Favourite Words

[Chris P]

our alma mater

'nourishing mother' - is that what the local comp's called these days by the yout' ?

Uckington

most oft-altered signpost in the locality

[judith]

And my fave word today is Epaminondas. More a name than a word. Mean anything to you, Judy?

Not really. There's the ancient general, Pythagorean teachings, and then the very not politically correct character from a children's book...?

[NormanD]

Well, it was the latter. My mother used to read us the books. Complete - it goes without saying - with all the voices.

[Philellinas]

Homophones. An exotic pairing might be gouda and howdah. Sound pronunciation is crucial, needless to say. Otherwise, they would be like chalk and cheese. Back to the blackboard...or smörgåsbord.

[Philellinas]

Snazzy. I quote almost verbatim the definition from the Urbane Dictionary:

...usually used by soccer moms and people that like to use really lame adjectives to describe things because no one else will.
guy1: so, you like my new pants? i think they're snazzy.
guy2: really? i just think you're a tw_t.

[kevin]

My favourite word today is SOLD. This has replaced SALE AGREED on the board outside "Kinshasa Towers" and we shall shortly be moving to a nice 30's art deco-ish maisonette with not one but two gardens. Bliss.

It's at times like these that I wish all my music was in MP3 format.

[Philellinas]

Noctilucent. A new favourite word for those with their heads in the clouds.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-10635796

[Des]

nincompoops.

[Gordon Neill]

Funnily enough, I just made up a compilation and called it 'Nincompops'. Well it made me laugh.

[Philellinas]

LolliPopi. I made this one up today. I know a Cypriot woman who helps the local Primary School kids cross the road.

[Philellinas]

Obsequious. A pleasing combination of letters and somehow onomatopoeic. It suggests slithering and crawling in a sycophantic way. Not a very pleasant trait, however.

[Chris P]

In another thread:

A few of the more notable people who were blacklisted or suffered some other persecution during McCarthyism are listed here:
snip
Gypsy Rose Lee, actress and ecdysiast
snip

H.L. Mencken is credited with coining the word "ecdysiast", from "ecdysis", meaning "to molt". He did so in response to a request from Gypsy Rose Lee for a "more dignified" way to refer to her profession.

[Adam Blake]

You beat me to it, Chris!

Ecdysiast.

I am in a state of advanced ecdysia about your proposed ecdysiasm, you shameless ecdysiast!

[CantSleepClownsWillGetMe]

It suggests slithering and crawling in a sycophantic way.

.. and have you noticed how most of the slithery, slimy, sleekit words start with the letters 'sl'? I wonder how many more there are? Slug, slaver (meaning 'to drool'), slinky, slapper, sloppy, ...

[DavidM]

Tilth.
(Because I've just been out in the vegetable garden making some.)