodle isn’t used nearly as much as it once was. Decades ago, gossip columnists often confided that some leggy starlet was seen “canoodling in the corner” with some actor-stud. Britney Spears, having dumped the K-Fedster, is now sometimes reported to be canoodling in nightclubs. However, a search for the word on the Hollywood Reporter site yields nada, surely a sign of some sort of decline in something.

(Minor tangent: I have always loved the publication name “Hollywood Reporter.” First, it’s a true oxymoron – if you’re a reporter, you’ve got no business in Hollywood, where everything is stage-managed and a press release is in-depth journalism. Second, the phrase “Hollywood reporter” conjures images of an eager cub stringer in a seersucker suit and second-hand derby, notepad in hand, eagerly quizzing a bored ingenue as she polishes her nails.)

But back to canoodle. The Random House dictionary defines it as “caress, fondle, or pet amorously.” (“Pet amorously”? I’m reminded of 1960s-era sorority meet and greets.) The American Heritage Dictionary takes canoodling just a tad more seriously – which is appropriate, given the word’s potential – defining it as “to engage in caressing, petting, or lovemaking.” Oh goodness.

At any rate, I wish canoodle was used more frequently. It’s the kind of word that can be tossed off casually and in any number of occasions, so there’s no good reason for its paucity of employment. Change, of course, always starts with oneself, so I guess it’s up to me. From now on, more canoodling!