Skip to main content

Cool Words. Because Why Not?




- Jo -

This should come as no surprise to you: I like words. They're useful things on the whole and almost all of them have or have had huge value. However, I am of the opinion that all words are not created equal. Some of them are useful and boring, while others are more fun than a dozen more combined. Now, I don't know if you do this, but I find myself often interrupting myself to remark on my admiration for a particular word that had come up in conversation. Unfortunately, the reasons for this love are as varied as they are arbitrary, so there's no telling which word will next catch my fancy. And you never know, some of these might actually come in handy to you, too. Still, it's important to note that this is by no means a comprehensive list.

Gelatinous - I was in the car on the way to church some weeks back and I had a question sloshing around in my head: "Are there words in English that have all five vowels? Surely, right? So, how many of them are there?" I asked my mum if she knew and she said no, so together we got to thinking about it. After sifting through countless words, I finally came upon gelatinous. I was quite happy with this finding and resolved that it would be my first entry here.

Facetious - The more observant of you may notice that this word meets the criterion of the thinking exercise from the last point, which is precisely why it comes next. It's almost better, because it's one of the few words in which not only are all five vowels present, but they also appear in order! How cool is that? (Disclaimer: I got this one from Oxford Dictionaries rather than thinking of it myself, sadly.)

Coward - It's a wonderful insult and it sounds just perfect in a Northern Irish accent.

Regardless and Nevertheless - These are on the list by the same token as each other: they sound fantastic and are very helpful replacements when I begin to say anyway too much. I do this a lot. Also very useful in writing.

Purfle - Definition: an ornamental border. I came across this while reading Sir Thomas Mallory's Le Morte d'Arthur, in which it was used in a threatening letter. I love it. (The word, not the book. The book made me hate Arthur and for that I will never forgive it.)

Quiz - It won me a game of Scrabble when I got it onto a triple word tile.

Archaic, Dilapidated, Antiquated, of a Bygone Age, Time-Worn, Decaying - Some of the very many better words than 'old' that actually mean something. Don't get me wrong, sometimes 'old' is a perfectly reasonable word to use, but why not use one of these beauties instead sometimes?

Puggle - THIS IS THE ACTUAL WORD YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO USE WHEN DISCUSSING A BABY ECHIDNA AND IT'S THE BEST THING! It's like a puppy, but cuter. See? It's a little adorable alien!



(And yes, I know that Puggle is also what people call a Pug and Beagle cross, but really, which do you prefer? A mutt puppy or that sweet thing? ... Ahem. Maybe don't answer that.)

Vraisemblablement - I'm learning French and this is my favourite word so far. I mean, look at it. It's glorious. Definition: in all likelihood. We use three words to say what they say in one, but I'm pretty certain both take the same amount of time to say.

Exchequer - Definition: treasury, particularly in a kingdom. This gets into my love for etymology. The word comes from the fact that the people who used to deal with the accounts (presumably in France) would do it on a tablecloth that had a checked pattern because it was easy to keep organised. Thus, 'exchequer', 'cheque' ('check' if you're American) and the game of Checkers all have the same roots! English is fascinating!

Irksome, Irritating, Vexing, Infuriating, Provoking - Very good substitutes for 'annoying', just in case you or your characters have younger siblings you ever need to describe.

Conundrum - It sounds cool. Also, characters in books often encounter conundrums (should be conundra, really, but apparently it's not anymore) and never name them as such. I think this is a shame. We as the Writing Mafia should do our part to rectify it.

What are some of your favourite words? Do you like mine? Do you agree that puggles are adorable aliens?


-Jo
Soli Deo Gloria

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You're Like Most People...

If you're like most people, you probably don't hate that phrase as much as I do. This is mainly because I overthink things. It's something I do a lot and you will therefore be seeing a lot of it in my contributions to this blog. Actually, come to think of it, overthinking is something pretty much all of us have in common in the Writing Mafia, so you can just expect it all the time from all of us. You're welcome.  Anyway, back to 'If you're like most people...'. This phrase wouldn't bother me if people actually meant it. But they don't. They don't mean 'If you're like most people...', they mean, 'If you're like most people who are like me... ' Because let me tell you something, most people - as in, the majority of the human population of the planet - are living either under the poverty line or hovering dangerously close to it, have minimal education and don't understand this rant or anyone who says that most hate...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ostrich short story

She holds her elegant neck high above the masses which she saunters through. Like a diva at a show she flaunts her plumes, casts a wary eye about for rivals, and turns up her nose at her drab brown and cream comrades.  Behold, an animal of distinction and refinement. Here is the ostrich, queen of the winged kingdom. Around her, antelope bow their heads in shame, cringing at their inferiority. Where she steps the grass seems to wither in embarrassment. Even the sun seems reluctant to disgrace her chestnut and ivory feathers. Stop. Look around. Sour musk lines the brisk breeze. She lowers the foot which was held aloft a moment ago, her previously serene expression now one of incandescent disapproval. The antelope prick up their ears. A glimpse of golden pelt in the grass and an explosion of hooves signifies the beginning of the chase. She runs like a demon, head pointed forward and wings outstretched. Long legs kick up turf, spraying it into the streak of gold fur b...
Post a Comment
Read more

To Wed or Not To Wed

When writing, point of view is very important. The main character is the most liked one, so it's important to pick your main character. I've written a short story from 3 different perspectives to show you what I mean. Elizabelle's Point of View: I stood in front of Colton with tears in my eyes. It was time to say "I do." It was time to be pronounced "man and wife." It was time for our first kiss. This was the most important moment of my life and everything was perfect. "If anyone has a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now." I hear Pastor Phillips voice say. I waited for the moment to pass so we could finally be officially married. Then I hear "Please don't do this." I turn suddenly and see everyone staring horrified at a man in the back row. I squint at the man's face, then gasp. It was Kade. Kade and I had been best friends since we were 3 years old. We met on a playground when he helped me up on...
Post a Comment
Read more