As you all know, I'm a great fan of English and love all the stupid, little, annoying things that most people hate, i.e. the frustration of seeing someone with the wrong your/you're or there/their/they're or definitely/definately just to name a few. In fact, that has just given me a great idea for a future blog...
I really get distracted quite easily. Anyway, back to the premise of this blog. There are so many great words that are no longer used and I wanted to bring some of them to your attention just because they are so great and amazing that it is about time that we all knew about them and potentially implemented them into our everyday life.
1. Spermologer: A picker-up of rivia, of current news, a gossip monger, what we would today call a columnist.
2. Crapulous: To feel sick because of excessive drinking/eating. I definitely need to use this one after a night out!
3. Zafty: A person who is easily imposed upon.
4. Jargogle: To confuse or Bamboozle.
5. Twattle: To gossip or talk idly. I think this one could be easily slipped into general conversation without anyone really batting an eyelash. It's not too far out like the one before.
6. Kench: To laugh loudly.
7. Quagswagging: The action of shaking to and fro- this can be used as a verb as in to quagswag, which is a great rhyme and makes the word even better!
8. Hoddypeak: A fool or simpleton.
9. Cockalorum: A little man who has a high opinion of himself. This one is potentially my favourite of them all. I'm not sure whether that is because the word rolls so lovely off your tongue in an almost poetic sort of way or whether it's because we would simply call someone a cock for that definition- the very essence of a word shortening. Who knows? I just think it is a downright fabulous word.
10. Beef-witted: Stupid or imbecilic.
11. Fuzzle: To make drunk or to intoxicate This definitely explains everything that you feel when you're drunk and is a great word!
12. Twitter-light: No this does not refer to the light that is constantly on whilst you're in bed late at night on Twitter, it is infact an alternative to twilight. Apparently, the great word blend occurred on this one to create the word twilight but I definitely enjoy the word twitter-light a little more. It also sounds a little poetic and romantic for describing the sun going down. I like it.
I'm a great believer of the language needing to evolve as words drop out of need and the new generations add their own idiosyncratic "footprint" on the language but I feel a little sadden having not known these words before because they are great! I love how poetic and rhythmic these words are. They sound so much more delightful than the current words we have in circulation.
If you manage to get any of these words in everyday conversation I applaud you and want to know which, and how you did it. I also want to know, if you remember, the people's reactions to you saying the words, i.e. did they notice and comment or give you a funny look but not say anything?
I'm going to try and put some of them in my conversations in a small attempt to revive these old dinosaurs. Gotta love the English language.
I hope this hasn't be too English nerdy for you guys and if it has, I'm not apologising because I love it!
xxxx
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