# What words do you often see in print but never hear in spoken communication? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 24, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455 "2015-04-24T17:32:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/1 "2015-04-24T17:32:07Z")
For me the word “eponymous”. Pretty mundane but interesting to me. I just heard it on a BBC science podcast referencing Moore’s Law. I’ve seen it in print a bunch of time but never heard it spoken out loud before. I’m 56 and it’s the first time I can ever recall it being used in a conversational spoken sentence. It was interesting listening to it [being pronounced](http://www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php?file=eponym03&word=eponymous&text=). It’s quite different than it sounded being read in my head. What words do you read regularly but never or very rarely hear spoken in any conversation? > [@](#): > > Definition of EPONYMOUS > > : of, relating to, or being the person or thing for whom or which something is named : of, relating to, or being an eponym > > Examples of EPONYMOUS > “Cool Britannia,” which goes back to Ben and Jerry’s eponymous ice cream in Spring 1996, met its sell-by-date within weeks … —Harold Perkin, Times Literary Supplement, 18 Dec. 1998 ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/2 "2015-04-24T19:03:23Z")
I actually do use eponymous in conversation. If for no other reason than to get that ‘duh?’ look from the people I’m talking with. But then, I’m infamous among my friends for my ‘$10 words.’ I can honestly say, however, that I have never heard the word eponym used in conversation anywhere, by anyone. Here’s three off the top of my head: Lissome Ebullient Imbroglio ---
**Author:** ![Richey84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Richey84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richey84)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/3 "2015-04-24T19:06:04Z")
A few years ago, I was watching a television program and when the narrator pronounced the name “Herodotus,” I realized that I had been pronouncing it incorrectly in my head for years. Now I wonder how many other Greek names and places I continue to mis-pronounce because I’ve never heard them spoken! ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/4 "2015-04-24T21:31:20Z")
I see sports people described as a standout. I don’t think I’ve every heard that word spoken in my life. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/5 "2015-04-24T21:43:21Z")
_(sic)_ ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/6 "2015-04-24T21:57:54Z")
Idiosyncrasies. Of course, unless someone is being deliberately abstruse, you don’t hear _or_ see sesquipedalian. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/7 "2015-04-24T22:29:07Z")
Dour. In fact, it wasn’t until after I met my wife that I learned there was more than one way to pronounce it. I still insist on DOW-er, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/8 "2015-04-24T22:46:35Z")
Didactic Nihilistic (I couldn’t tell you the preferred pronunciation without looking it up) Hagiography ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/9 "2015-04-24T23:17:14Z")
“Iniquity,” which is almost always preceded by the words “den of.” “Eatery,” a favorite of newspaper restaurant critics (the few that are left, anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2015, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/10 "2015-04-24T23:52:27Z")
Perspicacious. Although frankly I can hardly remember when I might have seen it in print. I did hear a librarian say it once, though. So maybe it’s exactly opposite of what the OP asked. And I still DON’T KNOW WHAT IT FUCKING MEANS!!! ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/11 "2015-04-25T03:03:22Z")
I’ve seen the word **eisteddfod** written down, but only heard someone say it in conversation for the first time the other day. Moment of confusion before it dawned on me that that’s the same word I’d only ever seen - weird feeling! ---
**Author:** ![Teach-me-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@Teach-me-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teach-me-not)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/12 "2015-04-25T04:17:52Z")
**Statutory**. Used to be that every cigarette pack had a statutory warning, but I don’t remember the word being spoken ever. The word might be common in legal discussions though. **Bosom**. OK, I am cheating. It’s not that I’ve _never_ heard of this word, but it’s been so rare that I will count it here. In fact, for a while, I assumed the pronunciation to be _bO-sum_ (the _bo_ part is sorta like in _boson_). I second _eponymous_, _imbroglio_, and _hagiography_. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/13 "2015-04-25T04:28:27Z")
nugatory ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/14 "2015-04-25T09:09:46Z")
Archetype/archetypal ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/15 "2015-04-25T09:18:47Z")
Victuals. It was only a couple of years ago I learned, in passing, that you’re not meant to pronounce the ‘c’ :smack: ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/16 "2015-04-25T09:46:36Z")
Taciturn. Especially from the taciturn. ---
**Author:** ![jezzaOZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jezzaOZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jezzaOZ)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/17 "2015-04-25T09:53:32Z")
Ibid ---
**Author:** ![Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lo-Slung_Denim)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 9:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/18 "2015-04-25T09:58:26Z")
> [@Teach-me-not](#): > > **Statutory**. Used to be that every cigarette pack had a statutory warning, but I don’t remember the word being spoken ever. The word might be common in legal discussions though. > > **Bosom**. OK, I am cheating. It’s not that I’ve _never_ heard of this word, but it’s been so rare that I will count it here. In fact, for a while, I assumed the pronunciation to be _bO-sum_ (the _bo_ part is sorta like in _boson_). > > I second _eponymous_, _imbroglio_, and _hagiography_. I use the word statutory all the time. But I work with statutory services 😛 I read a bunch of words during my Sociology degree which I never heard out loud. That might be because I was lazy and never went to lectures, only read the texts, but in the real world I’ve never heard anyone say hegemony and that’s why I don’t know how to pronounce it. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/19 "2015-04-25T12:09:24Z")
I hear eponymous all the time. Usually as a synonym to ‘self titled’ when talking about an album. For example. “Next up we have a track from Brandy’s eponymous album”. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455/20 "2015-04-25T14:53:20Z")
> [@Teach-me-not](#): > > **Statutory**. Used to be that every cigarette pack had a statutory warning, but I don’t remember the word being spoken ever. The word might be common in legal discussions though. I hear it used a lot, usually in conjunction with the word “rape”. “Bosom” is a good one. It sounds ridiculous. Similarly, I NEVER hear anyone say “brassiere”; it’s always called a bra, but I see brassiere a lot in writing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-words-do-you-often-see-in-print-but-never-hear-in-spoken-communication/718455.md?page=2)