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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask you what words you love that you rarely get to use?

244 replies

Ethelfleda · 26/04/2020 13:43

Help others expand their vocabulary Grin

I like ‘anthropomorphise’ and ‘Schadenfreude’
But so rarely get to use them in a sentence. So it feels good to do that here!

Hit me with your most eloquent sentences Smile

OP posts:
hardyloveit · 26/04/2020 13:44

I love the word pedantic! I use it every chance I get! Obviously not as rare as yours though

SerenDippitty · 26/04/2020 13:45

Sinister.

Ohtherewearethen · 26/04/2020 13:45

Scurryfunge is mine

Fandoozle1 · 26/04/2020 13:46

Discombobulated - I heard it on Mumsnet and loved it.

BackseatCookers · 26/04/2020 13:47

Not technically a word, but a phrase I absolutely love... l'esprit de l'escalier.

For that feeling when you think of the perfect response to someone but it's too late!

To ask you what words you love that you rarely get to use?
Traveller104 · 26/04/2020 13:52

As I opened this thread I used the word anthropomorphise in relation to the story about the two penguins :)

www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8237167/Photographer-captures-two-widowed-penguins-hugging-Melbourne.html

FrauleinF · 26/04/2020 13:53

Carabiner
Ramekin
Detritus

Blastandbollocks · 26/04/2020 13:54

Scunnered.

Quite sums up my mood of late.

Longtalljosie · 26/04/2020 13:55

Psephology

MoonBlood · 26/04/2020 13:55

Furlough, although it’s quite popular at the moment...

artistformerlyknownas · 26/04/2020 13:55

Not single words, and not particularly eloquent, but there are some sentences that I've picked up from various internet forums I would dearly love to use when people are being arseholes but probably never would, because it would start an argument...

  • A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine
  • I'm trying to see it from your point of view but I can't get my head that far up my arse
  • Copernicus called, turns out you're not the centre of the bloody universe
unlimiteddilutingjuice · 26/04/2020 13:58

Reykjavik
Such a satisfying spiky sound.
Rarely comes up in conversation

QuantumEntanglement · 26/04/2020 13:59

Crepuscular. And I did use it yesterday to my neighbor when we were talking about our cats.

Also fastidious and tantalise.

alwayscoffee · 26/04/2020 14:00

Defenestration. I love that there is a word for throwing someone out of a window

Smorgasbored0000 · 26/04/2020 14:01

Smorgasbord. I use it frequently and always get strange looks. Confused

vicvaughn · 26/04/2020 14:02

Eclectic
Apoplectic
Vegetation

HoundOfTheBasketballs · 26/04/2020 14:02

Psittacine and chiaroscuro are two of my favourite words, but I rarely if ever get to use them outside of crossword puzzles.

mynameisntlouise · 26/04/2020 14:03

Superfluous and Precarious are my favourite words. I get them in whenever I can.

0blio · 26/04/2020 14:11

Outwith. I love the word as it's so useful and very often more appropriate than 'outside of' which sounds clumsy to me.

I rarely if ever use outwith as although I'm Scottish I now live in England.

I also love scunnered, trachled and glaikit and don't get to use those very often either Grin

TroysMammy · 26/04/2020 14:13

Kerfuffle and hullabaloo are my favourites.

DontTellThemYourNamePike · 26/04/2020 14:14

Equivocate
Prevaricate

I do occasionally use them, but people look at me as if I'm a total dick! Oooo, get her. I clearly don't mix in the right circlesGrin

Dingdongthewitchisbread · 26/04/2020 14:15

Prudent, I use at as often as I can when writing work letters and emails

Winterwoollies · 26/04/2020 14:17

Obsequious.

MrsJoshNavidi · 26/04/2020 14:18

Amanuensis.
Gubernatorial
Soliloquise
Salubrious

All great words!

Witchend · 26/04/2020 14:19

Verisimilitude

Also tickertape-timer.
Most put out to find they don't use them any more at the dc's school.
Try saying it three times quickly, it's a lovely word. Grin