Because a thousand words could get daddy a new picture
The Archive of Endangered, Special, or Fun Words
The Right-Brained Shelf of E.S.o.F. Words
accoutrement- SPECIAL,FUN
This word is only fun if you pronounce it the English way, that is, not "Accoutermint" like they say in the States. I love the feel of the "-outre-" as it bounces off my tongue. This word is also very special because it is so versatile. How many times a day do you get an opportunity to say "omphaloskepsis"? Accoutrements are things you run into all the time. Think how much nicer it is to say "I need to gather my accoutrements" than "I need to get my stuff." In fact, this word may be universal: everything in the known world is an accoutrement of some sort, isn't it?
posted by nuhl
antidisestablishmentarianism- SPECIAL
It's special because it's the longest official word in the English language.
posted anonymously
apropos- ENDANGERED
Although given a boost by its use in a recent Sheryl Crow song, I fear that the end is near for this classic. (Believe it or not, I actually heard someone use the word in casual conversation once. Once.)
posted anonymously
babaloobies- ESOF HAT TRICK
Waterworn limestone rocks used to decorate the walls of houses. (English dialect)
posted by Callie
baka- FUN
Means "idiot," or "Fool," in Japanese. You can use this one to REALLY win friends and influence people....
posted by chadinko
bivouac- FUN
Only marginally better than ISOBUTANE and SPATULA!
posted anonymously
bodkins- ENDANGERED,FUN
Sounds like a diminutive for "body" but is actually "a small pointed instrument" (Oooh). Cool simply because it was immortalized by Daffy Duck in the Jack and the Beanstalk cartoon ("Odds, my bodkins!").
posted anonymously
bolus- SPECIAL,FUN
It's a big pill - in official veterinary lingo, a "horse pill," - but it sounds so funny, it would make a good insult (as in "You brainless bolus!")
posted anonymously
borborygmy-
It's the name of the sound your gut makes when it's talking to you. (see onomatapoeia) It's also fun to say and a great conversation starter when it happens in a crowd. Don't be embarassed--talk about it.
posted anonymously
brouhaha- FUN
Wonderful word, although its sounds more like some kind of Dionysian revelry rather than general bedlam.
posted anonymously
burgle- FUN
It's such a cute word for such a nefarious (ooh, there's another good one) act. "Last night our house was heinously burgled." Hee.
posted by tracylc
burnish-
mmmmmmm BURNISH
posted anonymously
clyster- ENDANGERED
Pronounced "klister" to rhyme with "blister", it's an archaic word for enema. I ran across it reading The Devils of Loudon, a book by Aldous Huxley about a possession scare that eventually led to the death of a priest named Urbain Grandier. The context involved a holy-water clyster administered to a nun possessed by a particularly stubborn demon... I'm glad that didn't make it into the Exorcist.
posted anonymously
cunctater- SPECIAL,FUN
Nothing more thrilling than a naughty-sounding word that isn't really naughty! It means "procrastinator." Use it in your next performance review! Special because I got this word in a trade--I traded "lucubrate" for it. I think I came out ahead in the deal. Cunctater might also be a good name for a dopplebock (see dopplebock).
posted anonymously
doppelbock- FUN
Does it sound cool or wut? Doppelbock beers traditionally have names ending in "ator." A local brewpub stretched the rules and named their doppelbock "freight elevator."
posted anonymously
eschew- ESOF HAT TRICK
Means "avoid." Endangered and Special because it's falling into disuse, but sounds so lovely rolling off the tongue. Can be especially Fun when it precedes the word Obfuscation (c.f.).
posted by usul
esssse- ENDANGERED,FUN
Esssse, pronounce eshih, is an old and extremely rare plural form of the word ash, so it means ashes. Its rarity, weird spelling (what other word had four consecutive letters the same?) and unlikely pronunciation make it my favorite word. You can find it in Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary or in her likely original source, The Oxford English Dictionary.
posted anonymously
facetious-
A little-used word meaning 'sarcastic'. Also the only word I know of with all five vowels in alphabetical order. (Facetiously, of course, has all SIX in alphabetical order.) Fun because when you say it, it sounds like you're sneezing.
posted anonymously
flummoxed- ENDANGERED,FUN
It means to be baffled or confused, sort of like the feeling you get when you realize that carrying a concealed firearm is a misdemeanor in the state of California, but carrying a concealed blackjack (*not* even a ranged weapon) is a felony. Why? Anyhow, the word has a good sound to it, perhaps because of that 'x'.
posted anonymously
foofaraw- ESOF HAT TRICK
Literally, much ado about nothing. As if my old southern granny were to wake from a nap to a bunch of kids screaming and arguing about dirt...she would undoubtedly shout "what's all this ruckus, you kids cut out that foofaraw." Its a good word to keep your friends from bickering about nothing in general (once they know it).
posted by maudhen
fusty- ENDANGERED,FUN
Shakespeare had other uses for this word, but here is how I use it: What a fusty hole!... Time for the dual-turbo fusty.... Hey, fusty boy.... Fusty!
posted anonymously
giglet-
Giglet: a wanton or lascivious young woman..haven't come across it since reading the Merchant of Venice..did use the word to name my new work station last year...then the system manager discovered the meaning and censored me..she had no sense of humor.....
posted anonymously
glebe- FUN
Improves any sentence: A glebe saved is a glebe earned. Take time to stop and smell the glebes. It means land belonging to a parish church, but don't let that stop you. (It's also a road in Northern Virginia.)
posted by sirkraab
goober-
It's a great name to call your friends! It's an obsolete term for a pimple or a peanut! It's easy to say and makes your lips stick out! Say it! See what I mean? gooooober!
posted anonymously
hooey- ENDANGERED,FUN
The word is "hooey". It means nonsense, as in, "That's a bunch of hooey!". It rhymes with Louie. Just say it once or twice. You know it's beautiful!
posted anonymously
hork-
Remember the Mackenzie Brothers' movie, "Strange Brew"? That was the first time I heard the word hork. It means to take that which is not yours, as in 'Someone horked my beer!' I know of only three people who ever use this word, which is a crying shame. It's fun just because of the way it sounds-- kinda like coughing up a lung. In the second meaning, originally identified in the Midwest from 1978 onward, it means "to vomit," particularly when most inconvenient or disgusting. Typical usage: "I massively overhooled last night, and after we dashed for some bulk I rehomed and horked on the planks." Roughly translated, this would be "I drank to excess, went out to get something to eat, and upon my return home, I threw up on the floor." Usage has been sustained in conjunction with The Weightless Dog and its events, where the standard admonition is, "don't hork anywhere that can't be mopped."
posted anonymously
krufty- ENDANGERED,FUN
Usually used in reference to computer code. eg. Sure it works, but that code is really krufty!
posted anonymously
kudzu- FUN
Although it is a weed and a big, big, big problem in the southeast, it's still a fun word. After all, how many words do you use (or know) that have a k, z, and u in them?
posted by mfc1
magnetoplasmadynamic- SPECIAL
I don't know what it means but it sure sounds neat!
posted by alexandra.sarkozy
masticate- SPECIAL,FUN
OK, this word is great because it sounds funny. Basically it means "chew". Other forms are mastication, masticator, masticatory. My sister has a teacher who thinks it's very funny to tell gum chewers not to masticate in his class...
posted by 57chevy
minky- FUN
A derogatory term. Really fun and downright satisfying to use. e.g. "That guy is such a minky." "Those admin people are a bunch of minkae." "You're such a minky." You get the idea.
posted anonymously
onomatapoeia-
Words like, Bang!, and woof! and gurgle, are onomatapoetic, that is, their meaning is the sound they make.
posted anonymously
orrery- FUN
I just found this word on the web, and I like it. It rolls off the tongue. It is a model of the solar system in which the planets move around, demonstrating their orbits. It is from the Earl of Orrery.
posted by Aliciadieh
otiose- ENDANGERED,FUN
Means, roughly, "too complex/arrogant/whatever to be dealt with right now." But, the word is rare and obscure enough that just using it automatically means that you're being otiose yourself...
posted anonymously
pants- FUN
Just say it. Most fun word there is... just the sound... pants.
posted anonymously
phonetic- FUN
Why isn't this word spelled the way it sounds?
posted anonymously
pilliwinks-
It sounds like an old childrens' game, but in reality is a late medieval torture instrument for crushing the fingers. Endengered - yes. Special - yes, in the argot of torturers or collectors of early thumbscrews. Fun - sweet sounding word, but not if you are on the receiving end.
posted anonymously
pucka- ENDANGERED,FUN
It means "solid" or "genuine" and while I doubt that has ever seen general use outside isolated regions of India, it really should have.
posted anonymously
pulchritudinous- FUN
Figure it out yet? Has something to do with "of beauty" or something like that.
posted anonymously
pungent- FUN
I just love the way it rolls off your tongue. Say it. PUNGENT. Means strong, as in an odor.
posted by HJBJAKBFF
quinquagesima- FUN
The Sunday before Lent. It's just so good to say... quinquaGESima... QUINquagesima... quinQUAgesima... quinquageSIMA... the possbilities are endless.
posted anonymously
rural- SPECIAL
Maybe it's just me, but I'm completely incapable of pronouncing this word. "Urr-rull?" "Roo-ull?" "Roo-rule?"
posted by djb6
salsa- FUN
Maybe I've just watched too much Seinfeld, but it just sort of rolls off the tongue. Besides, I can remember George's joke about a spanish-speaking person trying to order Seltzer...
posted anonymously
salve- ENDANGERED,FUN
Kind of like lozenge, only with the added bonus of endangerment. It's a fun one to say: "Salve."
posted anonymously
One of the many words that heal that also sound goofy! Consider lozenge and ointment as well, and I think I've proven my case.
posted by Richie Millennium
sandwich-
This word is the best!!! Just say it. It's "samwich"... it doesn't even look right on the screen, DOES IT?!!? So please help me get to the best of the list word!!!! Vote Now!!!
posted anonymously
satchel- FUN
A far superior alternative to the word "bag", because it has character.
posted by Richie Millennium
schwa- SPECIAL,FUN
Well...It's that upside down e thing, but that's not important... what's more important is the way that it's said. You pretend that you're telling someone to be quiet, then you just kind of open your mouth, and it floats out... It doesn't roll of the tounge or anything...Just say it a few times with me... Schwa...schwa...schwa...
posted anonymously
scurrilous- SPECIAL,FUN
Obscene, vulgar, or abusive. Can be used for great alliterative effect with "scoundrel," though this may be somewhat redundant. Particularly satisfying when used to describe Windows programs that GPF.
posted anonymously
sesquioxidizing-
Why all three? Well the word is derived from the word "sesquioxide", and thus not found in the dictionary directly (Endangered), special as it is the only word in Scrabble that allows me to score 1982 or so points in the one go, and fun, as well, it's fun to say!
posted anonymously
sesquipedalian- ENDANGERED,FUN
A word which describes itself, essentially; "(1) having many syllables, (2) given to or characterized by the use of long words".
posted anonymously
spac- SPECIAL,FUN
A versatile word which has two uses. 1) can be used as an exclamation. 2) used to describe a feeling or thing that is otherwise undescribable. Fun to use when talking to a friend in the midst of others. In some cases, I have heard others use it to sound "in."
posted anonymously
spatula- FUN
Spatula is the funniest word in the English language. If you can say/scream "SPATULA!!" without laughing out loud, there is probably something wrong with you.
posted anonymously
sphygmomanometer- ENDANGERED,FUN
The technical term for that device that doctors use to measure blood pressure. Fun, 'cause it's got a nice cadence to it. Endangered because, well, when was the last time you heard somebody say "the doctor used the sphygmomanometer on me," instead of "the doctor used that blood pressure thingy on me"?
posted anonymously
swanky- FUN
Wired/HotWired cocktail parties are always swanky.
posted anonymously
syzygy
-
Who cares what it means? It is just the greatest word in the English language to have never been successfully used in a conversational sentence. Okay, if you do care, it is the linear alignment of three celestial bodies. I still dare you to use it tonight over dinner!
posted anonymously
thong- SPECIAL
As in, "all guests must wear their thongs in the shower room." It rates a special word because, among other things, it begins to deteriorate after being said 3-4 times quietly to oneself.
posted anonymously
tintinabulation- ENDANGERED
How it rolls off the tongue and swells as you whisper, then shout "tintinabulation." It swells and grows and heaves and groans and tinkles. Yup! I REALLY like this word!
posted anonymously
ubiquitous-
It's just really fun to say - U-BI-QUI-TOUS. Plus you rarely hear it anymore, which is odd but makes it special because by definition the word should be just about everywhere.
posted anonymously
unbeknownst- ENDANGERED
My favorite English word but no one says it anymore. Means happening without one's knowledge but sounds so much better than "Duh...I don't know what's going on."
posted by deborah55
usufruct-
The right to use and profit from someone else's property so long as it is not used up. If you're so lucky as to hold someone's property and live off the profits, that makes you a usufructuary!
posted by mcvistas
vibraphone- SPECIAL
The mere sound of this word makes my bellybutton pucker and unpucker in excitement!
posted anonymously
weewaw-
This is the phonetic spelling of a word I heard only my father use. It is any unusual or useless machine. One of my father's favorite uses was to say 'a weewaw winds up the moon when the sun don't shine.'
posted anonymously
woo- FUN
OK, we all know this word. It's when you 'court' someone. But it doesn't really sound like it. It sounds like an Asian word or maybe a slang word, but just look at it! It looks ridiculous! woo. say it. Don't you feel like an idiot? woo woo woo. Like kiddies playing ghosts or something! woooooo........
posted by 57chevy
xyzzy- FUN
* Zwieback - ENDANGERED.
posted anonymously
ylang-ylang- FUN
Sounds nice, smells good, and it always amuses me to have to say this twice to mean it once.
posted by jbacon
zwieback- ENDANGERED
You have to admit, that very few know this word even exists at all, let alone care about it. It's a German shortbread which tastes awful, smells even worse, and is better used for greasing a car's engine. I think we may as well let it remain endangered, or better yet, let it become extinct.
posted anonymously
The meaning is entirely off-beam (it is not shortbread). Permit me to put the record straight: zwieback means "rusk" - literally 'baked twice' Thank you.
posted by edannunz
zymurgy- ENDANGERED,FUN
Just look at it! Seven letters and only one vowel! And it's a U! Two y's and a Z! Man, they just don't make 'em like that any more...
posted by tvila
zyzzyva- SPECIAL
My goal, my purpose, my raison d'etre is to one day use this word in a game of scrabble...
