# English Words That Nobody Uses **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 26, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983 "2005-02-26T06:34:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/41 "2005-02-27T11:46:29Z")
> [@bluethree](#): > > I nominate “suitor.” Everybody knows what it means and nobody uses it. And along the same line, how about “spooning” and “gentleman caller.” Those terms give me the heebie-jeebies! Hey! For that matter, how about “heebie-jeebies”? And here’s another one: “Anyway.” Nobody says “anyway” anymore, instead they say “anyways.” 😛 P.S.: Since we have so many wordly people here, does the question mark in the question above come before or after the close quote marks? For some reason I’m thinking that in a case such as this one the question mark come afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/42 "2005-02-27T14:57:32Z")
The question mark comes after the quotes if the quoted portion is not a question. Your usage is correct. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/43 "2005-02-27T15:06:14Z")
> [@wolf\_meister](#): > > Unlike “beverage” or “shall”, there are some other words that have quite obvious meanings but are almost never used. I don’t think anyone will run to a dictionary to find out waht _advertently_ means but have you ever heard anyone use it? I occasionally use advertently. Then again, in the right context, I’ve used many of the words, sometimes pointedly or jokingly, with the exceptions of extirpate and cwm. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/44 "2005-02-27T16:09:27Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > And along the same line, how about “spooning” and “gentleman caller.” > > Those terms give me the heebie-jeebies! > > Hey! For that matter, how about “heebie-jeebies”? Those aren’t inkhorn words. Those are more like _aaooga_ horn words – they make you sound like you’re stuck in 1925. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/45 "2005-02-27T16:35:36Z")
Piffle! ---
**Author:** ![Wrenchslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/94ad74/32.png) [@Wrenchslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenchslinger)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/46 "2005-02-27T16:44:08Z")
Merkin ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/47 "2005-02-27T18:44:44Z")
> [@](#): > > hink ‘alas’ is a perfectly wonderful word that’s way under utilized I use “alas” all the time! ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/48 "2005-02-27T18:47:07Z")
> [@bluethree](#): > > The question mark comes after the quotes if the quoted portion is not a question. > > Your usage is correct. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/49 "2005-02-27T18:51:10Z")
Beeves. The plural form of the species that consists of both cows and bulls. ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/50 "2005-02-27T18:55:36Z")
Words I Think Should Be Used More Often: Fortnight Whence Whilst Automaton Cruet ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/51 "2005-02-27T21:08:14Z")
> [@Chimpy](#): > > I use obfuscate pretty often, and I’m not sure that’s in particularly wide usage currently. Unless you’re a gamer of course, obfuscate is one of the vampire disciplines from Vampire the Masquerade. I’ve learned a few words from there, such as vicissitude. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/52 "2005-02-27T21:29:23Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > So everyone in Britain mispronounces it? 😛 (Mind you, primers are more commonly found on lawnmowers than in schoolbags) Those are two different words. The thing on a lawnmower primes the engine, hence it is a "prime"er, pronounced with a long “i”. Looking up “primer” (as in the beginner schoolbook) in my _Webster’s Third_ shows the pronunciation with the short “i” (prim’mer) as the standard and the pronunciation with the long “i” (pry’mer) as a “chiefly British” alternative. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/53 "2005-02-27T23:39:44Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > Words I Think Should Be Used More Often: > > Fortnight > Whence > Whilst > Automaton > Cruet Watch the Tennis Majors and you’ll hear ‘fortnight’ used frequently enough. I think each of them lasts that long. I like ‘whilst’ and enjoy seeing it, usually by our British Dopers. But then, there’s ‘nucular’. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/54 "2005-02-28T13:05:09Z")
It’s obscure grammatical terms that do it for me. “Catachresis”, “zeugma”, “syllepsis”, “chiasmus”… trouble is they’re so hard to work into the conversation. Here’s a chiasmus for you, straight from the English version of Haydn’s “Creation”: _The heavens are telling the glory of God; the wonder of his works displays the firmament._ ---
**Author:** ![MRirian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3be4f8/32.png) [@MRirian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MRirian)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/55 "2005-02-28T13:40:20Z")
Take a snapshot, it lasts longer. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/56 "2005-02-28T14:17:54Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > “Beverage”…very nice word, but have you ever heard someone actually say, “I would like a cold beverage.”? > > “Shall”…another nice English word, and other than in the UK, you will never hear an American say, “I shall call you in the morning.” Same goes for the negative, “we shan’t be late for the party”. But with the meaning “Do you want me to?” in questions we use it all the time: \*Shall I have her call you? \* ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2005, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/57 "2005-02-28T14:26:43Z")
It’s not quite an English word, but I nominate _temblor_ (earthquake). We all know what it means, because the talking heads on TV, as well as print journalists, invariably use it whenever we have an earthquake. But I’ve never heard anyone use it in conversation. Nor, when one’s house is shaking apart, does anyone ever say “TEMBLOR!!” Get under a doorway!—at least, not if their native language is English. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/58 "2005-03-07T07:39:48Z")
> [@Scott\_plaid](#): > > Beeves. The plural form of the species that consists of both cows and bulls. If my name were Jeeves, I’d love to open a meat shop–Jeeves’ Beeves! ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/59 "2005-03-07T14:48:33Z")
Mountebank. “Oh that [Insert your President of choice] is a wily mountebank! We must send a letter to him by postal carrier POST HASTE!” I would love it if more people spoke like old cartoon villians. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2005, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983/60 "2005-03-07T15:08:42Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > I would love it if more people spoke like old cartoon villians. You may find the following old timey Homestarrunner cartoons amusing. Then again you might wish thay went out with Boss Tweed. [http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/1936](http://www.hrwiki.org/index.php/1936) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/english-words-that-nobody-uses/291983.md?page=4)