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.
- 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".
- 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!"
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)
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.
ReplyDeleteThose are both good words. *nods* Thanks for commenting!
Delete