A positive 'pedantry' thread this time: what are your favourite words, and why?

[MrsThierryHenry]

Okay, it's not really pedantry, but where else could I find a group of such erudite, educated MNers with a fabulous grip on the English language?

Here goes: my favourites are:

bollocks

It's just a great word to say, and cuts through the crap like nothing else!

muppet (as in 'what a...!')

It's a fabulous insult, combining the comical and derogatory without assassinating the character of the person in question (which swear words usually do).

spoon (as in 'I feel like such a...!')

It sums up how silly you can feel when you've made a gaffe, again without the assassination element of a swear word.

bean (as in 'you're such a...!')

This word was coined by my friends and I at uni and describes someone who's totally and utterly lovely.

[Pruners]

Message withdrawn

[ivykaty44]

Lush
Irridesant

[ivykaty44]

Oh sorry - why,

Lush - the way it sounds and the thought of being a lush and drinking wine at 9am

Irredesant - just do

[fryalot]

so, all your favourite words are somewhat derogatory?


I like your style.

My favourite words are

twat when used effectively it can be very amusing

tosser depending on the inflection you can make this mean anything from mildly amusing twonk to seriously baaaaaaad person.



wonder if anyone has any words that my mother would approve of

[TearsofaPersonalClown]

Tmesis.
Fabulous word. The only one I can think of that starts with Tm and describes the objective of most of my language!!

[fryalot]

have just googled quincunx and not only is it a fab word, but it is something I do on a regular basis, so I should be able to use it often.

Thanks for that

[Pavlovthecat]

Fabulous - i just love that word. I don't know why, it just describes things so well. I use it too much .

Butterflower
Beautiflower - ok, so these are not actually words at all. But my DD says them, and now I say call butterflies butterflowers! and I call her beautiflower when she has clothes with flowers on. its just all lovely.

Lovely. Its just a lovely word .

[Pruners]

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[MrsThierryHenry]

Yikes, squonk! Makes me sound like a right cow! (I'm not, I promise! My last word was a nice one!)

[gigglewitch]

pedantic is actually my favourite word . I'm afraid it applies to me more than I would like to admit.
noodle is one of my favourite "adjectives" [you're such a...] when one of my children has done something daft. It avoids swearing (would I swear?) in case they pick it up and usually makes people giggle and so diffuses the whole situation.

[MrsThierryHenry]

Ooh, yes, I like noodle too! Good choice!

[fryalot]

pruners, yes, I do often arrange items so, don't you? although my use of the word was perhaps off in my previous post. Forgive me, I'm a quincunxing virgin

and, Mrs TH, I didn't in any way mean to imply any cow-ness

[gigglewitch]

ohh, (am i allowed three?!) I forgot to say etymology. the most useful word to us peasants pedants, don't you think?

[squeaver]

I love solipsistic.

I was listening to them talk about the Anglican Church on Radio 4 earlier and I thought "schism is a great word, isn't it?" Also secede.

But my all time favourite word is shite

[Pruners]

Message withdrawn

[fryalot]

I like etymology.

Although when I use it, people have been known to ask me if I particularly like insects...

[fryalot]

squeaver - you're well into your Ss aren't you

[gigglewitch]

quincunxial is now in my vocab list for the "dare" list tomorrow
Fellow workplace pedants have a quota of words each with a score and we attempt to get the words into conversation - obv highest score wins. ATM it isn't me but I intend to reclaim the top spot with this one. oooh what a yummy yummy word.

[gigglewitch]

@ insects, squonk!

[squeaver]

I was thinking that too, squonk. Maybe that s-clique thread from the other day has affected me!

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

Bizarrely, I was thinking about this yesterday. My favourite words include

antepenultimate antediluvian and
zeugma.

[gigglewitch]

[MadBadandDangeroustoKnow]

It's a real word, I promise you!

[thumbwitch]

fruitloop (as in he is a total...)

swearwords with nice hard consonants, usually K - and this one shitdamnbuggerfuck

squillions

deliquescent - such a lovely sound!
corruscating - ditto

gigglewitch - tried that on 3 Cambridge and one Oxford graduate (in a rowing boat) once and they all fell for it! Mind you, they were engineers

[MrsThierryHenry]

Giggle - a friend of mine used to play the same word game with his sermons. Had us wetting ourselves in the pews!

Squonk, don't worry about the bovine thing. I already felt like it when bursting at the seams with breastmilk!