# Tell me any word, I show you how it come from Greek roots
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 24, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315 "2002-08-24T00:28:19Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Barks\_dog\_food](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barks_dog_food)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2002, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/61 "2002-11-18T19:32:41Z")
What is a fjörd?
And please explain kveitskolt.
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2002, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/62 "2002-11-18T21:39:22Z")
Analingus?
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [November 18, 2002, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/63 "2002-11-18T21:42:24Z")
Wait a minute, Greet roots? I thought this was one of those “What would you do for a dollar?” threads.
Never mind.
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### Author:  [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2002, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/64 "2002-11-19T00:24:50Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Dude, exclaiming “Furcifer!” in a group of Latin-literate people is somehow so damned funny. It’s weird, I tell ya.
It’s one of the unofficial class phrases. Such as “Soylient Green is people!”, “A dingo ate my baby”, “This time there will be no projectile vomiting”, “Welcome to the Jungle”, and “We have found a witch, may we burn her?”. All useful Latin phrases. I tell ya’, that class is a hoot.
> [@](#):
>
> What does irrumator mean?
According to to my not-so-reliable source it should mean “bastard”. But according to my Cassel’s the real word is _nothus_.
Swears in Latin are a tricky thing. I mean, all the Spanish kids get to learn their words on the first day, and they have about 3 pages of basic swear phrases (unless they wanna be inventive…) and all we have is a half a dozen- and mostly inaccurate- phrases that we have to go _out of our way_ to find! :eek: It’s almost like “why bother?”
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### Author:  [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2002, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/65 "2002-11-19T03:20:04Z")
Slushfund tietack kierkegaard! (My favorite _Bored of the Rings_ quote.)
Just saw _My Big Fat Greek Wedding_ last weekend, btw. A hoot. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2002, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/66 "2002-11-19T05:54:41Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Lucki Chaarms \*
> **I get “Scoundrel! You are more stupid than a donkey, ???”. What does irrumator mean?**
One who submits to fellatio. “Irrumatrix would” denote a female subject.
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### Author:  [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tell-me-any-word-i-show-you-how-it-come-from-greek-roots/125315/67 "2002-11-19T05:55:47Z")
Uh, that closed quotation mark must have moved over there by itself.
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