# Interesting Words — a Collection. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 8, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286 "2011-11-08T16:47:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/1 "2011-11-08T16:47:01Z")
I’m seeking to collect a select and judicious set of words that are (American) English, but meet these requirements: 1. A word that people think means one thing, but it’s actually the opposite (e.g. nonplussed) 2. Commonly misunderstood words. 3. Weird or just plain interesting words. You might not use them in conversation (or might), but they’re compelling or have a uniqueness about them. 4. Some other 4th thing. Basically, a selection of words that would make for a compelling collection. Hit me with your favorites (and if you want, why they’re your favorite); I’m thinking of designing a coffee-table type book of 100 words or so, but just want to see what’s out there to mine. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/2 "2011-11-08T17:46:39Z")
Not to threadshit or anything, but aren’t there a billion threads on this already in the archives? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/3 "2011-11-08T17:55:10Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Not to threadshit or anything, but aren’t there a billion threads on this already in the archives? Perhaps? I’d like to focus this thread on very particular words that people find interesting, and more importantly _why._ I know there are a lot of word/language lovers here, so I thought a new thread will help me steer this into part interesting discussion and part research (on top of what’s already in the SD archives). ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/4 "2011-11-08T18:23:13Z")
[Futility Closet](http://www.futilitycloset.com/category/language/) is a good place for this. The link takes you to posts tagged ‘Language’; scroll through for posts with the heading ‘In A Word’. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/5 "2011-11-08T18:29:27Z")
Hey, thanks, **postcards!** ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/6 "2011-11-08T18:42:11Z")
Any of a group of words which although they purport to represent a distinct time period - may mean an almost opposite time-period, and are therefore guarnteeed to cause difficulties. Bi-weekly (twice per week or every two?) that sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/7 "2011-11-08T18:51:25Z")
My favorite is inflammable which spawned the word flammable, which means the same thing but had to be created because people misconstrued the original word. (A [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammability#Linguistics:_flammable_vs._inflammable) in case you need it.) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/8 "2011-11-08T18:56:29Z")
My favorite word is [hurple](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hurple) And when I hurple My lips turn purple. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/9 "2011-11-08T18:57:53Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Any of a group of words which although they purport to represent a distinct time period - may mean an almost opposite time-period, and are therefore guarnteeed to cause difficulties. Bi-weekly (twice per week or every two?) that sort of thing. Perfect. Great example, and falls under my “Some other 4th thing” category. I can’t imagine this aspect of our language would’ve surfaced. Thank you. > [@Lare](#): > > My favorite is inflammable which spawned the word flammable, which means the same thing but had to be created because people misconstrued the original word. > > (A [cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flammability#Linguistics:_flammable_vs._inflammable) in case you need it.) Again, _just_ the sort of thing I was looking for. Also, the particular etymology is wonderful for these two words. 1) You would assume “flammable” came first. 2) The idea that inflammable means “fire-proof” is further strengthened by the word “flammable”. Keep 'em coming! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/10 "2011-11-08T18:59:08Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > My favorite word is [hurple](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/hurple) > > And when I hurple > My lips turn purple. That _is_ good. I’ve never even heard it before. Sounds like a fake word, and it’s good to know that something _does_ rhyme with purple. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/11 "2011-11-10T17:59:29Z")
I got it from [The Word Museum](http://www.amazon.com/Word-Museum-Remarkable-English-Forgotten/dp/0684857618), a fabulous collection of forgotton words. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/12 "2011-11-10T18:12:43Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > That _is_ good. I’ve never even heard it before. Sounds like a fake word, and it’s good to know that something _does_ rhyme with purple. Orange you thinking of a different color? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/13 "2011-11-10T18:50:41Z")
Beijing has three consecutive dotted letters Ujiji (in Tanzania) has four Pijijiapan (in Mexico) has five [From an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12885437&postcount=18) ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/14 "2011-11-10T19:49:02Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I got it from [The Word Museum](http://www.amazon.com/Word-Museum-Remarkable-English-Forgotten/dp/0684857618), a fabulous collection of forgotton words. Thanks, Annie, I shall take a look. 🙂 > [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](#): > > Beijing has three consecutive dotted letters > Ujiji (in Tanzania) has four > Pijijiapan (in Mexico) has five > [From an earlier thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=12885437&postcount=18) Excellent. Reminds me of words like Sequoia which hold all 5 vowels. That one’s pretty common knowledge, but I wonder if there’s more words along such lines. > [@TruCelt](#): > > Orange you thinking of a different color? 🆒 I knew “orange” doesn’t have a true word that rhymes with it (although door hinge is close, it’s technically not one word), I’ve heard nothing rhymes with “purple” as well, but never really looked into it. ETA: The pun, she burns us! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/15 "2011-11-10T22:35:26Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Reminds me of words like Sequoia which hold all 5 vowels. That one’s pretty common knowledge, but I wonder if there’s more words along such lines. Although not in common use, [eunoia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eunoia) has only six letters, while [Iouea](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Iouea) contains nothing but vowels. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/16 "2011-11-10T22:47:24Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Excellent. Reminds me of words like Sequoia which hold all 5 vowels. That one’s pretty common knowledge, but I wonder if there’s more words along such lines. I swear, I’ve seen a word or two that have all the vowels _in order_ (although not consecutive, there are consonants mixed in). How would one go about searching for something like that? Aha! I googled for words with all five vowels (duh!) [and found this](http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/17.html) – There are lots of them! (Apparently google answers attracts a better class of correspondents than yahoo answers!) ETA: As you can see, the key to the existence of so many such words lies in suffixes (suffices?) of -ious and even -iously ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/17 "2011-11-10T22:51:35Z")
Word with three consecutive pairs of double letters: bookkeeper. (Runner-up: beekeeper. Close, but no cciggarr.) ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/18 "2011-11-10T22:58:46Z")
I recently quipped about “gruntled” and got a response from someone with a lot of words like that. Very peccable. In searching SDMB to cite that, I found this thread instead, devoted to that topic: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&t=422999](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&t=422999) “Never or rarely seen ‘root’ words” ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/19 "2011-11-10T23:09:51Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Perfect. Great example, and falls under my “Some other 4th thing” category. I can’t imagine this aspect of our language would’ve surfaced. Thank you. > > Again, _just_ the sort of thing I was looking for. Also, the particular etymology is wonderful for these two words. 1) You would assume “flammable” came first. 2) The idea that inflammable means “fire-proof” is further strengthened by the word “flammable”. > > Keep 'em coming! 😉 Don’t forget imflammable as well. Just to confuse you. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286/20 "2011-11-10T23:22:17Z")
Some interesting words here: [A Collection of Word Oddities and Trivia](http://jeff560.tripod.com/words.html) My contribution to this thread: I found this word in _Of Human Bondage_ by Somerset Maugham and at first thought it was a misprint. “yclept”, meaning “named”. Merriam-Webster says that yclept is the past participle of the transitive verb “clepe”. e.g. The poster yclept cmyk is a fine upstanding fellow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-words-a-collection/602286.md?page=2)