# What's your random word'? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606 "2006-08-29T01:13:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/1 "2006-08-29T01:13:13Z")
Some programmers will tell you that sometimes they write programs which work on words for their purpose. When testing these programs they may have to think of one word to use as a test sample. If you are not a programmer you may, at some points in your life have had to think of a random word. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/2 "2006-08-29T01:15:46Z")
Whoops. I accidentally pressed enter before that OP was finished. My random word is… sausage Possibly, because I like them so much [spoiler] especially ones made of beef rather than pork Which is ironic considering I prefer pork meat to beef meat[/spoiler] ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/3 "2006-08-29T01:18:22Z")
When asked for a random word my default backup response is always one the three funniest words in the English language: 1. Gazebo 2. Ostentatious 3. Oligarchy ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/4 "2006-08-29T01:18:39Z")
Aleatory ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/5 "2006-08-29T01:20:55Z")
[QUOTE=Alistair McCello] When asked for a random word my default backup response is always one the three funniest words in the English language: 1. Gazebo 2. Ostentatious 3. Oligarchy [/QUOTE] What does the third one mean? (Spoiler your answer) ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/6 "2006-08-29T01:39:06Z")
I don’t have a random word…when testing forms I usually just ashdajghsdas it. However, we wite a program for sending emails and it takes a lot of testing, sometimes with pictures. The pictures I use are: 1. A karate girl 2. Richard Dawson 3. Big Bird 4. A bear hanging off a bird feeder, that KlondikeGeoff posted here My brother likes Wink Martindale, my partner Mark Richter (coach of his favorite college football team). They don’t do as much testing as I do. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/7 "2006-08-29T01:39:12Z")
[QUOTE=Lobsang] What does the third one mean? [/QUOTE] from [http://www.m-w.com/](http://www.m-w.com/) Main Entry: **ol·i·gar·chy** Pronunciation: 'ä-l&-"gär-kE, 'O- Function: _noun_ Inflected Form(s): _plural_ **-chies** 1 : government by the few 2 : a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes; _also_ : a group exercising such control 3 : an organization under oligarchic control Once, millions and millions of years ago (okay, it was this past April), I took my 2 and 4 year old nephews to Winnie-the-Pooh Live, and on the way back, the 4-year-old started randomly singing “Armadillo” over and over again. So I sang it back to him, in different rhythms and pitches, and he repeated it back each time. So, my random word is (for the time being) “armadillo”. ---
**Author:** ![Alistair\_McCello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/58956e/32.png) [@Alistair\_McCello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alistair_McCello)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/8 "2006-08-29T02:12:03Z")
Bingo **kat**. It came up a lot in my Utopia class four years ago and it is just so fun to say that I do so whenever it is (or more importantly whenever it isn’t) relevant. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/9 "2006-08-29T02:28:15Z")
Well, I certainly breach my britches anytime someone say “oligarchy.” Isn’t it just the funniest thing to hear? But when someone says there’s a worm in my fob, that’s when the you-know-what hits the you-know-what. . . And I’m sure you know what you-know-what is. So stop laughing. Now. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/10 "2006-08-29T02:40:57Z")
Oh, they’re all random when you think about it. Fructose. Polyglot. Myrmidon. Oleaginous. Crux. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/11 "2006-08-29T02:41:23Z")
There was this Manxy guy I knew on the internets that would always say “sausage,” so I kind of co-opted that for a swear word when I’m in a non swear word situation. Often when someone asks me, “What do you think?” about just about anything, I tend to answer first, “War is bad,” and then answer the specific thing they’re asking about. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/12 "2006-08-29T02:48:40Z")
This just goes to show the difference between programmers and those who came from the publishing side. Lor ipsum dolor sit amet. ---
**Author:** ![the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@the\_chicken\_of\_exeter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_chicken_of_exeter)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/13 "2006-08-29T02:50:01Z")
plinth. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2006, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/14 "2006-08-29T11:05:54Z")
When a random word is required of me, I’ll usually really pick a random word – but usually one that is obscure, absurd, and/or good non sequitur fodder. Such as… Flibbertigibbety Austrolopithecus Flub Burqa Sasquach Canteloupe Mumblebottom Etc. If required to supply first and last names though, I usually have a few standards (also of the absurdist variety): Crete Bonestructure Freep Flatulent Seth Biftech I’m a bit odd, you see. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/15 "2006-08-29T11:13:17Z")
I have one I use when someone utters the meaningless “What’s the good word?” greeting.Absquatulate. It means leave. ---
**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:** [August 29, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/16 "2006-08-29T11:32:23Z")
I often find myself in the position described by the OP; I’ll need to pick three words to test-populate a description field in a product table (or some such); my choices are always: Banana Fishcake Sponge If I need proper names to populate a table, it’s always: Herbert Finkelhorn Robert Snerden Peter Weebell ---
**Author:** ![Pixisis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@Pixisis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixisis)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/17 "2006-08-29T11:39:18Z")
My random word would have to be: frit especially since I’m likely to say it at random. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/18 "2006-08-29T11:43:30Z")
Smurf. No reason, just smurf. ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/19 "2006-08-29T14:28:29Z")
Wombat. It’s a wonderful, useful word. Useful because if I’m missing a word or name in document or code, I insert “wombat” as a placeholder and can always come back and find it. It’s handy because it never comes up in my work (financial services). ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606/20 "2006-08-29T14:31:30Z")
When coding and needing to use a person’s name, I use ‘Johnny Bravo’ because I love that cartoon. If I need a date I use ‘1/1/(current year)’ If I need a word though, I use the all too exciting ‘testtesttest’ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-random-word/370606.md?page=2)