10.06.2008

A glass half full means more to drink

No, I don't want to do another marathon. But, I was thinking as I ran, that if we're going to keep a list of Words We Eschew (which my running-addled brain needs to update), we should also celebrate those high-falutin' words that give us pleasure, or allow us to manipulate others, or divide the haves from the have nots. You know, in a hegemonic kind of way. I've started the list on the sidebar. Feel free to comment or email as the spirit moves, and I'll add them if I love them. Because, never forget, this is all about me. All the time.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

How about "picaresque"? I've liked that one even since grad school.

Stephanie said...

I've always been particularly fond of both "juxtapose" and "whimsical". Am I the only person who thinks the latter is somehow onomatopoetic? Or at least very pretty.

Also, as of today, I have decided to eschew "duodenum", since it suddenly turns out that that ugly word may be why my father's still in the hospital after 3.5 weeks.

Anonymous said...

My nominations: facetious (all the vowels in alphabetical order- and a great word to boot), sesquipedalia, tintinnabulation, serendipitous, & opsimath.

deb said...

Oh wow. I just looked up opsimath.

Naomi wins.

rootbeerlady said...

discernment

Maybe I like it because I'd like to be good at it.

Anonymous said...

Do they have to be long and fancy? Because I think there's one very short, very simple word that we can all embrace regardless of it's frequency in our personal lexica. (Lexicon. There's a good word, too). Now, are you ready for that brief but powerful word? Here goes.



Fuck.


It's a word I embrace. I think GXL should embrace it, too.

burt c said...

I'm quite fond of "bailiwick" myself.

Larry said...

I always liked the names that the British gave their dreadnoughts, that is warships such as Valiant, Warspite, Resolution, Formidable, Irresistable, Implacable, etc. were wonderful names/words. Leave it to the English to give something a dignified name; unlike one of our current candidates with the midwestern accent. You betcha den!

Larry

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, bailiwick. Now that's a good word.

I have two more entries. Chasm and schism. Few words end in asm and few words have 6 letters and only one vowel.

Anonymous said...

Syzygy is another nifty word.