# What is this word?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 13, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852 "2001-03-13T21:06:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/1 "2001-03-13T21:06:02Z")
I am trying to think of a specific word, and thesauruses have been no help whatsoever. It means quiet, in a kind of unfriendly or antisocial way. And it might begin with a p. This isn’t for my homework either. It’s a word oft used to decribe this guy I used to know, and I can’t remember it. I don’t even care about the guy anymore, but the word is driving me nuts! Can anyone help?
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### Author:  [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/2 "2001-03-13T21:37:09Z")
petulant
passive-aggressive
peculiar
And other’s that don’t begin with P just because I like them.
mope
reticent
taciturn
misanthropic
reculsive
stuck up
nongregarious
Can you remember anything else about the word, like maybe number of syllables, or length?
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### Author:  [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/3 "2001-03-13T21:47:58Z")
**TACITURN!!!**
Yes, that one’s it. Seth was a very taciturn man.
Thank you a thousand times!
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### Author:  [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2001, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/4 "2001-03-13T22:13:29Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ThisYearsGirl \*
> \*\*I am trying to think of a specific word, and thesauruses have been no help whatsoever. It means quiet, in a kind of unfriendly or antisocial way. And it might begin with a p.
> . . .
> TACITURN!!!
>
> Yes, that one’s it. Seth was a very taciturn man.
> Thank you a thousand times!\*\*
I’m reminded of the time my roommate was trying to recall the name of her favorite kind of nuts. All she knew was that she was SURE it began with an A. Well, this was right before Christmas, so I obligingly bought her a jar of them. I had to doctor the label with a big black marker, though, to fit her memory:
**A** Macadamia Nuts. 😃
Funny how the brain works . . .
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### Author:  [@coming\_up\_for\_air](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coming_up_for_air)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2001, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/5 "2001-03-14T00:30:47Z")
Taciturn is ok, but not as gruff as you said. I was thinking of stoic.
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### Author:  [@trose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trose)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/6 "2001-03-14T00:32:42Z")
**Scarlett,**
Was she in school at the time? Maybe she was thinking “academia nuts”. Believe, me, once you’ve eaten one, you just can’t stop!
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### Author:  [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2001, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-word/57852/7 "2001-03-14T02:04:48Z")
Yeah, Seth is pretty stoic, but I think taciturn is a better description. Actually, jerk is a good description, too.
Oddly, enough, I just looked “taciturn” up at [http://www.dictionary.com](http://www.dictionary.com) and it was the word of the day for my birthday three years ago. Spooky, huh?