# Four common English words ending in "-dous" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 11, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469 "2012-04-11T15:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/1 "2012-04-11T15:38:52Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/744/what-are-the-four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/744/what-are-the-four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous) A lot of those towards the end there are _uncommon_, obviously. I’ve gone all these years without needing them and probably will die without ever having done so. A correction. This part of the column should not be italicized: \*Dear Cecil: No. To forget something you have to have heard of it in the first place, which frankly I hadn’t, mainly because the last cited use of jeapardous in the Oxford English Dictionary was in 1661. (“Yo, varlet, is the new quiz show ‘What’s My Linish’ or ‘Wheel of Fortunesque’?” “Neither, milord, it is ‘Jeopardous.’”) So sue me.\* And the salutation should be “Dear M.H.,” since it’s clearly Cecil’s response to the message just above it. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![prodicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d9b06d/32.png) [@prodicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prodicus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/2 "2012-04-11T16:25:24Z")
nvm ---
**Author:** ![chorpler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chorpler/32/2888_2.png) [@chorpler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chorpler)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/3 "2012-04-11T19:02:12Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > And the salutation should be “Dear M.H.,” since it’s clearly Cecil’s response to the message just above it. > > Thanks. Or, rather, it should be “Cecil replies:” to make it consistent with the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Chaotica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Dr.Chaotica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Chaotica)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/4 "2012-04-11T20:49:44Z")
Why does Cecil refer to Dr. Asimov as “the late Isaac” in a column dated November 9, 1990? Asimov was still very much alive on that date. He didn’t die until 1992. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/5 "2012-04-11T21:12:04Z")
**Elendil’ls Heir** : Thanks for the catch, I’ll have the italicization etc corrected. **Dr. Chaotica** : Some columns are updated when they appear (later) in a book, but they retain their original publication date. ---
**Author:** ![orion314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b2d939/32.png) [@orion314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orion314)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/6 "2012-04-12T05:24:27Z")
and yet, it is still ar·du·ous ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/7 "2012-04-12T12:14:17Z")
Fixed. And for the record, I feel ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/8 "2012-04-12T17:43:27Z")
You shouldn’t. You’re splendiferous! ---
**Author:** ![Rumbustious](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/87869e/32.png) [@Rumbustious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rumbustious)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/9 "2012-04-30T14:18:25Z")
What about “horrendous?” ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/four-common-english-words-ending-in-dous/618469/10 "2012-04-30T18:15:14Z")
> [@Rumbustious](#): > > What about “horrendous?” It’s in the column, mentioned in the original letter that kicks everything off.