Take Ten
You’ve got me and my word obsession, so I’m here to help you out. Writers should never use a thesaurus anyway. So, here are ten more weird and wonderful words I wish you’d all start using so that I can too.
1. Floccinaucinihilipilification
No, but seriously, it’s a word. When your dad calls that guy you’re seeing a useless tit, well he’s made a floccinaucinihilipilification. Say that three times fast. This word means “estimation that something is valueless.” Proper pronunciation? Look it up.
2. Inaniloquent
We all know someone who is inaniloquent, or given to talking mindlessly. Someone who is excessively talkative or garrulous is inaniloquent, an idle talker.
3. Limerance
You know those idiots who are like, “Yes, I know you love him, but are you in love with him?” They’re referring to limerance. This term was coined in 1977 by a psychologist to describe an involuntary but conscious state of mind which occurs as the result of a romantic attraction to another person that is combined with an irresistible, obsessive need to have those feelings reciprocated. And by romantic love, we mean you want to do the nasty so bad you can taste it, but in a loving, worshipful, not dirty kind of way. Not the same way you did the nasty with that stripper you picked up at the bar.
4. Mesonoxian
Pertaining to the hour of midnight. Now you might be wondering how such a word is used. I will show you. “I’m not a mesonoxian vampire. I must have sunlight to survive.”
5. Mungo
If you pull things from the trash, which may or may not be valuable, you’re a mungo. It means a dumpster diver. Handy little word, I think. And it really makes for much tighter prose than “dumpster diver” or “trash bandit.”
6. Nihilarian
This word is derived from the latin word, nihil, which means “nothing.” The term refers to someone who does work of little importance. By “little importance” I mean work that is in no way challenging or interesting. I should point out though, that there is no entry for this in Merriam-Webster’s, so do with it what you will.
7. Nudiustertian
This is a rarely used adjective, deemed obsolete and therefore no longer in Webster’s, so let’s bring it back from the brink. Instead of saying, “The day before yesterday” use “nudiustertian.” Pronounce it: nu-di-uhs-TUR-shuhn. Yeah, it’s kind of awkward. But it’s good to know there’s a word for the day before yesterday. Usage? “Those shoes are so nudiustertian.” Even more insulting than saying they’re “so yesterday.”
8. Phenakism
Phenakism refers to the act of deceit, or pertaining to deception or trickery. Usage? “The government’s phenakism should shock people, but Americans/Canadians have come to expect such dishonest behavior from politicians.”
9. Pulveratricious
When the town was ripping up my road every summer for the first four years we lived in this house, everything was pulveratricious—covered with dust.
10. Rastaquouere
Those annoying bitches in high school with their fake laughs, designer clothes, painted-on tans and cold, vicious, empty lives; they were rastaquoueres, which means social climbers. I like “shallow bitch who will have many babies, get fat and suffer a cheating alcoholic has-been husband” much better too. It’s actually derived from the French word “rastaquouère,” meaning “social intruder, upstart, particularly one of exaggerated manners and dress.” Love those French.
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