# Parlous v. Perilous

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 22, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904 "2005-09-22T16:35:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904/1 "2005-09-22T16:35:40Z")

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As far as I can tell, “parlous” and “perilous” mean exactly the same thing, except that almost no one knows what “parlous” means. Which means, to me, that anyone using the word “parlous” is intentionally trying to point out that they are more well read than I am, which makes them an elitist snob. If I’m wrong, please let me know, but, until someone straightens me out, I am going to point and laugh at anyone using the word “parlous”.

[Ha, ha, Robert Novak is an elitist snob! (Big surprise, I know.)](http://www.townhall.com/columnists/robertnovak/rn20050922.shtml)

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**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904/2 "2005-09-22T19:10:25Z")

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From [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com),

## par·lous ( P ) Pronunciation Key (pärls) adj. Perilous; dangerous: “starting from scratch in parlous economic times” (Madalynne Reuter). Obsolete. Dangerously cunning.

[Middle English, variant of perilous, perilous, from peril, peril. See peril.]

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**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904/3 "2005-09-22T22:02:41Z")

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I guess I’m an elitist snob. I like the word “parlous.” And it actually works quite well in a series my sister and I are writing together. Of course, I won’t put it in every book. There’s only one word that has to be somewhere in every book I write–except kids’ picture books–and that word is **borborygmus**.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parlous-v-perilous/322904/4 "2005-09-22T23:00:05Z")

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This is the first time I’ve heard of it.