Ok, so I was bored this morning. If I’m to be honest with you, there was nothing in my think box that would be fitting for our normal literary investigations. It just wasn’t happening.
Out of desperation for a topic, I reached out to good ole Mr. McGoogle, in the hopes that I might find something useful to discuss.
But, what to ask? How does one come to find a useful topic, without the right query to pose, right?! That was an Interrobang, by the way. You’ll never guess how I know that?
I went out on the web and typed,
Words not often used in the English language
This was my result,
AI Overview
Rare and underused words in the English language often serve to describe specific feelings, sounds, or actions with intense precision. Many are antiquated, regional, or highly niche in their application, leading them to be replaced by simpler, more general terms in modern conversation.
Forgotten and Archaic Words
- Twirlblast (n.): A 1700s term for a tornado.
- Groaning-cheese (n.): A medieval term for a celebratory cheese marking the birth of a child.
- Pilgarlik (n.): Someone who is bald, once thought to resemble peeled garlic.
- Snowbrowth (n.): Freshly melted snow, a term from the 1590s.
- Sooterkin (n.): Originally a deformed fetus, later used as a term of endearment.
- Overmorrow (n.): The day after tomorrow.
- Agelast (n.): A person who never laughs.
Highly Specific Descriptive Words
- Crapulence (n.): Sickness caused by excessive eating or drinking; a hangover.
- Callipygian (adj.): Having well-shaped or beautiful buttocks.
- Swullocking (adj.): Humid, hot weather.
- Chasmophile (n.): A person who loves nooks and crannies.
- Scurryfunge (n.): The act of hastily cleaning before a guest arrives.
- Groak (v.): To watch someone silently while they eat, hoping they will invite you to join.
- Elflock (n.): Tangled, knotted hair.
- Acnestis (n.): The part of the back that cannot be reached to be scratched.
- Gorgonize (v.): To have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on someone.
Words That Deserve Wider Use
- Ultracrepidarian (n.): Someone who gives opinions on subjects they know nothing about.
- Snollygoster (n.): An unprincipled but shrewd politician.
- Nibling (n.): A non-gender specific term for a niece or nephew.
- Apricity (n.): The warmth of the sun in winter.
- Petrichor (n.): The pleasant, earthy smell that accompanies the first rain after a long dry spell.
- Anemoia (n.): Nostalgia for a time or place one has never known.
- Anecdoche (n.): A conversation in which everyone is talking, but no one is listening.
Obscure Adjectives
- Catawampus (adj.): Askew, awry, or diagonally positioned.
- Jentacular (adj.): Pertaining to breakfast.
- Crapulous (adj.): Ill from excessive indulgence in food or drink.
- Sybaritic (adj.): Accustomed to great luxury and pleasure-seeking.
- Agathokakological (adj.): Composed of both good and evil.
Whimsical and Odd Words
- Interrobang (n.): A punctuation mark that combines a question mark and exclamation point (‽).
- Bumbershoot (n.): An umbrella.
- Flibbertigibbet (n.): A flighty, excessively talkative person.
- Taradiddle (n.): Pretentious nonsense or a petty lie.
- Skedaddle (v.): To run away quickly.
Words for Specific Situations
- Lypophrenia (n.): A vague sadness without a known cause.
- Limerence (n.): An intense, almost obsessive romantic infatuation.
- Treppenwitz (n.): The perfect witty comeback that occurs to you too late (literally: “staircase wit”).
- Zugzwang (n.): A situation where a person is forced to make a move, but every option is bad (often used in chess).
- Resistentialism (n.): The belief that inanimate objects display spiteful behavior.
- Librocubicularist (n.): A person who reads in bed.
If nothing else, this was an incredibly entertaining bit of research. I had no idea that I was a Librocubicularist. I think my autocorrect just had a seizure!
Which one is your favorite? I’m torn between Skurryfunge and Treppenwitz, probably because I’ve found myself doing both, often enough.
If society readily continued with the use of most of these, I think it would really spice up many of our conversations, don’t you?! See how easy it is to do. You too can become a successful Interrobanger!
Journey With Me! 