Fun Words are Fun! Vocabulary Time

[ThinkMinty]

Seeing as fun words are fun, I'd like to see if I can get all y'all going on a sharing-fun-words spree. I'll start us off with...

...

Hepcat!

A hepcat is a jazz/swing enthusiast and/or performer, and most likely a cool cucumber.

I learned this word today and wanted to share it.

[AvatarVecna]

Did you know that the number 10100 is called a googol? I always thought it was spelled google (guess why). Also of interest, 1010100 is called a googolplex, and 101010100 is called a googolplexion. Math is weird sometimes.

Base-12 counting is fun as well, whether you call it dozenal, duodecimal, or what have you.

[ThinkMinty]

Base-12 counting is fun as well, whether you call it dozenal, duodecimal, or what have you.

Dozenal sounds like it should be the last name of a cute chick from math class.

[AvatarVecna]

Dozenal sounds like it should be the last name of a cute chick from math class.

Wouldn't that make for an interesting TV show...

[ArcanaFire]

Dozenal sounds like it should be the last name of a cute chick from math class.

To me, it sounds like allergy medication.

[Kymme]

I like petrichor. It's the scent of the earth after it rains.

[ThinkMinty]

I like petrichor. It's the scent of the earth after it rains.

Petrichor is now my new favorite word. I want to buy your brain a pizza, thank you.

[Jeff the Green]

Trabajabamos. Spanish for "we used to work" (well, it can be translated a few ways).

Saudade (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade), a melancholic longing for something you know will never return.

Litotes, saying something isn't x to imply it's the opposite of x. E.g. "He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."

[ThinkMinty]

Trabajabamos. Spanish for "we used to work" (well, it can be translated a few ways).

Huzzah! I love long Spanish words, they just sound cool.


Saudade (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade), a melancholic longing for something you know will never return.

I like how that word makes you feel wistful saying it.


Litotes, saying something isn't x to imply it's the opposite of x. E.g. "He isn't the sharpest tool in the shed."

I retroactively wanted know what this word was since I was about...seven, maybe. Excellent.

[Cuthalion]

Petrichor?! It's a word? Yay! :smallbiggrin:

[Jormengand]

I always thought that obsolescence, the state of being about to be obsolete, was a cool word.

Halcyon, a word meaning from an idyllic past time, is another of my favourites.

[Kymme]

I want to buy your brain a pizza, thank you.

Can I sig this?

Another great word, this one from Germany: Backpfeifengesicht; noun; a punch-able face, literally: "A face that cries out in need of a fist."

One of my favorite loan-words: defenestrate. It means "to throw (a person or a thing) out a window. It's history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestrations_of_Prague#Second_Defenestration_of _Prague) is what makes it really funny to me.

[Aliquid]

Hepcat!

A hepcat is a jazz/swing enthusiast and/or performer, and most likely a cool cucumber.
And that word eventually evolved into the current slang word for cool: "hip"

Another word:
Imagine you know someone who keeps using the term irregardless, even though you repeatedly tell them “that isn’t a real word”. That person is a Mumpsimus.

A Mumpsimus is someone who obstinately clings to an error, bad habit or prejudice, even after the foible has been exposed (especially if it is vocabulary related)

[ThinkMinty]

Can I sig this?

You can, yeah.


Another great word, this one from Germany: Backpfeifengesicht; noun; a punch-able face, literally: "A face that cries out in need of a fist."

I love that one. It was in a Cracked listicle at some point, but I forgot how it was spelled n' stuff.


One of my favorite loan-words: defenestrate. It means "to throw (a person or a thing) out a window. It's history (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenestrations_of_Prague#Second_Defenestration_of _Prague) is what makes it really funny to me.

The SECOND defenestration of Prague. It's funny because it happened again. Recurring joke value and all that.

The word Spaeman is fun. My dad thought it was any kind of wizard, but it turns out it's just a male soothsayer/diviner sort.

[Oneris]

Junket can either mean "a pleasure trip taken by an official at public expense", or simply "pudding".

Similarly, Subtlety means "so delicately complex as to be difficult to describe", "cleverly indirect" or "elaborate Medieval edible entertainment"

Substituting in the latter definition whenever the former is used makes reading political articles infinitely more interesting.

[AkazilliaDeNaro]

Junket can either mean "a pleasure trip taken by an official at public expense", or simply "pudding".

Similarly, Subtlety means "so delicately complex as to be difficult to describe", "cleverly indirect" or "elaborate Medieval edible entertainment"

Substituting in the latter definition whenever the former is used makes reading political articles infinitely more interesting.

I just like Subtlety Because it has a subtle-T in it. *buh dum tss*

Another word I like is Copious meaning abundant in supply.

[Oneris]

I just like Subtlety Because it has a subtle-T in it. *buh dum tss*
Just to nitpick and be a total wet blanket, it's actually the silent 'B' that's subtle. :smallamused:

[enderlord99]

Just to nitpick and be a total wet blanket, it's actually the silent 'B' that's subtle. :smallamused:

Yeah. I was a bit confused until you pointed out that it was just an error.

[AkazilliaDeNaro]

Just to nitpick and be a total wet blanket, it's actually the silent 'B' that's subtle. :smallamused:
Well, then i've been wrong this whole time! :smallannoyed:

[Altair_the_Vexed]

From a post of mine on this very forum I discovered that not a lot of people know the word "verisimilar" - meaning "like the truth".

It's usually seen hidden in the etymology of the noun "verisimilitude" - meaning "the property of being like the truth".

[Scarlet Knight]

"...and it's fun to say 'Schnapps'."

[ThinkMinty]

"...and it's fun to say 'Schnapps'."

Schnapps was probably named that so you could still say it when hammered...on Schnapps, perhaps?

[Fri]

Bed actually looks like a bed.

Also, I know the word for cat in a couple of language (eg. Cat, gato, neko, kucing, hurairah)

But my favourite word for cat is polish. It's kot. For me it just sounds like something cute or small that want to be seen as badass. Because for me kot is a short and cute-sounding word, but o is just a masculine and hard-sounding vocal.

[erradin]

I like the very ironic word:

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: The irational fear of long words.

Also: Egregore: A collective mind made up of, as well as influencing, the consciousness of a group of people.

[Ifni]

Ooh, I didn't know 'egregore'. (Didn't know petrichor or saudade or litotes either - all good words!)

'Coranach' (also spelled 'coronach') is a dirge / lamentation for the dead. 'Phantasmagorical' is an adjective I've always liked ('having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination').

'Syzygy' is a word I learned in the context of 'when you need a word with no vowels and rhythm is taken' :smallwink: But it means 'a conjunction or opposition, especially of the moon with the sun'.

(I am totally calling my next character's magic weapon Syzygy; if asked where she got it, she will respond that she won it in a Scrabble challenge :smallwink:)

[Jormengand]

"Sanctioned" is a word that can mean either "Allowed" or "Rebuked". It is one of a few words known as auto-antonyms. The verb dust can involve the addition or removal of the noun version (dusting a cake, dusting the floor) and "Fast" can mean "Immobile" (stand fast) or "Rapid" (move fast). Nonplussed can mean disconcerted or unperturbed.

[Yora]

We Germans are well known for creating new snappy words for complicated concepts in philosophy and physics. Our language is just made for that (and we got a lot of philosophers and physicists.)

But my favorite is Verschlimmbesserung, which can be approximated as "disimprovement". A measure that is meant to provide some kind of benefit but actually only makes it worse. Like the kinds of great ideas upper management comes up with to improve specific tasks at the low level jobs.

[enderlord99]

"Sanctioned" is a word that can mean either "Allowed" or "Rebuked". It is one of a few words known as auto-antonyms. The verb dust can involve the addition or removal of the noun version (dusting a cake, dusting the floor) and "Fast" can mean "Immobile" (stand fast) or "Rapid" (move fast). Nonplussed can mean disconcerted or unperturbed.

Don't forget "cleave" and, depending on who you ask, "literally."

[Jeff the Green]

depending on who you ask, "literally."

In the same way as 'nonplussed', actually. Its 'unfazed' definition is listed as "proscribed, US, informal".

[enderlord99]

In the same way as 'nonplussed', actually. Its 'unfazed' definition is listed as "proscribed, US, informal".

Well, yeah, but I don't mean the second definition is invalid. I mean it's not exactly opposite; it's basically a form of emphasis, and "literally" never means "slightly."

[Jeff the Green]

Well, yeah, but I don't mean the second definition is invalid. I mean it's not exactly opposite; it's basically a form of emphasis, and "literally" never means "slightly."

I completely agree; I'm a descriptivist to the bone. It's happened before, actually. 'Very' is from Old French erai, 'true'. My one complaint is that there isn't yet something to fill in the gap of a word unambiguously meaning "not metaphorically". Some uses of 'literally' are clear from context ("I literally died laughing"), but not all ("I literally cried myself to sleep."). Maybe we can bring back 'verily'.

I also like 'avaunt', which means "go away". When my cat is being a pain, I literally shout "Avaunt, foul beast!"

[enderlord99]

I completely agree; I'm a descriptivist to the bone.I'm impossible for anyone to classify, I think. I come up with customized grammatical rules that are often irreconcilable with the ones that are normally used by basically anyone else; I don't expect people to adopt my standards, but I try to adhere strictly to them once I've decided upon them.

Sometimes I even type in a weird grid format I invented, but I try to make sure the "normal" version of the same text is written first.



first-person generic
think


person
organize
first-person generic
(null)
(null)


(null)
difficult
(null)
(null)
(null)


(null)
total
(null)
(null)
(null)


(null)
(null)
one
(null)
(null)


(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)



(null)
(null)


(null)
maybe
(null)
(null)
(null)


(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)


one
(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)


(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)
(null)


The words in slots 2,2 and 2,3 in the sub-grid at 3,1 could instead be placed in slots 3,2 and 3,3 in the overall grid, without significantly changing the meaning of that gridspeak sentence; however, if they were placed there in addition to their actual positions, it would mean something very different and more than a little silly, which can not be adequately transcribed into "normal" English. There are actually at least four different layouts that mean roughly the same thing as my first sentence in this post, because in addition to the alternate placements of "difficult" and "total" those same words can be replaced with "easily" and "zero" in either arrangement... just don't replace or move one without applying the same change(s) to the other.

[ben-zayb]

"Sanctioned" is a word that can mean either "Allowed" or "Rebuked". It is one of a few words known as auto-antonyms. The verb dust can involve the addition or removal of the noun version (dusting a cake, dusting the floor) and "Fast" can mean "Immobile" (stand fast) or "Rapid" (move fast). Nonplussed can mean disconcerted or unperturbed.
Yeah, contronyms are an interesting bunch. There's also Bound, Wind Up, and even Off.

I like the very ironic word:

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: The irational fear of long words.

Also: Egregore: A collective mind made up of, as well as influencing, the consciousness of a group of people.
"Abbreviation" is often abbreviated.

"Pronunication" is often mispronounced

"Misspelled" is often misspelled

[DataNinja]

Monosyllabic is more than one syllable...

[Ravens_cry]

Valid and invalid are antonyms, but flammable and inflammable are synonyms.

[ThinkMinty]

Valid and invalid are antonyms, but flammable and inflammable are synonyms.

Speaking of, every pyromancer should be of the opinion that "flame retardant" just means "try harder".

[Jay R]

Just to nitpick and be a total wet blanket, it's actually the silent 'B' that's subtle. :smallamused:

But by treating his fun "subtle-t" as worthless, you're floccinaucinihilipilificating.


...depending on who you ask, "literally."

I doubt it. The people who use it literally (to mean "literally"), and the people who use it figuratively (to mean "figuratively"), are different people. I don't know anybody who does both.


Hepcat!

A hepcat is a jazz/swing enthusiast and/or performer, and most likely a cool cucumber.

It's worth noting that a hepcat is also probably wearing a zoot suit. It refers to being very modern and fashionable in the forties, and thus a hepcat would be woefully old-fashioned today.

The word "hepcat" led to "hep" which led to "hip" which led to "hippie".

[Duck999]

I like the very ironic word:

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia: The irational fear of long words.

One of my favorite words. I also enjoy:
Zemmiphobia-Fear of the great mole rat.
(Because it is strange)
and:
Floccinaucinihilipilification-The action of considering something worthless

[Bobbybobby99]

But by treating his fun "subtle-t" as worthless, you're floccinaucinihilipilificating.



I doubt it. The people who use it literally (to mean "literally"), and the people who use it figuratively (to mean "figuratively"), are different people. I don't know anybody who does both.



It's worth noting that a hepcat is also probably wearing a zoot suit. It refers to being very modern and fashionable in the forties, and thus a hepcat would be woefully old-fashioned today.

The word "hepcat" led to "hep" which led to "hip" which led to "hippie".

Which led to the word hipster! :smallcool: Words are fun.

[danzibr]

Yeah, contronyms are an interesting bunch. There's also Bound, Wind Up, and even Off.
My favorite contronym is left.

Favorite word ever... like Jormengang I like halcyon. I also like idyll, not often do you hear idyllic in its noun form. I like insipid, too. Hm, too many to choose from.

EDIT: As far as just feeling cool on the lips, I like obligatory.

[TheGamemaniac]

Alright let's see how many I can spew out.
My feet frequently fall asleep, in other words experience paresthesia.
I have illegible handwriting, also known as griffonage.
The metal thing that holds your eraser on a pencil that people tend to chew is called a ferrule.
A string of typographical symbols used to indicate profanity is a grawlix.
... And that's all I have at the moment.

[Shekinah]

Ferhoodle: A Pennsylvanian Dutch word meaning to confuse or mix up.

I really need to employ that in my vocabulary the next time I screw up. It'll confuse everyone. It'll be amazing.

[Duck999]

Ferhoodle: A Pennsylvanian Dutch word meaning to confuse or mix up.

I really need to employ that in my vocabulary the next time I screw up. It'll ferhoodle everyone. It'll be amazing.

Bolding is mine. You need to work harder. You just missed your first opportunity to ferhoodle people.

[Shekinah]

Bolding is mine. You need to work harder. You just missed your first opportunity to ferhoodle people.

It doesn't work if you have to explain it first. Even the Joker knows that if you have to explain a joke, it's no joke.

I want to use it around people who have never heard it before to get the best reactions.

[Duck999]

It doesn't work if you have to explain it first. Even the Joker knows that if you have to explain a joke, it's no joke.

I want to use it around people who have never heard it before to get the best reactions.

True. I would use floccinaucinihilipilification in an essay if it fit, but I know my teacher may not appreciate it. The humor would be in large amounts though.

[TechnOkami]

Words TechnO likes.

Amalgamation: the result of something that has been combined, blended, merged or fused.

Maelstrom: 1. a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool. 2. a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs

The real bitch though is weaving these words together to make something well written.

[Unuoctium]

Literally, I literally only use literally literally literally when I literally literally mean it literally, literally.

Here's a backwards application of the thread, is there a word that elludes to something being written or spoken in a purposefully obtuse or obscure fashion? Eg, litterally the literal sentance, or my username

Edit: even more fun
Figuratively speaking, one may literally use figuratively literally if theyre literally figurative or figuratively literal, or use literally figuratively if they're so figuratively inclined.

[Duck999]

Words TechnO likes.

Amalgamation: the result of something that has been combined, blended, merged or fused.

Maelstrom: 1. a large, powerful, or violent whirlpool. 2. a restless, disordered, or tumultuous state of affairs

The real bitch though is weaving these words together to make something well written.

The maelstrom crashed many ships, creating an amalgamation of broken ship pieces on the shore.

[ThinkMinty]

The maelstrom crashed many ships, creating an amalgamation of broken ship pieces on the shore.

The maelstrom gobbled up up dozens upon dozens of vessels, slurrying them into an amalgamation of ship-corpses which was, despite proper ingredients, not a very seaworthy construction.

[Jak]

I like boondoggle. It means to do something that seems important, but actually isn't. i.e. slacking off. e.g. checking for leaks at your mcjob when it's not raining, watching an empty parking lot to make sure no one steals the gravel, etc. I learned this one from Undertale. :smallcool:

[YossarianLives]

A favorite of mine is 'incarnadine'. It means 'to make something red.' It's hilariously obscure, one of it's only recorded uses is in Macbeth.

[DataNinja]

Masterkerfuffle's name reminded me of one of my favorite Canadianisms... Kerfuffle. :smallbiggrin:

ker·fuf·fle
/kərˈfəfəl/
noun
Britishinformal
noun: kerfuffle; plural noun: kerfuffles
a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.
"there was a kerfuffle over the chairmanship"

[TechnOkami]

The maelstrom gobbled up up dozens upon dozens of vessels, slurrying them into an amalgamation of ship-corpses which was, despite proper ingredients, not a very seaworthy construction.


The maelstrom crashed many ships, creating an amalgamation of broken ship pieces on the shore.

You all da best.

Internet cookies for all.

[Bickerstaff]

Huh. Not sure how this thread got this far without a mention of susurrus.

I assume at least some of you must have read Pratchett, right? :P

[veti]

Words that should be used more often:

contumely
pulchritude
miscegenation


Words that should be used less often:

utilize
appropriate
purchase

[Shekinah]

The maelstrom crashed many ships, creating an amalgamation of broken ship pieces on the shore.

Thus beginning the adventures of a landloper. Woohoo!

[MrZJunior]

Cromulent: meaning fine, excellent, normal, legitimate, and other things of that nature.

[Feytalist]

I only recently learnt this word.

Sciamachy:

The act of shadow fighting; battling or arguing against an imaginary opponent.

[veti]

I only recently learnt this word.

Sciamachy:

The act of shadow fighting; battling or arguing against an imaginary opponent.

Or as it's also known, "arguing on Internet forums". Good word for us all, thank you.

[Doublebat]

I always liked the word "bifurcate," meaning to divide into two branches or forks. There are some words that kind of sound like the action they describe and I like finding those.

"Stygian" is another good one.

[ThinkMinty]

Words that should be used more often:

contumely
pulchritude
miscegenation


Words that should be used less often:

utilize
appropriate
purchase


In what context would miscegenation come up? It's mostly just a thing racists complain about.

[Shekinah]

In what context would miscegenation come up? It's mostly just a thing racists complain about.

Maybe they just want more recondite words to be included in every-day use.

Nyeh heh heh heh!