# Most underused words these days **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 11, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484 "2007-01-11T01:08:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/1 "2007-01-11T01:08:17Z")
Inspired on the overused words thread. There are some words that we should be using more often. “Turd” is high on the list. I would add busturd and turdelicious but those are just made up 🙂 But the top word in my list of words being lost to underuse is “Buffoon”. What a wonderful word. What a pity to see it lost because it is being ignored by ignorant buffoons. What words do you think we should be using more? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/2 "2007-01-11T01:10:23Z")
I knew that I would turn into my parents one day: Please and thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/3 "2007-01-11T01:18:35Z")
“Obtunded.” You can accuse someone of being obtunded and they have no idea what you [mean](http://m-w.com/dictionary/obtunded). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/4 "2007-01-11T01:45:16Z")
Defenestrate. A rather complex action distilled down to four syllables. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/5 "2007-01-11T03:30:20Z")
“Heel” and “drip” are underused. I mean, we use them all the time, as in the heel of a shoe and a dripping faucet. But we don’t use them enough to describe people. From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com): Heel: a contemptibly dishonorable or irresponsible person Drip: unattractive, boring, or colorless person ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/6 "2007-01-11T04:05:14Z")
Remember when cartoon character’s faces turned into a heel when they did something bad? ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/7 "2007-01-11T04:48:47Z")
_“Pardon[excuse] me”_ ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/8 "2007-01-11T05:00:59Z")
Prat. No one gets called a Prat any more 🙂 From [m-w.com](http://m-w.com) Pronunciation: 'prat Function: noun Etymology: probably from argot prat buttocks British : a stupid or foolish person ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/9 "2007-01-11T12:26:29Z")
I have a few words I seek to revive: -Blatherskite -mandragon -plug-ugly -forsooth -smite ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/10 "2007-01-11T12:29:34Z")
In business environments, “problem”. Surmounting a challenge somehow isn’t as satisfactory as solving a dang big problem, for me. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/11 "2007-01-11T12:37:27Z")
Hitherto. Forthwith. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/12 "2007-01-11T13:10:44Z")
[QUOTE=blondebear] _“Pardon[excuse] me”_ [/QUOTE] it’s ok. Just don’t do it again ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/13 "2007-01-11T13:31:34Z")
Impeachment. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/14 "2007-01-11T13:32:53Z")
“I made a mistake and I’m sorry” “What is your opinion?” “How can I help you?” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/15 "2007-01-11T13:36:32Z")
Coprolite. I agree with John Ciardi that it makes a great insult. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/16 "2007-01-11T13:41:25Z")
“I don’t know but I’ll find out for you” ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/17 "2007-01-11T13:48:53Z")
Procrustean Sisyphean Fatuous Puerile ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/18 "2007-01-11T14:01:03Z")
“friggin”. Since characters can’t say “fuck” on TV, I don’t know why they don’t say “friggin” all the time. I think sometimes Eliot says it on Scrubs. Or she’ll say “frig”. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/19 "2007-01-11T14:29:07Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Coprolite. I agree with John Ciardi that it makes a great insult. [/QUOTE] we used “coprophage” quite a lot among some friends. Great word as it translates directly into a very common Cuban insult. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2007, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484/20 "2007-01-11T14:35:49Z")
“Nosegay” “Incompossible” – I learned that one from Ambrose Bierce, and resolved to use it frequently. Unfortunately, I rarely find occasions to do so. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-underused-words-these-days/387484.md?page=2)