xkcd

by **hermaj** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:33 am UTC

I figured this was probably the best place in the forums for a topic like this. Are there ever any words you come across when you're reading, writing or listening that you absolutely love, whether it's the look or the sound of the word?

I think some of my favourites would have to be:

sting
wish
throb
whistle

Any more?

by **The Sleeping Tyrant** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:36 am UTC

Galumphing.

It just sounds so jolly and ridiculous.

by **DonChubby** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:42 am UTC

Sphygmomanometer is an awesome word. And supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a given.

I like long words.

by **Yhatki** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 3:49 am UTC

The Sleeping Tyrant wrote:Galumphing.

It just sounds so jolly and ridiculous.

I instantly pictured a walrus in a monocle and a vest.

"Dandy" is one of my favorite words.
And "didactic". I think when shouted angrily it sounds like it could be a German curse word.

by **Scigatt** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:00 am UTC

I have always liked the sound of the word Inverness.

by **jfarquhar** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:11 am UTC

Sorry, but "skullduggery" tops all other words.

by **DonChubby** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:16 am UTC

jfarquhar wrote:Sorry, but "skullduggery" tops all other words.

</thread>

by **Darcey** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:21 am UTC

My personal favourites:
- inimical (in the sense that means dark and evil, not harmful to)
- antinomy (no, not the element)
- fettered (good in poetry)
- lashed (like the sound)
- ethereal (like the sound also and it goes nicely with the meaning)
- atavism (just really damn good; saw it in The Sea Wolf by London)

Three other words that I really like:
- incontrovertible
- irrevocable
- irreconcilable

Also the word 'inextricable' owns a place in my heart. And if 'iricandescence' were a word it would be my favourite word ever.

by **Yhatki** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:22 am UTC

jfarquhar wrote:Sorry, but "skullduggery" tops all other words.

Have you ever heard the Lemon Demon song "Word Disassociation"? When he says 'skullduggery' towards the end, I laugh every time.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=JWKyAON4md8

by **__Kit** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:36 am UTC

Dragon, lol,
Adrenaline, I really like adrenaline and if I'd ever name a band it'd be Audio Adrenaline, even if it already taken.

by **Scigatt** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:40 am UTC

Methemoglobin
Edit:Regolith

by **Bakemaster** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:44 am UTC

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian
Sassafrass
Googly-Moogly (the Great variety)
Coalesce

by **haveblue** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:38 am UTC

I was thinking about it this morning actually.. I really like the word "attempt", and I'm going to attempt to use it more frequently in my daily life.

by **hermaj** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:02 pm UTC

Bakemaster, I am with you on coalesce/coalescence. And googly-moogly reminds me of argy-bargy

by **Marbas** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:16 pm UTC

Defenestration

by **jfarquhar** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:20 pm UTC

Coalesce works for me because it reminds me of the book Coalescent by Stephen Baxter, which I enjoyed a lot.

Yhatki: That video/song is weird but enjoyable

An new word: Embezzle

Click link. Receive my face. · by **bbctol** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:43 pm UTC

Goggle
Chicken
Loofa
Twinkle
Psychadelic
Sex

by **crazyjimbo** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:49 pm UTC

bbctol wrote:Goggle-Chicken-Loofa-Twinkle-Psychadelic-Sex,
Even though the sound of it is maybe not the best,
If you say it loud enough I'll really be impressed,
Goggle-Chicken-Loofa-Twinkle-Psychadelic-Sex.

Fix'd

by **Cuton** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 1:50 pm UTC

I was going to say defenestrate but someone beat me to it. Other goodies:

-Olfaction
-nascent

Cuton

by **The Sleeping Tyrant** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:15 pm UTC

Yhatki wrote:
The Sleeping Tyrant wrote:Galumphing.

It just sounds so jolly and ridiculous.

I instantly pictured a walrus in a monocle and a vest.

See! Ridiculous!

Another awesome word: archaic. I think it's the double vowel thing it's got going on. I don't know, it kind of just radiates the feeling a dusty crypt, ages old skeleton laying with its arms crossed and spiders weaving their delicate webs where once its innards sat.

Innards is a great word too.

by **Invisible_Insane** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:45 pm UTC

Marbas wrote:Defenestration

Thread should have ended there.

Also:
Ucalegon - 'A neighbor, whose house is on fire'
Ubiquitous

by **Phenriz** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:55 pm UTC

Antiquity
Euclidean
Antediluvian
Acquiesce

Click link. Receive my face. · by **bbctol** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:58 pm UTC

Fiddle
Wobble
Wink
Jangle
Bigglesworth

by **Phenriz** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:05 pm UTC

oh forgot, Warble.

by **Alisto** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:16 pm UTC

pulchritudinous

by **Yhatki** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:35 pm UTC

Phenriz wrote:oh forgot, Warble.

Agreed so hard!

Pantomime
Cacophony
Technobabble

by **Devilsaur** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:47 pm UTC

Smorgasboard

Saying it is so fun, and it's not even hard to spell! Plus you can probably guess what it means just by hearing it in a sentence. (smawr-guhs-bawrd for reference)

by **Darcey** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:09 pm UTC

Phenriz wrote:Acquiesce

Etymology of this word - is it from 'aqua' and the tendency of water to flow to fit whatever container it's in?

Click link. Receive my face. · by **bbctol** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:10 pm UTC

Snuggle!

by **Phenriz** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:20 pm UTC

Darcey wrote:
Phenriz wrote:Acquiesce

Etymology of this word - is it from 'aqua' and the tendency of water to flow to fit whatever container it's in?

If you go far enough back, i'd say yes. But the modern etymological use for the word has nothing to do with water

I imagine the word developed due to the way water can "conform" to it's containers. Just a wild guess though.

--edit-- or we could be completely wrong:

etymonline.com wrote:From L. acquiescere "remain at rest," thus "be satisfied with," from ad- "to" + quiescere "to become quiet," from quies (gen. quietis) "rest, quiet" (see quiet (n.)).

by **Tractor** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:10 pm UTC

defenstrate and smorgasboard have already been mentioned I see.

Others:
waffle
orangutang

And what list of words would be complete without:
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

by **Darcey** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:35 pm UTC

Phenriz wrote:--edit-- or we could be completely wrong:

etymonline.com wrote:From L. acquiescere "remain at rest," thus "be satisfied with," from ad- "to" + quiescere "to become quiet," from quies (gen. quietis) "rest, quiet" (see quiet (n.)).

=( And it made so much sense, too.

by **Dark Ragnarok** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:44 pm UTC

Yhatki wrote:
The Sleeping Tyrant wrote:Galumphing.

It just sounds so jolly and ridiculous.

I instantly pictured a walrus in a monocle and a vest.

Sounds like jamie from mythbusters...

I'm not sure if i have a favorite word.

But i over use the word ridiculous like a whore. To the point where my friend and i made decided the substitute it with "RiDONCulous" if the thing described was more ridiculous than supposed. It was taken from TV show, i have no idea from which one.

Eg:

"That's ridiculous..."
- "No wait, that just ridonculous"

I do have a favorite expression. In the show Invader Zim, there was an episode where Gir wanted Zim to eat waffles...

*Gir puts a stck of waffles on the table*

Zim: Ew... What's in it?
Gir: There's WAFFLE in 'em!

I suppose if i had to choose my favorite word would have to be...

Bawls.

by **placeholder** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:05 pm UTC

Bosky is my favorite word, but the aforementioned defenestration is a close second. Third is sisyphean.

by **2DMan** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:07 pm UTC

placeholder wrote:Bosky is my favorite word, but the aforementioned defenestration is a close second.

As in, 'sort of like bosk'?

by **chrispy1** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:56 pm UTC

flummoxed
perpendicular
antidisestablishmentarianism

by **Princess Marzipan** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:59 pm UTC

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

Also, stoichiometry.

Click link. Receive my face. · by **bbctol** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:00 pm UTC

Baffled
Ominous
Jocular
Chuckle
Dimple
Stymie
Dinghy

by **skyo** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:40 am UTC

My favorite word is: Loaf

Also on the list are:
Ointment
Moist
Hemoglobin
Leoplurodon

I keep a longer list of favorite words in my moleskine ;-)

by **the Cow** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:52 am UTC

Windowsill

xkcd

Words you love.

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