$5 Words

[Pilgrim]

Right on, Sen. Jack. I'm very fond of "embiggens"! It's a perfect nod to psychobabble, and it's extremely clear in context.

No matter what your opinion or position, if you watch the Simpsons long enough, it will be tweaked or skewered. It's probably the most popular series based on satire in decades.

 

[Senator Jack]

Capricious, yes. Somehow always a good word to describe a window-shopping young woman in a skirt who's holding a clutch purse.

Funny thing about words like capricious, piscine, taurine, saggitate, and geminate is that everyone easily recognizes Capricorn, Pisces, Taurus, Saggitarius, and Gemini, yet the former words are thought to be high-brow.

Other words I like:

Rebarbative
Vituperative
Choleric and irascible
Catholic - in the meaning of having varied interests

Regards

SJ

 

[scotrace]

haruspicy

About a week ago on one of the cable channels, in a show about an African tribe, the group of tribal elders slaughtered a goat, flopped the beast's intestines out on the dirt and tried to divine the future by what the slippery and uncooperative entrails had to say.

Turns out there is a word for this process: haruspicy.

 

[Pilgrim]

In am fond of referring to the "clement" weather, and it takes most people a moment to process that in reference to "inclement". It's fun to see if they get it.

 

[Quigley Brown]

How many people here would use the word 'niggardly' in a conversation? That has to be the most misunderstood word in the English language.

 

[Senator Jack]

I recall there being an uproar at a schoolboard meeting some years ago when someone used niggardly to describe the budget. It came down to the word being banned. :eusa_doh:

 

[Baron Kurtz]

What is it about ameliorate that makes it sound like you're giving everyone the high-hat? This, I find particularly intriguing.

Regards,

Senator Jack

ameliorate has more syllables. The -melior- part is more of a tongue-twisting sound to make than any of exacerbate. The inevitable rising inflection from the M to the E may make the word stand out more where exacerbate would usually be said in a monotone and without inflection, except perhaps by the more strident of radio talk show hosts.

bk

 

[Twitch]

My wife works for a local school district office and due to the bi-lingual-ness of the area much is translated for in home parent consumption. I assist her at times to derive the meaning of the ambiguous crapola verbiage these educators use. They ramble on and use phraseology that defies comprehension. Most of it almost never adds to the bottom line of conveying a message. It's as if it is bullsh*t for bullsh*t's sake. Their documents often sound like Mein Kampf. Fine it they are attempting to impress one another but sort of redundant for straighforward communication of facts and events to parents.

As a writer I never attempt to overpower the reader especially when painting a picture or developing a mood. It's counterproductive to break the train of thought of the reader as he seeks a definition or tries to understand some phrase cloaked in obscure words. If you get a bit too verbose it backfires on you unless your target audience is impressed by esoteric verbiage. That's a small audience indeed.

 

[Senator Jack]

Ah, Twitch, you've joined us here. The point you make was discussed earlier on in the thread, so if you get a chance, do go back and read through it because I'd like to get your opinion on some of the arguments - such as when an unknown word can be used in context and still convey meaning. (See my runcible post)

If I'm beating a dead horse here, it's only because I'm interested in the subject. Really, I wonder why certain words are considered to be haughty. If you look at slang words, they are just as unknown to the uninitiated, yet they creep into our vocabulary. Why can't the same be done for words that we already have? Nowadays, newscasters routinely use slang I have never heard (especially sportscasters) and this seems to be perfectly acceptable. Isn't it easier for me to grab a dictionary to find 'capricious' rather than track down a gangsta rapper to find out what fo'shizzle means? (yes, I've heard this on the news.)

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[jamespowers]

I recall there being an uproar at a schoolboard meeting some years ago when someone used niggardly to describe the budget. It came down to the word being banned. :eusa_doh:

Yep, a clear case of people having no clue as to where the word originally came from. It had nothing to do with the other similar sounding word. I actually use it once in a while. I mean you can call someone cheap or you can call them niggardly. I like the latter.

Regards,

J

 

[Fred G.]

Avowed thespians and other notes

A southern senator once used that term to describe the sister of an opposing candidate-- she was an actress, but putting "avowed" seemed to be an attempt to mislead the less erudite populace.

From the Wide World of Sports: some years ago, the football defense could be offside, and receive a penalty. At some point it became encroachment.

Resumes: the candidate "progressively leverages his synergies"... also, "manages the customer interface".

Weather Channel: "... a rain event in Ohio" (too hard to say it's raining?)

Airport: "we will begin the boarding process..." (why not begin boarding???)

Politics: I recollect the Watergate era, when the people involved were recollecting what they could have remembered or recalled. And, READ MY LIPS, NO NEW revenue enhancements.

Forgive the diatribe, I find that new words and new meanings add to the wonderful complexity of the English language. Recently a waitress commented that someone had "nicked" her pen... meaning had been taken (borrowed? stolen?)... the first I had heard that usage.

I have more, but will stop now, hoping to avoid being dissed for verbosity. A great thread, enjoying everyone's input...

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Let's not forget the favorite $1.99 word (marked down from $5) of the dunderheaded sportscasters, "Alluded." lol

 

[herringbonekid]

Recently a waitress commented that someone had "nicked" her pen... meaning had been taken (borrowed? stolen?)... the first I had heard that usage.

'nick' is commonly used in england.

'nick' means steal.
it also means 'prison'.
and it also means 'arrest'.

so you can get nicked for nicking something and thrown in the nick.

get it ?

 

[Fred G.]

Got it.

Other oddities of the spoken language:

Tony-- I could write a book on sportscaster malapropisms... maybe some already did?

And, just inane comments: "He's soome kinda ballplayer"-- that's a Brent Musberger favorite-- what do it mean???

Frank Gifford: "The coach would really love to score right here". (When doesn't he???)

 

[Matthew Dalton]

We use "nicked" in the context of stealing here a fair bit too.

 

[magneto]

A southern senator once used that term to describe the sister of an opposing candidate-- she was an actress, but putting "avowed" seemed to be an attempt to mislead the less erudite populace.

Ah yes! One of my fave U.S. political footnotes, that anti-Claude Pepper pamphlet distributed to Florida near-illiterates that also alleged Pepper engaged in "nepotism" with his sister-in-law and "practiced celibacy" before marriage...!!

Anyway, I like "scrofulous". Not only does it sound gruff but it is so often appropriate in describing some unfortunates' appearances...

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Anyway, I like "scrofulous". Not only does it sound gruff but it is so often appropriate in describing some unfortunates' appearances...

I have to agree with you on 'scrofulous'. It's a fantastic-sounding word that just works so well, especially in mid-tirade.

 

[carebear]

I always found it ironic that one of the best descriptors for someone using $5 words to impress (or to try to embarrass others) is, in fact, a $5 word.

Supercilious

As has been said, the best way to widen your vocabulary is to read, read and read some more. It also, as was also said, helps with spelling (misspelled words get to where they just "look wrong" on the page).

I find a certain smug pleasure in catching the supercilious (who often are not actually particularly well-read) abusing others of smaller vocabulary and returning the favor in kind on their part.

When they start to stammer I know I've endangered my soul but enforced a certain rough justice. A sort of self-appointed paladin of the textually challenged.

 

[Senator Jack]

This thread wasn't meant to be supercilious or to embarrass others. I was only wondering what makes a $5 word a $5 word. Again, why is 'fo'shizzle' acceptable on the news and why aren't all the words we listed here? I'm interested in continuing this discussion, but as we've already covered a lot ground here, please read through the thread before responding.

Scotrace, if you're still following this thread, we really need that Academia forum.

Regards,

Senator Jack

 

[carebear]

Sen. Jack,

I wasn't applying supercilious to you. You seem to be whatever the opposite of supercilious is. Unless, of course that word implies overly humble, because you don't seem that either. Perhaps there's yet a third word, one with neither arrogant nor craven implications. If so, you are that word. If not, I propose that word be created and that word be spelled "senatorjackish".

So mote it be.