We have read about the new words that are entering our language and our dictionaries and as life races away and technology brings new ideas and ways of communicating I have been doing some research into words we have lost.
My favourites are still relevant today and some should be re-born as they describe a person or situation for which there is there no other suitable word. Take curglaff which describes the shock of being plunged into cold water. How useful this would be for the Ice Bucket Challenge!
Most of my chosen obsolete words will now have a place in my vocabulary as they deserve to be resurrected and used.
Hugger-mugger – I have heard of this one before but it so aptly describes the act of being secretive
Grumpish – to be sullen
Twattle – to gossip or indulge in idle talk
Cockalorum – a little man who has a high opinion of himself
Callipygian – having beautifully shaped buttocks
Brabble – to argue loudly about nothing
Lumming – heavy rain
Quockerwodger – a wooden puppet controlled by strings
Lethophobia – fear of oblivion
Jollux – a fat person
Slubberdegullion – a slovenly slobbery person.
Snoutfair – a good looking person
Now I have totally confused my spell check I am ready to go forth and use these words on my vocabulary.
Do you remember the teacher asking you to make a sentence using the given word? I am going to have fun with these.
Who needs the new words that have entered our dictionaries such as selfie and twerking, not something I am planning on doing. But I might indulge in some twattle with my snoutfair friends.
We also have a fantastic competition at the moment to win one of ten copies of Caroline Taggart’s mind boggling 500 Words You Should Know.
