I’m impressed that others would choose defenestrate. That has long been my favorite word. It tickles me that someone would have a need to invent that word.
So now I’ll up the ante by posting my favorite two word expression. “Mau mau” as used in the Tom Wolfe classic Radical Chic And Mau Mauing The Flack Catchers.
Mine is foible. Say it five times fast: foible, foible, foible, foible, foible. What can I say: wordplay is one of my foibles.
And for Gwen, who shares my love for words with Latin roots… pulchritude. I remember my senior year of High School (well, barely) when I was in my 3rd year of Spanish and my first year of Latin and came across this word in both languages and English, too. I think that may have been the start of my love affair with words.
I’ll try “penecontemporaneous”. It’s a geological word, meaning “at the same time, plus or minus 10,000 years.” Now that is a time frame that puts human life spans in context.
By the way, I’ve long maintained that the best way to get a masters in Geology is to invent a word and force it into the literature. PhDs are where you rise above mediocrity and begin to create real concept.
First saw it in Henry Murger’s Bohemians of the Latin Quarter. The only other time I have ever seen it in literature is in Salman Rushdie’e Midnight’s Children.
Personally, I try to use it as much as possible myself.
Jared X, there must be a story behind learning steatopygous from a Federal judge in court. Please tell.
Until you do, I’ll give my version. “Jared X, stop butting in! You is just too steatopygous to do that in court.”
Btw, another favorite word of mine is doucheweasel, meaning a person who is both a douchebag and a weasel. Example, “The doucheweasels who have caused the financial system collapse are going to receive a $300 billion dollar government bailout.”
We are a bi-lingual household… I use this one with my children all the time. It sounds so much better to be sent to “penitence” than to be put in time-out.
alyssa m says
oooh, archipelago is a good one.
for me, replete or ineffable.
wordwanderer says
Obstreperous, definitely, followed by defenestration (variations of which seem to be popular).
Bethanne says
Conundrum. I’m often involved in one.
johnac says
Shillelagh
blooker says
payday
Vieva says
real word: Havoc. I just love the simplicity of the word and the true terror of the meaning.
Fake word: squick. As in, when you manage to get someone to do that instinctive twitch of “that’s just WRONG!” – they’re squicked.
Lynn F.C. says
Serendipity…..because I like to live that way…
LynnFC
austexgrl says
luminous or linoleum
Adaora A. says
@blookeer – ! Payday is indeed a good day….and the meaning shoots the goodness of the word up several notches.
Caitlin says
perspicacity
Beth Terrell says
Galapagos.
I love the way it sounds and the way it feels in my mouth. I’d also love to go there someday.
Anonymous says
Dude.
Because with the right inflection, it can mean almost anything.
Anonymous says
I like the word numinous quite a bit!
Furious D says
Hmmm… I do like archipelago… but it’s not my top favourite…
schadenfreude
Because I’m one of a select few people who can spell it, pronounce it, and know what it means. 😉
Beatrice Tate says
Effervescent
It’s what I call a sticky word – it just sort of sticks in your brain. But I’m also a fan of Dynamic and Disingenuous.
Moose says
I’m impressed that others would choose defenestrate. That has long been my favorite word. It tickles me that someone would have a need to invent that word.
So now I’ll up the ante by posting my favorite two word expression. “Mau mau” as used in the Tom Wolfe classic Radical Chic And Mau Mauing The Flack Catchers.
Deborah Blake says
What fun! So many great words.
Mine is foible. Say it five times fast: foible, foible, foible, foible, foible. What can I say: wordplay is one of my foibles.
And for Gwen, who shares my love for words with Latin roots…
pulchritude. I remember my senior year of High School (well, barely) when I was in my 3rd year of Spanish and my first year of Latin and came across this word in both languages and English, too. I think that may have been the start of my love affair with words.
Scott Jones says
I’ll try “penecontemporaneous”. It’s a geological word, meaning “at the same time, plus or minus 10,000 years.” Now that is a time frame that puts human life spans in context.
By the way, I’ve long maintained that the best way to get a masters in Geology is to invent a word and force it into the literature. PhDs are where you rise above mediocrity and begin to create real concept.
Genevieve says
Without a doubt: phantasmagoria.
First saw it in Henry Murger’s Bohemians of the Latin Quarter. The only other time I have ever seen it in literature is in Salman Rushdie’e Midnight’s Children.
Personally, I try to use it as much as possible myself.
Wanda B. Ontheshelves says
Re: “Galapagos.
I love the way it sounds and the way it feels in my mouth. I’d also love to go there someday.”
****
The Galapagos are an archipelago, so that’s almost 2 favorite words rolled into one.
Moose says
Jared X, there must be a story behind learning steatopygous from a Federal judge in court. Please tell.
Until you do, I’ll give my version. “Jared X, stop butting in! You is just too steatopygous to do that in court.”
Btw, another favorite word of mine is doucheweasel, meaning a person who is both a douchebag and a weasel. Example, “The doucheweasels who have caused the financial system collapse are going to receive a $300 billion dollar government bailout.”
clindsay says
I love the word “borborygmus” – the process of your stomach growling. Just think – there’s a WORD for that!
I also like the word “swivet” (which is why I used it for my own blog) – it means “perpetual state of agitation – but it’s really just fun to say.
On the other hand, I once had a friend who despised the word “panties” – made her absolutely crazy when people said it. I have no idea why.
Erik says
Having a favorite word would be like having a favorite child.
Gabrielle says
Pizazz, followed by contemplate.
Tricia Sanders says
Ummmm. I have two.
quesadilla
wonky
Jessica says
acquiesce. It has a sensual grace to it. Also, it can be used in about a thousand contexts.
Joseph L. Selby says
sacrosanct
Heidi the Hick says
SPECIFICITY
that’s my current favourite.
(If it’s not a real word then I feel both stupid and inventive.)
Heidi the Hick says
I love words that sound like what they are.
OOOOh! I love that word itself too!
ONOMATOPOEIA!
Anonymous says
idiot
The Anti-Wife says
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
Lisah says
Penitence – said in french
We are a bi-lingual household… I use this one with my children all the time. It sounds so much better to be sent to “penitence” than to be put in time-out.
losemymouth says
Facetious or chimera
ORION says
the
I use it all the time…
Anonymous says
Hullabaloo
Sesselja says
Pipsqueak.
David Bridger says
Love.
It’s all we need. 🙂
The Wannabe Scribe says
Call me negative but my favorite word is ‘no’ short and simple, but then I can be very belligerent!
Julie says
DOOM!
That’s my favorite
oh and Susan. Check out the comic Y The Last Man. The MC named his monkey ampersand.
Maris Bosquet says
Crucifixation. (Hey, I was taught by Jesuits!)
Anonymous says
supercalifragilisticexpialidocio
kidcuisine says
Apoplectic…:-)
Kat says
Gigglebox.
Always has been. Always will be.
Inner Child says
Disingenuous – I love it! Spoken, it sounds like a tennis ball bouncing down the stairs.
B.E. Sanderson says
Trapezoidal. Say it out loud. It’s fun. =o)
Lafreya says
I love
Copacetic and numinous
Constance says
Undulate!
melissalobianco says
Nefarious, if I had to pick one. No, wait: Lascivious. Paradigm. Bastardize. *shit!*
I can’t do this.
Boon.
Misanthropic… or maybe…
Curmudgeon.
Yes, definitely all forms of Curmudgeon.
Anita says
trifecta
It’s used so rarely, but when it is… it’s oh so pristinely sweet
Kate H says
Sequacious.
It means “intellectually subservient.” I found it in a John Gardner book.