Now HERE'S a Fascinating Word

[Caraccioli]

Another good piratey one (which, for a long time, I had thought meant something else):

temerity (tuh-MER-uh-tee), noun - Unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger; rashness.

The bold pirates fought with a temerity that their prey never dared match, to their everlasting peril.

[Caraccioli]

parrhesia (puh-REEZ-i-uh) noun 1. Boldness of speech. 2. The practice of asking forgiveness before speaking in this manner.

The pirate made a point of using parrhesia with the taken ship's captain before verbally assaulting him with his parrhesia.

[Duchess]

The Daily Evergreen, student newspaper of Washington State University has started a new column, "Not a real word of the day." High lighting words that people use that aren't real. This particular thing is more interesting to me than "Word of the day" as those were already familar to me. As are the unreal words, but it's nice to have ones rantings brought up in a "legitimate" way.

Yesterdays word was Reoccuring. Not a real word. The real word equivalent is recurring.

[Fox]

Ell, the only real word ta me be ARR!!!! Intrestin aint it?

In the West Country of England, where the "pirate accent" really originated (long story involving an actor from Dorset playing a pirate from Bristol in a popular Disney film I believe) conversations cannot be held with just the word "arr". However, if you add the word "umm" to your vocabulary then you should have no problem finding out most things from the natives.

"Umm" can be any question you care to ask, depending on intonation, inflection and associated body language. For example, if you hold out a bunch of keys to a farmer and say "umm" with a questioning inflection he will instantly understand that you are asking if the keys belong to him.

"Arr" can be any answer you care to give, depending on the same conditions as "umm". Given the same example, if the farmer looks down slightly and says "arr" in a clipped and abrupt manner then the keys are not his. On the other hand, if he makes eye contact, smiles with one side of his mouth and emits a more protracted "arr" then you can be assured he is very grateful to you for finding his keys, and he probably can't get into his outdoor privy without them.

Conversely, "umm" can also be more or less any answer, with the additional condition that the question asked was "arr?" and not "umm?". "Arr" can therefore also be used to ask almost any question. For example, "Arr?" said in a brisk manner with a slight raise in note toward the end usually means "How are you today?". A non-committal, almost grunted "umm", possibly with a slight tilting of the head to one side, would mean "Not so bad thanks, my corns have cleared up at last but I think my missus has found out I'm screwing the barmaid with the big norks from the Lamb and Flag."

You guys probably think I'm joking. I'm really not.

Personally, I think my favourite word, as much for its sound as its meaning is:

dasypygal (da-si-PYE-gul) adj. Having hairy buttocks.

I would wear those new hipsters, but I think I'm a bit dasypygal to get away with it

[Caraccioli]

According to various studies, 60-70% of a conversation is conveyed through body language, 20-30% through tone of voice and less than 10% through the actual words used.

Irregardless. Yet another word that doesn't exist - well, at least it doesn't make any sense. Regardless covers all the ground that needs to be covered. Of course, in America, home of frave, land of the bree - we'll allow it.

Awright you word geniuses, if you're so smart what does this one mean (without looking it up - I trust in your integrity, ya' bunch a' pirates):

vagitus

(Ooh, but I'm asking for it on this one.) I tell you this much - it sure doesn't mean anything like that which you're likely thinking.

________________________

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe.

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mame raths outgrabe.

[Fox]

Is that not the scientific term for the pleasant feeling of well being you get when you sit on the toilet seat and discover it's already warm?

[Caraccioli]

Is that not the scientific term for the pleasant feeling of well being you get when you sit on the toilet seat and discover it's already warm?

Primarily because the previous occupant was dasypygallist, no doubt.

No, that's not it.

[Caraccioli]

I didn't realize this was actually a word. (Like me, many of you are probably familiar with its negative brother.) It's kind of cool:

sipid (SIP-id) adj Having a pleasing taste or flavor.

This addition of spinach to garlic cooked in olive oil gives the spinach a very sipid taste.

[Fox]

Hah, I was just thinking about this thread the other day... allow me to take you on a short but lexical mystery tour.

In 17th century France one of the finest houses was at a place named "Vaux", and it was the envy of European society. As well as being a magnificent house Vaux also had some of the finest gardens in Europe, so when a new set of public gardens was laid out in England in the 18th century it was named after the French house, Vaux Hall Gardens, but was quickly corrupted in to Vauxhall Gardens. In time the area itself, on the outskirts of London, became known as Vauxhall, and people soon forgot about the magnificent gardens or the 17thC French home which had inspired them. Then in the 19th century a railway station was built at Vauxhall, and was reckoned to be one of the finest in existence. When a Russian railways official visited England to see how the railways were run here he was taken to Vauxhall station, as one of the best examples. He returned to Russia with the idea that all stations should be like Vauxhall, and the word entered the Russian language to mean "railway station".

So, from a 17thC French stately home to the Russian word for railway station - an etymologist's dream (or nightmare).

[Caraccioli]

yestreen (ye-STREEN) n Yesterday evening

I'm going to see if I can't use that one in a (verbal) sentence tonight.

[Capt. Lazarus Gage]

Blatherskite

[Caraccioli]

frisson - 'freesân [n] an almost pleasurable sensation of fright

"With frisson, Jim jumped into the battle for the merchant ship."

I just like the sound of this word.

[Caraccioli]

elegiac, adj. - Of, relating to, or involving elegy or mourning or expressing sorrow for that which is irrecoverably past.

I thought of this word today while driving about. For some reason, I thought it meant "very readable" or even "well written." So I figured I'd better share my new found knowledge with everyone before you used it incorrectly like I almost did.

[Red Cat Jenny]

Some of my faves....

in order of favoriteness..

Plethora

Esplanade

Asuage

Usurp

Sanctimonious

Decorum

Delectation

Contraposto - Thanks William

Unctious

Sphagnum

plumb

monotheistic

ahhh yes.....words

food for the mind - treats for the ears - snax for the imagination

[CrazyCholeBlack]

wonky is a real word. Here I've been using it in reference to my sewing all these years & thought it was made up! Who knew

hypocorism: pet names, honey.

brouhaha: uproar (learned that one in 2nd grade during a particularly wild lunch hour thanks to the principal)

all time favorite though Schmutz: dirt, dirty to get dirty

[Ransom]

Viscosity - The quality or degree of being viscous. Internal friction; the resistance to flow. A quality expressing this.

I have alway liked this word because it sounds like what it means.

[Caraccioli]

Viscosity - The quality or degree of being viscous. Internal friction; the resistance to flow. A quality expressing this.

I have alway liked this word because it sounds like what it means.

There are a lot of words like that and there's a word for them, although, ironically enough, it escapes me at the moment.

Viscosity reminds me of another word which (to me) sounds nothing like what it actually means. In fact, it's meaning is related to elegiac - which also sounds nothing like what it means to me:

lugubrious (lu·gu·bri·ous) adj - Mournful, dismal, or gloomy, especially to an exaggerated or ludicrous degree.

It sounds like something viscous and it is clearly not.

[Sir Eric]

For those interested in seldom-used and largely period correct strange words to add to their armament, I highly reccomend Depraved and Insulting English by Peter Novobatzky and Ammon Shea, published by Harcourt Inc. ( www.HarcourtBooks.com )

Thanks to this book, I'be been able to refer to "gobbits" (pieces of human flesh that wash ashore from shipwrecks) claim to make bold men go "sterky" (loose in the bowels from fear) and pride myself in being a "boodler" (one who happily accepts or offers bribes.)

Great book for building a jargon-driven characterization, and REALLY great for the occasional back-handed compliment... *heh heh*

[William Brand]

Enfilade.

Best. Word. Ever.

[Red Cat Jenny]

I have to agree with you Captain... ^

I'll see your enfilade and raise you eschew

[Quartermaster James]

defenestrate - I just love that there is even a word for this!

The pyrates sacked the manor and defenestrated the governor!

The pyrate seized and defenestrated the annoying cell phone!

The pyrates, full of rum, committed many acts of defenestration!

[Red Cat Jenny]

Niice..

Malfeasance - the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law; wrongdoing (used esp. of an act in violation of a public trust).

[Caraccioli]

I'll see your enfilade and raise you eschew

I eschew "eschew" as it often confuses people when you use it. (Many of you may have seen the sign that orders the reader to, "Eschew obfuscation!")

I remember the word that means a word sounds like what it is describing!

Onomatopoeia - a word or grouping of words that imitates the sound it is describing, and thus suggests its source object, such as “bang”, “click”, "buzz" or "pop" or animal such as “moo”, “oink”, “quack” or “meow"

Huh. It sounds nothing like what it means to me.

[Red Cat Jenny]

I'll add "Plenum"...sounds almost naughty....

[Caraccioli]

I'll add "Plenum"...sounds almost naughty....

...but you didn't explain it.