Hey, discombobulated is one of my favorite words. If it was taken away by the “national board of redundant words board” I would be … disoriented(? can I still say that?)
Words very rarely have perfect substitutions. “Use” and “utilize,” maybe, but even those are developing connotations.
“Copacetic,” for instance, doesn’t really have an exact equivalent that says all the things it does (and the impression using a word is part of its connotation).
If words don’t have a use, they’re dropped from the language without fuss. If they remain in the language, there’s a reason for them.
I don’t have an opinion one way or the other on these two particular words, but will just add that there is a rather well-known boxing ring announcer Discombobulating Jones. (He’s not credited in this clip, but that is Jones.)
Words, really, comprise the only army I have on my side. Don’t deprive me of any of my soldiers.
I don’t have a problem with oil (oy-uhl) but some folks say it like “awl” – I could see rural having a similar issue.
I think it’s the same phenomenon that has some Americans pronouncing warrior to rhyme with lawyer (woy-er) and mirror as me-or.
I personally don’t understand why we need both “offer” and “proffer.”
I totally agree. “Rural” sounds like something a rabid dog would say. Or a car with a starter problem.
I submit “obvious” for extinction. It is used far too much in place the the simple and elegant “clearly”. If something is obvious, you need not alert the reader to it, and by using it, you are talking down to them. If something is not obvious, well, then it’s not.
Other similar words:
“Recalcitrant”. Is anyone ever “calcitrant”?
“Irregardless” - you can just use the normal “regardless”, unless you are telling people to ignore what you say.
Well, that word doesn’t actually exist, so we’re okay there. 
Clearly and obvious aren’t even the same part of speech. One is an adverb and the other is an adjective.
Clear and obvious are not even that close of synonyms. Clearly and obviously pretty much are, but not the adjectival forms.
At the Milwaukee WI airport, after you pass through the TSA screening, there is an area with chairs and tables where people can sit and put their shoes back on and re-cram all their items back into their travel bags.
The sign hanging from the ceiling over that section is labeled, “Recombobulation Area.”
I like it.
~VOW
I know, but for a word that does not exist, it sure gets used a lot.
I really like that too. Did the person who came up with that do it as a kinda joke, or do they have Asperger’s? I would like to know that.
But I really, really like discombobulated. It just sounds so much like what it means…frazzled and disorganized and confused all at once. When I hear discombobulated spoken, I can almost see the shit tumbling out of Fibber McGee’s closet.
I’m actually OK with copacetic too, but it does attract, I confess, a certain kind of user.
Inflammable
Overwhelmed. It’s a useful word but nobody says they are whelmed.
Gullible - I mean, it’s not really a word, and it’s not in the dictionary (look it up!), so quit using it.
“Copacetic” is mysterious; from the Online Etymology Dictionary:
I remember it as a word used by hipsters. That is, The Original Hipsters–reefer smoking, jazz digging cool cats. That certainly fits with the black influence.
Simpletons* probably object to “etymology.” Why not just use the simplest dictionary available? (Definitely not the OED.) Who needs to know all that other stuff?
Some of us do…
- Of course “simpleton” means “those who like to keep it simple”!
“Literally” is going to have to be put down soon. I know it has its legitimate uses but those are being so overwhelmed by the incorrect usage that the meaning is gone. Like, literally gone. Might as well put “figuratively” down at the same time since it’s not used anymore.
How in the hell is my uncle supposed to describe his eggnog buzz without saying “copacetic wonderfulness” thus thrusting the phrase into regular usage among my friends?
HUH?