# Compound words that make you say "What?!" including ones that make you wince \[ spun off from What Were You THINKING Pit thread \] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104 "2026-01-26T16:11:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/1 "2026-01-26T16:11:25Z")
> [@What were you THINKING?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6283): > > ambages And me. And it’s a good one; I sure do see a lot of that lately (mostly not here.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/2 "2026-01-26T16:13:17Z")
It’s shorter to type than circumlocutions 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/3 "2026-01-26T16:19:36Z")
Being prolifically prolix, I much prefer “dissembling prevarications”. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/4 "2026-01-26T16:28:02Z")
I’ll just go with “bullshit”. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/5 "2026-01-26T16:32:05Z")
[![](https://i.imgur.com/ISA0eQy.jpeg) ](https://i.imgur.com/ISA0eQy.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/6 "2026-01-26T16:33:28Z")
Antidisestablishmentarianism. I swear to God this word/concept was in my head when I woke up. I think it has to do church-state issues. Sounds like “bullshit” to me as well. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/7 "2026-01-26T16:40:00Z")
Eschew Mephistophelian obfuscation thou dotard! IOW … KISS! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/8 "2026-01-26T16:47:20Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Eschew Mephistophelian obfuscation thou dotard! > > IOW … In the immortal words of Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars: [![](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/027/099/62e.jpg) ](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/027/099/62e.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/9 "2026-01-26T16:53:27Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Antidisestablishmentarianism The Established Church is the Church of England or Scotland. A Disestablished Church is an unaffiliated church. So disestablishment, in this case, is unaffiliating your church. Antidisestabilshment is being against that practice. An antidisestablishmentarian is a person who is against that practice. Antidisestablishmentarianism is the general belief in that. Something like that… ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/10 "2026-01-26T17:04:42Z")
Floccinaucinihilipilification. The act of regarding something as worthless. Like the word “floccinaucinihilipilification.” ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/11 "2026-01-26T17:49:03Z")
Keep writing long words and next thing you know we’ll be speaking German. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/12 "2026-01-26T17:53:35Z")
_Gesundheit!_ ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/13 "2026-01-26T17:55:19Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Keep writing long words and next thing you know we’ll be speaking German. Years ago, when my wife and I were on a group trip in Germany, and walking around cities, we would joke that the street we were on was “WeAreLostenstrasse.” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/14 "2026-01-26T17:57:23Z")
Wow. Thanks, @hajario . Very illuminating. Not that I really needed to know. I’m not sure where that word comes up in my memory. I have a sneaky feeling it came from speech therapy class in school. Think about 10-12 stutterers trying to spit that word out in a classroom. I was in that class, and I woulda laughed out loud at that occasion. ETA..I just practiced the word, I stuttered the first syllable. Not doable. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/15 "2026-01-26T18:05:48Z")
> [@What were you THINKING?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-you-thinking/991532/6299): > > > [@Atamasama](#): > > > > Keep writing long words and next thing you know we’ll be speaking German. > > Years ago, when my wife and I were on a group trip in Germany, and walking around cities, we would joke that the street we were on was “WeAreLostenstrasse.” Don’t get me started on the einfahrts (when our family went to Germany when my sister and I were teens, we couldn’t help snickering). ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/16 "2026-01-26T18:10:24Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Don’t get me started on the einfahrts And I don’t know who Mr. or Ms. Einbahn was, but they must have been very important in Germany, because there were so many streets named after them. 😃 “Einbahnstrasse” = “one way street” ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/17 "2026-01-26T18:19:17Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Don’t get me started on the einfahrts (when our family went to Germany when my sister and I were teens, we couldn’t help snickering). I’ve been playing this video game, _The Last Caretaker_, where you’re a robot on a post-apocalyptic Earth, after humans have all died out. Neat game - somber, slow paced. Not a lot of jokes, understandably. Except all the shipping containers in the game come from the same company: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AEuQIO_Gr3A/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLCl2twlMhBd9dWAtjkrRfVxSNlv9w) ](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AEuQIO_Gr3A/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEhCK4FEIIDSFryq4qpAxMIARUAAAAAGAElAADIQj0AgKJD&rs=AOn4CLCl2twlMhBd9dWAtjkrRfVxSNlv9w) ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/18 "2026-01-26T18:20:54Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > Keep writing long words and next thing you know we’ll be speaking German. Or we’ll all become chemists. (paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde) ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2026, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/19 "2026-01-26T19:47:11Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And I don’t know who Mr. or Ms. Einbahn was, but they must have been very important in Germany, because there were so many streets named after them. Kind of like the longest street in the US: Frontage Road. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104/20 "2026-01-27T01:57:45Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I don’t know who Mr. or Ms. Einbahn was, but they must have been very important in Germany, The Indonesian word for “teeth” is “gigi,” and a dentist is a “Dokter Gigi,” or “tooth doctor.” So everywhere there is a dental practice in Jakarta (and there are a lot), there is a sign out front that says “Dokter Gigi.” A non-Indonesian-speaking friend visiting Jakarta marveled, “That Gigi family must be very smart … they sure produced a lot of doctors.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/compound-words-that-make-you-say-what-including-ones-that-make-you-wince-spun-off-from-what-were-you-thinking-pit-thread/1027104.md?page=2)