# Your favorite semi-obscure English word, or, boardless Scrabble **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 15, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890 "2010-09-15T21:12:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/21 "2010-09-17T12:46:54Z")
[Fag](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fagged) Fagging Fagged. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/22 "2010-09-17T15:21:01Z")
My favorite is actually one of [Cecil’s](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/250/is-it-true-every-type-of-animal-dropping-has-its-own-name). Gleet: Hawk stomach phlegm ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/23 "2010-09-17T15:51:23Z")
One word that certainly doesn’t get a lot of use is "[desuetude"…](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=3by&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&defl=en&q=define:desuetude&sa=X&ei=po6TTMeVGYH48Ab28dSYDA&ved=0CBIQkAE) ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/24 "2010-09-17T15:58:42Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > One word that certainly doesn’t get a lot of use is "[desuetude"…](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=3by&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&defl=en&q=define:desuetude&sa=X&ei=po6TTMeVGYH48Ab28dSYDA&ved=0CBIQkAE) Maybe by you. 🙂 I suspect that most if not all of the lawyers on the board know this word, and may use it regularly depending on practice area. ---
**Author:** ![dzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@dzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzero)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/25 "2010-09-17T17:18:04Z")
I rarely see anyone use [persnickety](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/persnickety). I love the word but always feel bad about using it. I think it’s common down south. ---
**Author:** ![Taenia\_spp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5e925/32.png) [@Taenia\_spp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taenia_spp)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/26 "2010-09-17T17:24:13Z")
I started a [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=550462) a while back, and got some great answers. Since then, I’ve added more to my collection. A sample: **Prognathous** : being or having the lower jaw projecting beyond the upper part of the face **Mawkish** : having an insipid often unpleasant taste / sickly or puerilely sentimental **Fascinum** : the divine phallus / bewitchment ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/27 "2010-09-17T18:37:09Z")
I’ll be keeping an eye on this thread in an **avuncular** fashion. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/28 "2010-09-17T21:56:19Z")
penultimate (adj) The next to last item in a series. And for bonus points … antepenultimate (adj) The second to last item in the series. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/29 "2010-09-17T22:08:11Z")
I’m a big fan of the Q words that don’t have Us. Some of my favorites: Qabala Qaid Qat Qi (this one comes in handy a lot) Qoph I only know what two of these words mean. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/30 "2010-09-17T22:25:21Z")
Petrichor - n. the scent of rain on dry earth. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/31 "2010-09-17T22:51:53Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Qi (this one comes in handy a lot) As does **quim** , but you might not want to use it when you play against your mom. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/32 "2010-09-17T23:47:36Z")
I like: [gleek](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleeking) (scroll down) [cwm](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cwm) (eta: oh, this one doesn’t count since it’s Welsh. But it’s still a cool word 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![Lightray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightray/32/391_2.png) [@Lightray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightray)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/33 "2010-09-18T05:18:05Z")
Tonight, I accused someone of having an [eruction](http://www.yourdictionary.com/wotd/eruction) at the dinner table. Alas, my overly-erudite friends knew what I meant. The bastards. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/34 "2010-09-18T05:55:10Z")
One of my favorite words is [palimpsest](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palimpsest). A few years ago, I came up with an entire poem just because I liked the word. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/35 "2010-09-18T11:23:31Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’ll join on an eleemosynary basis. I cannot believe you purloined my word! If I still lived in Schenectady I would definitely ask for your number. What, I’m ashamed to ask, is a “loan word”? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/36 "2010-09-18T16:19:50Z")
This reminds me of that episode of HIMYM where they are talking exclusively in big words in order to disguise the content of their conversation in front of Robin’s new foreigner boyfriend. I can’t pick just one word, so I’ll leave you with the smart ass thing I wrote in high school to annoy my English teacher: [SPOILER]A SESQUIPEDALIAN SCIOLISTIC PARISOLOGY AND CHARIENTISM, _ET HOC GENUS OMNE_, WRITTEN DURING AN AFFLATUS, FOR MY KINSFOLKS’ NOSOPOETIC MUNDUNGUS Prolegomena I have suffered. Ah, relatives, your best friends — until you are imprisoned in a moving vehicle reminiscent of an oubliette with them surrounding you on all sides, a cigarette in each of their hands with many more to come. Peradventure I will clarify… Nightmare Those acerebral simpletons — those xanthodontous chimeras, bathybian terato-sises, utinous xenopuses, coxcombs, slubberdegullions, popinjays and their ilk. A kakistocratic triumvirate of death — how more facinorous, pedicular, and yemless could such varlets be with their indifferentistic, recidivistic, solipsistic acts — will they ever have resipiscence? Their impalement on this factitious halidom as it has come to be to them, nepheligenous though it is, this cigarette produces the veneficial, antimonyous, nocent, noisome, nocuous, recrement — withershins, with quaquaversal superexcresense, Is it sempiternal, interminable? Stupefying me, it’s suffumigation is anathema to me — it is like a formicating, fulsome intumescent nefandous mucilage. This plethora of ithyphallic decoction is a grave dissight — ineffable, ineluctable, and inexplicable. And my ingravescent condition? It begins with slight aprosexia, and some kinetosis from ataxy, swiftly followed by etiolation and lippitudeness. Finally, oligophrenia sets in, and my homunculus-like body vellicates. I wish for nullibiety. More amiable, and an infinitely preferable situation would I be in, were I subject: To decollation, jugulation, defenestration, lapidation, bastinado, strappado, suggilation, and vapulation. To hamadryads dithyrambically devouring my newly formed gumma during my demise in a noyade. To an auto-da-fe with the background beating of zzxjoanws. To digital keratin deposits grating succedaneously,\* in loco\* cylindrical calcium carbonate writing implements. Or to even — _horribile dictu!_ — parturition. All these atrocities and a profusion of others; would I rather suffer, and would be anabioseses, would — seem even paradise; After the palinoic emission of miasma from my fragitious consanguineans! Epilogue And, after returning home, redivivus, I discover the antipode of my original horror — my own parent, in the frigid winter, obsessed by fresh air! Will I ever reach even purgatory?[/SPOILER] [This book](http://www.amazon.com/Superior-Persons-Book-Words/dp/087923556X), while not my exclusive source of words, was helpful and quite a fun read. In retrospect, there was a period of a few years where my favorite word was “dithyrambic” which means “enthusiastic” and it’s inclusion has long been my benchmark for the usefulness when buying a thesaurus. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/37 "2010-09-18T21:49:08Z")
One of my favorites is “subrept”, which basically means to steal. I was reminded of it by one of its compounds that was used in the OP. Someone mentioned “boustrophedon”. This literally means, as an ox plows. This reminded me of a word I invented: “zombonitrophedon”. To illustrate, i offer: This is an example in detnirp txet fo the style which was ylrae eht ni desu ylnommoc days of writing but not much now .nodehportsuob sa nwonk And here is an example of rarely used way of writing the earliest days of writing, eorm na ni detnirp txet ni neve ,desu reven dna .nodehportinobmaz sa nwonk ---
**Author:** ![coffeecat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coffeecat/32/3405_2.png) [@coffeecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coffeecat)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/38 "2010-09-19T03:00:59Z")
**Superfecundation** : The act of getting pregnant with twins (or multiples) by more than one guy. There’s a word that’s just waiting to be scooped up and used in an insult. **Pahoehoe**. It looks like it should be an insult, but really it’s just a kind of lava. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/39 "2010-09-19T15:45:05Z")
Suigeneris- one of a kind Amanuensis- secretary Antediluvian- ancient (literally, “before the Flood”) Sartorial- having to do with cloth, clothing Floccinaucinihilipilification- the act of considering something to be worthless. You can work it into conversation, if you try hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890/40 "2010-09-19T15:47:40Z")
> [@gwendee](#): > > What, I’m ashamed to ask, is a “loan word”? A word that was directly lifted from another language, like “schadenfreude”, or “aficionado”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-semi-obscure-english-word-or-boardless-scrabble/553890.md?page=3)