Friday, February 6, 2015

Of Words that Deserve More Use

Just about anyone who reads my blog probably knows I love words- I am a writer and bookworm, after all.
Often in my literary journeys I come across awesome words that, sadly, don't get used very much. Today, I thought I'd highlight five of these words that I think are especially fun and that I'd like to try to use more.
  1. Collywobbles. Say this word out loud- go on; I know you want to. Isn't it fun? Admittedly, the meaning of the word isn't so pleasant; if you have the collywobbles, you've got a bellyache or upset stomach. So, it's not a word you want to have to use- but if I or someone I know must be sick this way, "collywobbles" certainly sounds better than "bellyache" or "stomach bug".
  2. Ripsnorter. Eleven-year-old-me thought this sounded like an insult . . . but it's really just the opposite. In fact, ripsnorter means something extraordinary or exciting. To my mind, it also sounds like it should be terrifically fun or funny. For example: "Last night's Nerf war was awesome, a real ripsnorter!"
  3. Rapscallion. Like collywobbles, rapscallion- meaning a rascal or ne'er-do-well- isn't a word you want to have to use often, no matter how enjoyable it is to say. Then again, it's an excellent word to describe certain book characters I could name.
  4. Splendiferous. I discovered this word, which means "extraordinarily or showily impressive" in a Redwall book- Taggerung, to be exact. I actually used it a lot when I first learned it, but it eventually fell out of my regular vocabulary (coincidentally around the same time that people started disappearing from the forum where I said it most). It's a fun word, so I'd definitely like to start using it more again.  
  5. Kerfuffle. Meaning "disturbance or fuss", particularly one that's getting more attention than it deserves, this is a good way to describe what happens when I get stressed over physics or my tendency to procrastinate. Like collywobbles, it's a fun word for a not-so-fun situation. As a bonus: its language of origin is Scottish Gaelic. How cool is that?
What are some of your favorite words that you think deserve more use? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)   

2 comments:

  1. One time I came upon the words 'tryst' and 'albeit' when reading Rilla of Ingleside. I was so interested that I wrote them down to use later. I've been able to use albeit, but have not yet came upon a chance to use the word tryst.

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    Replies
    1. Those are both good words. *nods* Thanks for commenting!

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I'd love to hear your thoughts! But remember: it pays to be polite to dragons.