Is anything other than a swoop ever described as fell?
slithering snake
Yes, if you read Tolkien: “And the Dark Lord took it, and nursed it with fell meats, until it grew beyond the measure of all other things that fly; and he gave it to his servant to be his steed.” (Return of the King, chapter 6; p115 in my edition.)
Or by old people, as in That’s a spry young lad!.
The only things that are fraught are danger and fear, even though it’s just the past tense (or something) of freight.
I thought of run amok. I never heard anything walking amok, or jumping amok.
Earl Snake’s link has “amok” listed.
Do can also be derring! As for runcible spoons… well, the less said on that ridiculous subject, the better.
Only thing I’ve ever understood to be “boggled” is a mind.
Kind of like a spork, then?
“nictitating?” (membrane)
“twang?” (bar)
“pinking?” (shears)
“runcible” is only used to describe a spoon, but I’m not sure that’s what you’re looking for.
He has many friends, lay men and clerical,
Old Foss is the name of his cat;
His body is perfectly spherical,
He weareth a runcible hat.
- Edward Lear, The Self-Portrait of the Laureate of Nonsense
(see also)
It’s often used in fantasy themed video games to describe something evil or demonic.
AFAIK, toves are the only things that are slithy.
Fiddler on the Roof actually has a role for the “fishmonger” Love it.
I haven’t heard of anything being “girded” other than loins.
In contemporary usage “vestal” only refers to virgins… though, I assume it could refer to anything pertaining to Vesta. But since she’s de mode, she’s not used to refer to much of anything, except her famous virgins.
Finally, I think “zoot” only modifies “suit.” But I could be wrong…
(I’ve always been a fan of the word “petard,” though I know it’s a noun and isn’t totally relevant here… but I love that rarely used word.)
I’ve been looking for a list of these “one-trick” adjectives for a long time now. Here’s what I’ve got:
Prodigal
Foregone
Extenuating
Fine-tooth
Ulterior
Pyrrhic
Breath is pretty much the only thing that is bated anymore. Only tides are neap. Is anything immemorial but time? If you’re going to wreak something, odds are it’s havoc.
Prodigal spending
Foregone earnings
Extenuating conditions
Fine-tooth saw
Ulterior purposes
You got me on “Pyrrhic,” but “Pyrrhic victory” is essentially a fixed phrase.
If you know your English prosidy and scansion, there’s “pyrrhic foot” for two unaccented syllables. So for something like iambic pentameter, you’ll definitely find iambic feet, of course, but almost always some trochaic and pyrrhic feet, along with some spondees. There is also “pyrrhic meter” in Classic Greek poetry.
How about “inclement” with “weather”?
Riddled with bullets
(Not an adjective I know, but they go so well together)
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