As it is Wednesday once more, it is time for another look at some of the more unusual words in the English language.
Today we conclude our two-part look at words which have been specially selected for their pleasing sounds.
You won’t find many of these words in everyday language and it is unlikely that you will ever use many of them.
One or two may leave you more than a little, er, tosticated, but at least they all sound good.
Here are today’s 20 words:
bell ringing
sharawaggi the use of irregularity or incongruity for deliberate, artful effect
slubberdegullion a dirty, slovenly person
snickersee a large knife for fighting
sockdologer a conclusive argument; a hard or decisive blow
squabash to crush, smash, defeat
suaveolent fragrant
syzygy conjunction or opposition
thunder-plump a heavy fall of rain in a thunderstorm
tintinnabulation bell-ringing
tokoloshe (in Bantu folklore) a dwarflike creature with supernatural powers
tosticated befuddled; perplexed (dialect)
tucotuco a South American rodent
tucotuco
tuftaffety taffeta with tufted pile
umami a savoury, satisfying taste
unguligrade walking on hoofs
vug a Cornish miner’s name for a cavity in a rock
wag-at-the-wa’ a hanging clock with exposed pendulum and weights (Scots)
williwaw a gust of cold wind blowing seawards from a mountainous coast
woubit a hairy caterpillar
zoozoo the wood pigeon (dialect)
* All words in this blog post have been supplied by The 12th edition of The Chambers Dictionary. ISBN 97805501002379
Twitter: DianeMerriam
Hey I knew two od those words already. Do I get a prize?
I do enjoy your word related posts. Another theme might be words that are regulaly misused such as orientate or orientated. Both of them refer to facing east, not any other direction. Use orient or oriented for that.
Twitter: chattopatrick
Ha ha…no prizes sadly…but given that many of the words chosen for these posts are so obscure you do deserve a virtual pat on the back.
The dictionary people who compiled these set of words have suggested many great themes that I think I have enough to keep these posts coming for quite some while yet.
I am glad you, and so many others, have told me you like this weekly feature.
Patrick.
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Twitter: ITSergioFelix
Hey Patrick,
I honestly don’t understand much of these words but that “tucotuco” looks VERY similar to my girlfriend’s pet.
Will check out if they are the same animal!
PS. Would you believe me she named her pet “Beto” from “Beethoven”?? LOL
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Twitter: chattopatrick
Well, don’t tell anyone, but most of those words sound as strange to me as they must be to you!
A pet rodent…nice
Named Beto…
Are you sure it is Beto after Beethoven and not after the nickname of the former lead singer of the Chilean rock band La Ley?
I always liked La Ley’s music but found the singer to be more than a little arrogant and full of himself.
Maybe more small rodents should be named after him (or Beethoven perhaps)
P.
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