Zerofive's "Favourite Words" Thread

[kinboshi]

serendipity n.
- an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
- good luck

[zerofive]

serendipity n.
- an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
- good luck

I used to love this word until I saw a film by the name on a red eye flight.

[kinboshi]

serendipity n.
- an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.
- good luck

I used to love this word until I saw a film by the name on a red eye flight.

Yeah, not seen the film.

[kinboshi]

arbitrary n.

Why?  Just because.

[tikay]

Saw this one yesterday, it tickled me pink......

strategical

[outragous76]

I like discombobulated

Carry on

[tikay]

"ire" & "angst"

[rex008]

I came across "chthonic" in a car review last week. So impressed I've used it twice since.

adjective

    relating to or inhabiting the underworld:a chthonic deity

Pronounced either k-thon-ic, or just thonic with a silent k.

[kinboshi]

I came across "chthonic" in a car review last week. So impressed I've used it twice since.

adjective

    relating to or inhabiting the underworld:a chthonic deity

Pronounced either k-thon-ic, or just thonic with a silent k.

What car was it?

[tikay]

I came across "chthonic" in a car review last week. So impressed I've used it twice since.

adjective

    relating to or inhabiting the underworld:a chthonic deity

Pronounced either k-thon-ic, or just thonic with a silent k.

What car was it?

[rex008]

I came across "chthonic" in a car review last week. So impressed I've used it twice since.

adjective

    relating to or inhabiting the underworld:a chthonic deity

Pronounced either k-thon-ic, or just thonic with a silent k.

What car was it?

Actually, it was a description of the dashboard of an Audi. Can't remember which one (A6, A8 maybe). Car magazine.

[mulhuzz]

I like:

umbrage,  n
   1.  Offense or annoyance: "she took umbrage at his remarks".
    2. Shade or shadow, esp. as cast by trees.

defenestrate, v
   1. to throw someone/thing out of the window.

tmesis, v
   1. to cut a word in pieces using an intervening word, e.g. 'abso-fucking-lutely!'

Puszipajtas, n
   1. Admittedly, this is Hungarian and not English, being hard to translate, but I've loved it since reading Stephen Fry's 'The Liar' as a lad. It means something like 'a person you know well enough to embrace or kiss in the street/public. It's pronounced               something like pussy-pie-tosh, although I'll ask ingi to confim, init.

Pusillanimous, adj
   1. lacking in courage or sense of purpose.

ancilliary adj
   1. Providing necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization, institution, industry, or system.

and now, for an extra, my favourite two words in German, for very different reasons:

feucht, adj/adv
    1. moist. This is one of my favourite words in English too because of the way it sounds (I like jump, for similar reasons). Pronounced foy-ssssshh-t

Vergangenheitsversoehnung nf
    1. The act of atoning for the past.  As a language, German can build new nouns quickly by simply adding two (or many, many more) words together and forming a longer word. This word, meaning literally PastReconcilliation, and a related word, which means roughly the same thing, Vergangenheitsbewaeltigung (lit: coming to terms with the past) first appeared in the German language just after the first world war and Versailles and had quite a short life. You wouldn't see them much these days, I guess. Certainly they had their peak around 1968 and the Student riots where Students rose up against the acts of their parents and grandparents wanting to "make it right".

The last time I saw the word used in print was in an article about the 2 Schumacher brothers in the German equivalent of the Sun in about 2006. It was reported that there'd be no reconciliation of the past as Michael would not stay in Brazil for Ralph's birthday party after the grand prix, because he had to return home for (I forget) the birthday of a child or the birth of his child.

Interesting how words can be defaced by such trivial use.

Sorry for German ITT, thought you might find it interesting.

edit: lolbold fixing

[tikay]

Been mulling oveer a whole half sentence by Tighty today, he's a walking Thesaurus, & I'm incredibly envious.

bon mots, diadems of corruscating brilliance

"bon mots " = "good words, witticisms"

"diadems" = "crown adorned with jewels" (metaphorical in this sense I assume)

"corruscating" = "present participle of corruscate, sparkle, gleam, sparkle, scintillate, vivid flashes of light"

Praise be for google, & the internet.

[tikay]

From Cambridge Alex's signature.....

interrobang

If only I had a keyboard with which to type it.

[kinboshi]

From Cambridge Alex's signature.....

interrobang

If only I had a keyboard with which to type it.

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