# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/41 "2006-04-14T21:27:44Z")
I use “dagnabit” occasionally, and I use “tarnation” frequently. ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/42 "2006-04-14T21:34:47Z")
Catawampus - No, I use Kittywhumpus Dagnabit - Yes Skullduggery - Yes Rapscallion - Yes, too often! Tarnation - Not often Flibbertigibbet - Yes Hugger-mugger - No Absquatulate - No Blotto - No Hoosegow - No Rumpus - Yes Skinflint - Yes Higgledy-piggledy - Yes Piffle - Very Often! Flapdoodle - No Lepidopterist - Yes, surprisingly! ---
**Author:** ![Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilarity_n.suze/32/6223_2.png) [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/43 "2006-04-14T22:06:04Z")
Catawampus - no, but I foresee using it in the near future Dagnabit - yes, on occasion Skullduggery - yes, fairly often Rapscallion - named a kitten this once Tarnation - “where in tarnation are my car keys” - yes (infrequent) Flibbertigibbet - yes Hugger-mugger - no Absquatulate - no Blotto - yes (infrequent) Hoosegow - yes (rare) Rumpus - yes (following readings of a certain Maurice Sendak book) Skinflint - yes (often) Higgledy-piggledy - maybe once? Piffle - ALL the time Flapdoodle - yes (infrequent) Lepidopterist - I know what this is. I may have used it. It just doesn’t come up a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/44 "2006-04-14T22:09:08Z")
All words listed below are words that I have used at one point or another in my life: Skullduggery Rapscallion Tarnation Hugger-mugger Blotto Hoosegow Rumpus Skinflint Higgledy-piggledy Piffle ---
**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, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/45 "2006-04-14T22:17:11Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] The Sound of Music…“how do you solve a problem like Maria…a flibbertigibbet, a will-o-the-wisp, a clown.” [/QUOTE] [Johnny Carson]I did not know that.[/JC} I never heard it before I saw _Joe vs. the Volcano_. ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/46 "2006-04-15T00:09:23Z")
Catawampus – at one time or another, but not regularly. Dagnabit – I’d probably use “drat!” first Skullduggery – pretty sure I’ve used that at least once Rapscallion – never. I hate rap, and the only scallion I might refer to would be in a cassarolle. Tarnation – not unless I was quoting a very old “oater.” Flibbertigibbet – My grandmother might have used that one. Hugger-mugger – I can’t even remember where I saw this, although I’m sure I did. Absquatulate – I dunno what it means, so wouldn’t use it. Blotto – been there, said that Hoosegow – might have, if I’d just seen an old western. Rumpus – sure, in reference to a “rumpus room.” Skinflint – along with miser, cheapskate, and that old standby niggard (check your dictionary, folks. I didn’t say anything racist). Higgledy-piggledy – not never, not nohow Piffle – the last time I played tiddly-winks with a wrestler Flapdoodle – never Lepidopterist – only when talking about someone who studies butterflies. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/47 "2006-04-15T01:41:16Z")
Catawampus - (It’s kattywampus), only when mocking my Mom Dagnabit - nope Skullduggery - occasionally Rapscallion - rarely Tarnation - very rarely Flibbertigibbet - once in a while Hugger-mugger - never Absquatulate - never Blotto - rarely Hoosegow - very rarely Rumpus - nope Skinflint - once in a while Higgledy-piggledy - nope Piffle - yes Flapdoodle - nope Lepidopterist - where appropriate ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/48 "2006-04-15T01:45:04Z")
The list needs osculate and omphaloskepsis ---
**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 15, 2006, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/49 "2006-04-15T02:05:44Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] New question: who can use all of them in a sentence? I meant all of them in **one** sentence? 😃 [/QUOTE] I can, as a matter of fact, use “Catawampus”, “Dagnabit”, “Skullduggery”, “Rapscallion”, “Tarnation”, “Flibbertigibbet”, “Hugger-mugger”, “Absquatulate”, “Blotto”, “Hoosegow”, “Rumpus”, “Skinflint”, “Higgledy-piggledy”, “Piffle”, “Flapdoodle”, "and “Lepidopterist” in one sentence! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/50 "2006-04-15T03:29:05Z")
Catawampus no Dagnabit yes Skullduggery yes Rapscallion yes Tarnation yes Flibbertigibbet no Hugger-mugger no Absquatulate no Blotto yes Hoosegow yes Rumpus yes Skinflint yes Higgledy-piggledy no Piffle yes Flapdoodle no Lepidopterist no ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/51 "2006-04-15T03:41:52Z")
Catawampus - No Dagnabit - Yes, humourously Skullduggery - Yes Rapscallion - Yes, humourously Tarnation - Yes, humourously Flibbertigibbet - No Hugger-mugger - No Absquatulate - No Blotto - No Hoosegow - Yes, humourously Rumpus - Yes Skinflint - Yes Higgledy-piggledy - No Piffle - Yes Flapdoodle - No Lepidopterist - Yes ( I have several entomologist friends 😉 ) - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/52 "2006-04-15T03:42:48Z")
Catawampus - yep Dagnabit - yep, and variations thereof Skullduggery - all the time Rapscallion - not lately Tarnation - nope Flibbertigibbet - yes Hugger-mugger - sometimes Absquatulate - new one on me Blotto - sometimes Hoosegow - not lately Rumpus - yes Skinflint -no Higgledy-piggledy - no Piffle - all the time Flapdoodle - sometimes Lepidopterist - have no clue what this is, so no, don’t use it I’m very fond of the word “apoplectic” – as in, “I was apoplectic when the servers went down this morning.” ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/53 "2006-04-15T03:45:34Z")
Catawampus??? I LOOK for chances to use catawmpus. I weap for the fact that I can’t use it more often. The other…not so much. Although I might use them from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/54 "2006-04-15T21:32:31Z")
[QUOTE=YaWanna] [Johnny Carson]I did not know that.[/JC} I never heard it before I saw _Joe vs. the Volcano_. [/QUOTE] Yes, this is where I heard it too. I kept hearing the woman’s voice and picturing Meg Ryan. It drove me crazy, so I looked her up on IMDB…when I saw _Joe vs. The Volcano_, it clicked. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/55 "2006-04-15T23:41:11Z")
Catawampus; occ , as in “all Cattywumpus”, that is all askew & disarranged. Dagnabit; only used by Yosemite Sam Skullduggery; yes Rapscallion; yes Tarnation; again, Yosemite Sam Flibbertigibbet; as in “she’s a Flibberty-gibbert”, once in a great while Hugger-mugger. Never Absquatulate; no Blotto; as in “he’s drunk, sideways, blotto”- yes. Hoosegow; the jail- once in a while Rumpus; only when “room” comea after, and rarely then. Skinflint; perfect word for Mr Burns Higgledy-piggledy; no Piffle; rarely Flapdoodle. never Lepidopterist; if they are indeed, a butterfly collector. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/56 "2006-04-16T00:02:52Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Do you now, or have you ever, used any of the following words? Catawampus Dagnabit Skullduggery Rapscallion Tarnation Flibbertigibbet Hugger-mugger Absquatulate Blotto Hoosegow Rumpus Skinflint Higgledy-piggledy Piffle Flapdoodle Lepidopterist Chalk this up to idle curiosity, and criminal proximity to a keyboard. [/QUOTE] No. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/57 "2006-04-16T00:12:08Z")
I recognize all of them, and I know what all except **absquatulate** mean. Catawampus-no Dagnabit-yes, several times a week. I’ve been spelling it with two Bs. Skullduggery-yes Rapscallion-yes, but not often Tarnation-seldom Flibbertigibbet-yes Hugger-mugger-no Absquatulate-no Blotto-yes Hoosegow-yes, but seldom Rumpus-no Skinflint-no Higgledy-piggledy-no Piffle-no Flapdoodle-no Lepidopterist-no. My life contains no opportunities to speak of this specialty. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/58 "2006-04-16T00:23:38Z")
My great aunt Ivy used **flibbertigibbet,** but she used it as an adjective meaning, “in a dither” or “discombobulated.” I never looked it up, but I guessed it derived from the jerking a body does at the end of a noose. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/59 "2006-04-16T02:16:11Z")
Catawampus -rarely Dagnabit - yep Skullduggery -yep Rapscallion - not really Tarnation - yep Flibbertigibbet - yep Hugger-mugger - nope Absquatulate - huh? Blotto - yep Hoosegow- rarely usually use pokey Rumpus - rarely usually use ruckus Skinflint - yep Higgledy-piggledy - rarely Piffle - yep as in “poof poof piffle” when things just don’t go right Flapdoodle - nope Lepidopterist - I suppose if I knew one or had a reason to refer to one but in general … no ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672/60 "2006-04-16T02:56:02Z")
Ones I know I’ve used in speech or writing are **bolded**. Catawampus Dagnabit **Skullduggery** **Rapscallion** (I made up a counterpart to the [California Raisins](http://www.tvacres.com/admascots_california.htm) and named him Rap Scallion – he’s a rhyme-bustin’ onion.) **Tarnation** **Flibbertigibbet** Hugger-mugger Absquatulate **Blotto** **Hoosegow** **Rumpus** **Skinflint** **Higgledy-piggledy** (it’s the default first line of the poetic form known as the [double dactyl)](http://lonestar.texas.net/~robison/dactyls.html) Piffle Flapdoodle **Lepidopterist** I’ve seen all the others before I clicked on this thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-use-any-of-the-following-words/352672.md?page=4)