# Do you use any of the following words? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672 "2006-04-14T15:53:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/21 "2006-04-14T17:43:41Z")
Catawampus- Yes, I have, but not often Dagnabit- No, but a friend does. Skullduggery-Yes Rapscallion- Yes Tarnation- Never Flibbertigibbet-Yes. but rarely Hugger-mugger-No Absquatulate-No Blotto- on occasion Hoosegow- Maybe Rumpus- no Skinflint- no Higgledy-piggledy-yes, but rarely Piffle-no Flapdoodle-no, it sounds vaguely scatilogical to me. Lepidopterist- yes. I do use _flummox_ routinely, however. ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/22 "2006-04-14T17:49:18Z")
I’ve used the following words (some sarcastically, some seriously), and I might have used others without being able to remember it (I like having a reasonably extensive vocabulary): Skullduggery Rapscallion Tarnation Flibbertigibbet Blotto Rumpus Skinflint Higgledy-piggledy Piffle Lepidopterist Why this particular list? Do they have some unique fascination for you? ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/23 "2006-04-14T17:50:40Z")
Catawampus - all the time Dagnabit - yes Skullduggery - yes Rapscallion - yes Tarnation - yes Flibbertigibbet - no Hugger-mugger - no, what is it? Absquatulate - no, what is it? Blotto - yes Hoosegow - no Rumpus - yes Skinflint - yes Higgledy-piggledy - yes Piffle - yes Flapdoodle - no Lepidopterist - yes ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/24 "2006-04-14T17:52:51Z")
Well, let’s just say… back in my crazy youth, I used to do some [googlewhacking](http://googlewhack.com/tally.pl) . Ah… those were the days… ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/25 "2006-04-14T17:55:12Z")
[QUOTE=Dervorin] Why this particular list? Do they have some unique fascination for you? [/QUOTE] The list is a little bit random. It mostly comprises somewhat antiquated slang terms that I thought people would recognize, but never use. I’m staggered by how many of these words are in actual use, going by the testimony of those who have posted here. I don’t think I use a single one myself. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/26 "2006-04-14T18:05:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Skullduggery Rapscallion Skinflint [/QUOTE] I’ve used these. I rather like the sound of rapscallion, actually. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/27 "2006-04-14T18:30:52Z")
I’ve probably used all of those words in the past, with the exception of “absquatulate,” which I am now using. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/28 "2006-04-14T18:34:45Z")
Some people, instead of saying “how are you” or “what’s up”, will say “What’s the good word?” To those people, I often say “absquatulate”. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slip\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f475e1/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slip\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slip_1)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/29 "2006-04-14T18:56:01Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] Catawampus - actually, we say it “cattywampus” where I’m from, and, yes [/QUOTE] That’s the way I say it too. And my mother, and my father … I say it here in the North (I’m from the South) and people look at me strange 😃 Never used any of the other terms, though … PS: What about “jeezum crow”? or “hinky”? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/30 "2006-04-14T19:08:01Z")
Catawampus yes Dagnabit yes Skullduggery yes Rapscallion yes Tarnation yes Flibbertigibbet yes Hugger-mugger once or twice I think Absquatulate no Blotto yes Hoosegow certainly! Rumpus yes Skinflint yes Higgledy-piggledy yes Piffle rarely Flapdoodle yes Lepidopterist yes ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/31 "2006-04-14T19:27:02Z")
[QUOTE=Freudian\_Slip] PS: What about “jeezum crow”? or “hinky”? [/QUOTE] No, and yes. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/32 "2006-04-14T19:47:38Z")
Catawampus - yes, although like **YaWanna** , I say “cattywampus” Dagnabit - yes Skullduggery - yes Rapscallion - I have, but not very often Tarnation - yes Flibbertigibbet - no Hugger-mugger - no Absquatulate - no Blotto - yes Hoosegow - yes (also “pokey”) Rumpus - yes Skinflint - yes Higgledy-piggledy - no Piffle - no Flapdoodle - no Lepidopterist - no ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/33 "2006-04-14T19:53:33Z")
**Dagnabit** — yeah **Skullduggery** — sometimes **Tarnation** — yep **Hoosegow** — probably from _juzgado_. Yeah sometimes. **Piffle** — but of course None of the others though. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/34 "2006-04-14T19:54:34Z")
And you forgot widdershins. I think widdershins oughta be on that list. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/35 "2006-04-14T20:00:42Z")
Catawampus -no Dagnabit -no Skullduggery -yes Rapscallion -no Tarnation -no Flibbertigibbet -no Hugger-mugger -no Absquatulate -no Blotto -no Hoosegow -no Rumpus -yes Skinflint -yes Higgledy-piggledy -no Piffle -no Flapdoodle -no Lepidopterist -yes I’ve never even heard of these words: Catawampus Hugger-mugger Absquatulate So now I have to open the dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![YaWanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/bbce88/32.png) [@YaWanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaWanna)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/36 "2006-04-14T20:07:17Z")
New question: who can use all of them in a sentence? I meant all of them in **one** sentence? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/37 "2006-04-14T20:56:46Z")
Err…not me! I’ve never used a single one of them, spoken or written. Where is flibbertigibbet from? That sounds so familiar… I can hear a woman saying it in my head… ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/38 "2006-04-14T21:03:22Z")
Cattywampus: yes. Quite a bit. Absquatulate: only in the sense of “you know what’s a cool word? ‘Absquatulate’.” Doesn’t come up in casual conversation, unfortunately; how often does somebody run off with the money & squat somewhere? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/39 "2006-04-14T21:05:14Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV] Where is flibbertigibbet from? That sounds so familiar… I can hear a woman saying it in my head… [/QUOTE] The Sound of Music…“how do you solve a problem like Maria…a flibbertigibbet, a will-o-the-wisp, a clown.” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/40 "2006-04-14T21:08:16Z")
_Skullduggery Rapscallion_ Both of these, but in a slightly-ironic manner. _Blotto Rumpus Skinflint Higgledy-piggledy_ Yup _Piffle_ This is a useful one in front of children, when you’re tempted to swear, as in “what a load of piffle” None of the others, and I’ve not heard many of them before at all. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672.md?page=3)