Words you just don't get

[WellVersedInEtiquette]

I'm reading a book that describes a place as bucolic. I know what it means. I've read it before I just can't get my head to read it as anything other than bubonic.

Prosaic. I have to keep asking DH what it means and I can never remember.

Hyperbole and pedagogy

For a long time as a child I thought ‘typical’ meant ‘bad’, probably because I heard my parents frequently roll their eyes and say ‘typical!’

But the word I can’t bear is ‘seminal’, especially when used in relation to music (e.g. ‘their seminal album...’) it is utterly meaningless not to mention pretentious. The album didn’t germinate other albums with its musical semen!

Diaspora

I know what it means but can never remember how it's pronounced so I have to pause and try out different ways in my head before I read on.

DI-as-por-a or di-as-POR-a?

I don't take offense at new words. Why should language be dumbed down to please readers?

I think you may have misunderstood the thread Pretendingtobeapsychokiller.

We are discussing the strange phenomenon when you are feel sure a word means one thing but in reality it has a different meaning. I don't think anyone is wanting to dumb down written or spoken language. Just pondering and sharing!

What is the difference between 'flammable' and 'inflammable'? And are they the opposite of 'uninflammable'?
'Oriented' or 'orientated'? Likewise 'disoriented' or 'disorientated'?

In German there's Kosten which means costs or in some contexts expenses. Then there's Unkosten (in almost all other words 'un' negates, just like in English) which means... expenses.

There's also Unwetter, which is not the absence of weather but unusually severe weather, like bad snow or a storm.

Bonkers.

Spendthrift
Is it somebody who pisses money away, or somebody who is careful with money?
No matter how many times I look it up I can’t remember..

The word per se it makes me think you are trying to impress me if you use it in conversation but it just bloody irritates me

And segue.
It’s pronounced seg-way? Wtaf?

I think 'inflammable' must be from 'inflam-able' and 'flammable' a variant of that. - Apparently (sez Google) 'flammable' came into use because people were getting confused by the 'in-' prefix.

I don't believe there's any difference between flammable and inflammable, is there? I presume the in comes from something like in flammas 'into flames' rather than a negative kind of 'in'.
Vilified. I always think of it as verified, as in confirmed and all good but it's not.
I always think it's a good thing and then remember that I'm confusing it with vindicated

A spendthrift is a profligate spender. The 'thrift' bit's a red herring.

Sorry, x-post!

Oh, and yes to spendthrift. That one doesn't seem like it means what it does!

Bae. As in my bae.

WTAF.

Condone is another that I've seen people struggle with, because of its similarity to condemn. And 'sanction' is always a bit wtf by virtue of meaning both approval of something/to approve it and a punishment for something.

Well I never; to nonplussed and laconic!

I love the word hyperbole now I know how to pronounce it, but I used to pronounce it hyper - bowl, which just sounds like a sports event.

I feel a bit like that about 'outstanding,' which can mean excellent, or late. Weird.

mothership I think it's di-AS-pora!

As is dee-AS-pora

Urgh! As in^

😬

Rafferty, I think laconic can mean laid-back in the sense of it meaning using few words, not necessarily in a rude manner. That's how I've always understood it, but perhaps I need to rethink.

Idly wondering if 'nonplussed' comes from 'non plus ultra-ed', i.e. you couldn't be more surprised/shocked/baffled?

Chartreuse.

I keep thinking it's a kind of wine-y, off burgundy colour.

Nope.