Most underused words these days

[Sapo]

Inspired on the overused words thread.

There are some words that we should be using more often.

"Turd" is high on the list. I would add busturd and turdelicious but those are just made up

But the top word in my list of words being lost to underuse is "Buffoon". What a wonderful word. What a pity to see it lost because it is being ignored by ignorant buffoons.


What words do you think we should be using more?

[Cunctator]

I knew that I would turn into my parents one day:

Please and thank you.

[Fish]

"Obtunded." You can accuse someone of being obtunded and they have no idea what you mean.

[Fear Itself]

Defenestrate. A rather complex action distilled down to four syllables.

[Green Bean]

"Heel" and "drip" are underused. I mean, we use them all the time, as in the heel of a shoe and a dripping faucet. But we don't use them enough to describe people.

From dictionary.com:
Heel: a contemptibly dishonorable or irresponsible person
Drip: unattractive, boring, or colorless person

[Sapo]

Remember when cartoon character's faces turned into a heel when they did something bad?

[blondebear]

"Pardon[excuse] me"

[threnodyangelfire]

Prat. No one gets called a Prat any more

From m-w.com
Pronunciation: 'prat
Function: noun
Etymology: probably from argot prat buttocks
British : a stupid or foolish person

[ralph124c]

I have a few words I seek to revive:
-Blatherskite
-mandragon
-plug-ugly
-forsooth
-smite

[Nava]

In business environments, "problem".

Surmounting a challenge somehow isn't as satisfactory as solving a dang big problem, for me.

[Neidhart]

Hitherto.

Forthwith.

[Sapo]

Originally Posted by blondebear

"Pardon[excuse] me"

it's ok. Just don't do it again

[Ethilrist]

Impeachment.

[BobLibDem]

"I made a mistake and I'm sorry"

"What is your opinion?"

"How can I help you?"

[RealityChuck]

Coprolite. I agree with John Ciardi that it makes a great insult.

[Quiddity Glomfuster]

"I don't know but I'll find out for you"

[athelas]

Procrustean
Sisyphean
Fatuous
Puerile

[Trunk]

"friggin".

Since characters can't say "fuck" on TV, I don't know why they don't say "friggin" all the time.

I think sometimes Eliot says it on Scrubs. Or she'll say "frig".

[Sapo]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

Coprolite. I agree with John Ciardi that it makes a great insult.

we used "coprophage" quite a lot among some friends. Great word as it translates directly into a very common Cuban insult.

[CalMeacham]

"Nosegay"



"Incompossible" -- I learned that one from Ambrose Bierce, and resolved to use it frequently. Unfortunately, I rarely find occasions to do so.

[TheLoadedDog]

[quote=CalMeacham"Incompossible" [/QUOTE]

Beresk.

[CalMeacham]

[quote]

Originally Posted by CalMeacham"Incompossible" [/QUOTE

Beresk.

???????????

[TheLoadedDog]

It's how my coding went.

It is a corruption of "beserk". Haven't heard it for ages.

[CalMeacham]

I think you mean "berserk" (which is supposed to derive from "ber sirk" = "bear shirt"), but I have to admit that I hear that sonmetimes.

But why cite me?

[A.R. Cane]

Originally Posted by Sapo

Inspired on the overused words thread.

There are some words that we should be using more often.

"Turd" is high on the list. I would add busturd and turdelicious but those are just made up

But the top word in my list of words being lost to underuse is "Buffoon". What a wonderful word. What a pity to see it lost because it is being ignored by ignorant buffoons.


What words do you think we should be using more?

I've used "buffoon" frequently over the past few years in referring to a certain right wing talk show host, who rattles paper near his microphone.
As in: "bombastic buffoon".

[fachverwirrt]

Originally Posted by Fear Itself

Defenestrate. A rather complex action distilled down to four syllables.

"Throw through the window" is only five syllables...

I enjoy "thrice"; it usually gets me strange looks.

[Enright3]

Originally Posted by BobLibDem

"I made a mistake and I'm sorry"

"What is your opinion?"

"How can I help you?"

"I don't know the answer, but I'll find out for you"
(I'd rather hear a simple "I'll find out" than someone guessing the answer any day).

Now this answer wasn't exactly what the OP asked for... so for my real answer, I'll say: abecedarian

[Sapo]

Originally Posted by fachverwirrt

"Throw through the window" is only five syllables...

I enjoy "thrice"; it usually gets me strange looks.

one syllable less, 20% optimization

thrice is also a great word that I use often.

opine, the verb, is also high on my list.

[Captain_C]

Concordantly
ergo
vis a vie (I don't know how to make the cool little squiggle. Oh! That's another one)

squiggle

[InappropriateHumor]

Porcine

Vex(ing)

As in, "His porcine behavior was sorely vexing."

[Chez Guevara]

.
.
.
I offer these sadly neglected words:

From Esperanto

fibopatriningo: a container into which you insert one end of an unpleasant mother-in-law.

From Greek

raphanizow: to thrust a radish up the fundament; a punishment for adulterers in Athens.

From Sesuto

malito: something which a person lets fall and which his cousin can pick up and keep if the owner does not say "ngaele".

[Licentious Ectomorph]

With regard to my user name, misnomer once commented that "licentious" is a word that's not used enough.

[Lissa]

Originally Posted by Licentious Ectomorph

With regard to my user name, misnomer once commented that "licentious" is a word that's not used enough.

Along those lines, I would like to see "hussy" and "cad" make a comeback.

[Captain Lance Murdoch]

Originally Posted by fachverwirrt

"Throw through the window" is only five syllables...

I enjoy "thrice"; it usually gets me strange looks.

I was actually kind of pleased when Mike Tyson did that to someone a few years back because I got the chance to dust off that word.

[Antinor01]

I've always been partial to the word varlet.

[According to Pliny]

German-American. Also British-American. And okay French-American.

You hear of Italian-American, Philipino-American, Irish-American, Japanese-American.
But that sort of thing leaves most people out.

And it's not just long ago families, but many WWII immigrants came from Germany, GB, and France.

[Labdad]

Originally Posted by Cunctator

I knew that I would turn into my parents one day:

Please and thank you.

And "you're welcome." It's been replaced by "no problem."

[Common Tater]

Originally Posted by Lissa

Along those lines, I would like to see "hussy" and "cad" make a comeback.

Trollop, Jerk, and persona non grata

[ianzin]

Ploy is a wonderful word, and nice to say, but sadly neglected.

Banter is another unjustly negelected word.

Slight hijack but forgiveable, I hope, because too good not to share... can I just mention my two favourite words in the whole world? The first is the Italian word for 'tortoise', which is tartaruga. I love that word. The other is... well, you know those little hand-held fireworks that are basically just a length of wire dipped in fireworky stuff, and you light one end and it gives off a shower of sparks while it burns down? Here in England we call it a 'sparkler'. But in Sweden it's a... tomtebloss. Say it and savour it... tomtebloss. Isn't it a gorgeous word? And the plural is.... exactly the same!

[olivesmarch4th]

Strumpet!

Definitely strumpet.

My husband calls me that when we're feeling naughty.

[Beware of Doug]

Originally Posted by According to Pliny

German-American. Also British-American. And okay French-American.

I believe Anglo- and Franco- used to be pretty common, at least until the former came to mean anyone who doesn't speak Spanish, and the latter was besmirched by associations with a Spanish dictator and a sugared orange pasta product.

[Nic2004]

Groovy. Ya just don't hear Groovy enough these days.

[Beware of Doug]

Nincompoop.

When I heard Jack Nicholson say it in About Schmidt several years ago, it stopped me cold. Especially the way he says it: "My daughter married a ninnn-commm-poop."

[Spoke]

On these boards?

"I don't know."

[Ruby]

Perhaps.

Tertiary.

Doncha just love words?

[DMark]

You whippersnappers ought to kowtow to your elders. If not, show some gumption and get off your arse and partake in political discourse.

[Martini Enfield]

Pillock is a favourite of mine that rarely gets much airtime these days.

Confound, Accursed, Merrily, and Deft are others that one doesn't often hear in the course of casual conversation, either...

[Capt. Ridley's Shooting Party]

Conflagration.

[Kalhoun]

Originally Posted by Green Bean

"Heel" and "drip" are underused. I mean, we use them all the time, as in the heel of a shoe and a dripping faucet. But we don't use them enough to describe people.

From dictionary.com:
Heel: a contemptibly dishonorable or irresponsible person
Drip: unattractive, boring, or colorless person

These are right up there with "dolt":

a dull, stupid person; blockhead.

[Skald the Rhymer]

Originally Posted by ralph124c

I have a few words I seek to revive:
-Blatherskite
-mandragon
-plug-ugly
-forsooth
-smite

You'll be happy to know I use both blatherskite and smite. Both are very useful in the villainy business. Forsooth I mostly abjure, though, and mandragons are not to be trusted.