# Post an obscure word, its definition, and use it in a sentence. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 10, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916 "2008-07-10T00:41:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Maeglin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Maeglin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maeglin)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/21 "2008-07-10T15:26:27Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Excellent] Interesting word - what’s the derivation? The obvious connection is to Calypso, the sea nymph Odysseus hooked up with - but that sounds a bit too pat to be right. [/QUOTE] It’s not right. 🙂 It’s derived from _kalos_, meaning beautiful, and _pyge_, meaning ass. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/22 "2008-07-10T15:52:52Z")
denoument - The final resolution or clarification of a dramatic or narrative plot. The \*denoument \* came at the end of the movie when he uttered rosebud. ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/23 "2008-07-10T16:22:01Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] anticipointment: The state of mind resulting from excitedly anticipating a strongly promoted product, event, film, etc, and then being disappointed when it fails to meet the expectations generated by this promotion. > **[anticipointment - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/anticipointment)** Many people who saw “The Happening” experienced strong anticipointment. [/QUOTE] But that’s a portmanteau, not a real word. Yet, anyway. Its obscurity is largely the result of its recent vintage. As for mine: Flibbertigibbet (flib-ber-tih-jih-bet) An flighty, amusing, unpredictable person. (Originally and primarily intended to describe a young woman of such characteristic.) “Jane is always changing her mind. She’s quite the saucy flibbertigibbet.” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/24 "2008-07-10T16:34:06Z")
I came across this recently while looking for a synonym for tenebrous: [Caliginous: dark and misty and gloomy.](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=gmail&q=define%3A%20caliginous) As for the sentence (with apologies to Dante: In the middle of the journey of my life, I found myself in a caliginous wood, where the paths both onward and homeward were hidden. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/25 "2008-07-10T16:38:42Z")
**Defenestrate** : to throw out of a window. “We were on the bottom floor of the building, so defenestration was simply not an option for a _faux pas_ of that magnitude” ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/26 "2008-07-10T16:45:56Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] But that’s a portmanteau, not a real word. Yet, anyway. Its obscurity is largely the result of its recent vintage. As for mine: Flibbertigibbet (flib-ber-tih-jih-bet) An flighty, amusing, unpredictable person. (Originally and primarily intended to describe a young woman of such characteristic.) “Jane is always changing her mind. She’s quite the saucy flibbertigibbet.” [/QUOTE] Portmanteaux are not considered real words? Since when? That would mean words like “avionics” and “hydrocarbon” aren’t words, either. [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Portmanteaus](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Portmanteaus) Re: Flibbertigibbet: how do you solve a problem like Maria? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/27 "2008-07-10T16:59:34Z")
Nurdle: a small pellet of plastic - either pre-production (for use in injection moulding, etc) or a piece of post-production waste broken or worn down into a pellet, especially by the action of surf and sand. “Plastic waste on our beaches is a growing problem - many tonnes of nurdles wash up on our shores every year” ---
**Author:** ![Mindfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindfield/32/19759_2.png) [@Mindfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mindfield)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/28 "2008-07-10T17:09:03Z")
[QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] Portmanteaux are not considered real words? Since when? That would mean words like “avionics” and “hydrocarbon” aren’t words, either. [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Portmanteaus](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Portmanteaus) [/quote] They’re technically real words, I just mean that _Antcipointment_ has not yet been recognized in any official capacity as a real word, and may not be if it doesn’t survive long enough to become common in every day speech. (See also: Metrosexual) Until it’s "OED"ified, it remains Urban Dictionary material to me. [QUOTE=lobotomyboy63] how do you solve a problem like Maria? [/QUOTE] A flibbertigibbet, a will-o-the-wisp, a clown? I think that’s probably where I first heard the word, too, lo these many years ago. ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/29 "2008-07-10T17:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=Mindfield] They’re technically real words, I just mean that _Antcipointment_ has not yet been recognized in any official capacity as a real word, and may not be if it doesn’t survive long enough to become common in every day speech. (See also: Metrosexual) Until it’s "OED"ified, it remains Urban Dictionary material to me. [/QUOTE] I don’t know which dictionaries might have include it at this time; I first heard it about ten years ago. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/30 "2008-07-10T17:33:30Z")
[QUOTE=Knorf] “ **Mangetout** gleeked on your pleonasm.” [/QUOTE] That would be hard to do, although you could gleek on a neoplasm, but you’d have to excise it first. RR ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/31 "2008-07-10T17:55:06Z")
Verminiferous - bearing rodents in the womb. Judging by her previous children, I’d say she’s verminiferous. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/32 "2008-07-10T18:00:39Z")
[QUOTE=Maeglin] It’s not right. 🙂 It’s derived from _kalos_, meaning beautiful, and _pyge_, meaning ass. [/QUOTE] Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![maladroit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f475e1/32.png) [@maladroit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maladroit)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/33 "2008-07-10T18:05:57Z")
defenestration - to throw out the window (derived from fenestration which I understand to mean the placement of windows in a facade) When I found my honey to be unfaithful his worldly goods were defenestrated. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/34 "2008-07-10T18:06:10Z")
antimakassar: a cloth plased on the seat back to prevent hair oil (makassar) from staining the upholstery. “Dang it Ma, where’s the antimakassar when you need it?” -natter (verb): to niggle -niggle (verb) : to natter Sorry, can’t think of a use for these two! ---
**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:** [July 10, 2008, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/35 "2008-07-10T18:40:25Z")
**Spathic** (geology term) - having good cleavage. “That new girl in accounting sure is spathic, isn’t she?” ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/36 "2008-07-10T18:55:10Z")
[QUOTE=RiverRunner] That would be hard to do, although you could gleek on a neoplasm, but you’d have to excise it first. [/QUOTE] I just thought that sentence would be risible. pulchritude: “physically comely” **RiverRunner** ’s gleek was timed perfectly at the expense of the pulchritudinous flibbertigibbet’s callipygian posterior, which to some resembled a large nurdle. . .. … … Or I am trying too hard? ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/37 "2008-07-10T19:14:20Z")
One of my faves: abecedarian \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-uhn, noun: 1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a beginner. 2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet. adjective: 1. Pertaining to the letters of the alphabet. 2. Arranged alphabetically. 3. Rudimentary; elementary. That foreman’s construction skills seem rather abecedarian. Are you sure he has the required experience? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/38 "2008-07-10T21:35:52Z")
[QUOTE=Knorf] “ **Mangetout** gleeked on your pleonasm.” [/QUOTE] That’s a mental image we didn’t need. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/39 "2008-07-10T23:54:47Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] antimakassar: a cloth plased on the seat back to prevent hair oil (makassar) from staining the upholstery. “Dang it Ma, where’s the antimakassar when you need it?” -natter (verb): to niggle -niggle (verb) : to natter Sorry, can’t think of a use for these two! [/QUOTE] Nitpick: it’s [antimacassar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimacassar) I love Balderdash! That’s how I first learned the word [fartlek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fartlek), a type of exercise regimen. Boy, I’ve really gotten in shape since doing a fartlek three times a week! ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916/40 "2008-07-11T00:07:05Z")
Paneity: the state of being bread. Generally used in religious studies related to transubstantiation, but… David crouched outside the oven, waiting for the dough to achieve paneity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-an-obscure-word-its-definition-and-use-it-in-a-sentence/455916.md?page=3)