# Words that are longer or shorter than they should be **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 7, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533 "2006-07-07T18:40:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533/21 "2006-07-08T15:34:43Z")
The deliciously ironic **sesquipedalian**. 1 : having many syllables 2 : given to or characterized by the use of long words ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533/22 "2006-07-08T15:45:32Z")
Simple things with Anglo-Saxon names tend to get replaced by elaborate inventions with Greco-Latin appellations. What replaced the buggy? The automobile. What replaced the icebox? The refrigerator. But what replaced the megaphone? The bullhorn…:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533/23 "2006-07-08T15:58:41Z")
“Kiku” is the Japanese word for “chrysthanenum” (sp?) and is much preferred by me. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533/24 "2006-07-08T17:13:37Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] **onomatopeia** / doesn’t sound like what it describes. This is one word that ought to. [/QUOTE] Any suggestions? I’m intrigued to read (hear?) what a word that _sounds like_ ‘sounding like that which it describes’ would sound like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-are-longer-or-shorter-than-they-should-be/363533.md?page=1)