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

Writing with Colors

As a writer, it's very important to use colors to describe things. I've written a short story about a girl at her grandpapa's ranch. Notice how I use colors to make the images more vivid. This helps readers get a better picture. It also helps you get away with not using dialogue. I stepped into the hay field, longing to run my hands over the bristly heads. I wanted to run through the endless golden sea of hay. I wanted to leave my mark; my path; my trace. But that would ruin this beautiful sight. I pick a small, dying head and put it in the pouch Grandpapa gave me. It was soft, brown, and made with Indian leather. I moved along toward the pond. When I reached the pond's edge, I noticed a small thicket of blackberries slowly spreading around the side of the pond. As I reached out to pick a berry, I remembered my grandpapa laughing with my about these berries. He told me that was a silly name "blackberries" when they were really "purpleberries....
Post a Comment
Read more

Intercessor

- Megan - Intercessor I remember when I was falling, like they do now, Now I fly, on the wings of my Father But look, Lord – She's still falling You carry me Lord, why not him? Won't you rescue her too? They cry out, begging me to catch them, But turn a blind eye when I point to their Maker How, Lord, can I make this work? I ask her, I tell him. I knock at their doors I beg my Father to show them the light, But no response comes from either side. I have to do something – they continue to fall I worry and fret, I can't just let them go! I trust in my own strength, I reach in to grab her, But he doesn't start flying, and now I'm tumbling too I've filled my heart with their problems, now I can't hold on to Him I cry out just like they do, and my Maker comes again He's taught me a lesson, and now I have learned That it isn't my job, to carry their load The I AM is the one who carries the world And as the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Can't You See the Shapes

I can see the shapes But my hands can't form them right They're trapped in my mind Why can’t I see the light? Dancing and soaring I forget what's around me Electric body Won’t you do what I do? Come sit in the shade Let the arid world fly by Luscious, dark gray shade Take my hand, come and fly Can’t you see the shapes Our fingers form them right Trapped in our minds Can’t you see the bright light? ~a poem by Gemaine~ ~based on a series of haikus by Hannah~
Post a Comment
Read more