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Totally Weird and Wonderful Words
Totally Weird and Wonderful Words | Erin McKean
43 posts | 3 to read
Do you know what a snollygoster is? Would you eat something called a muktuk? Do you know anyone who engages in onolatry? Impress your friends and pepper your dinner party conversations with such nuggets as gobemouche, mumpsimus, and cachinnate. You can learn about all of these bizarre and beautiful words and many more in Totally Weird and Wonderful Words. Both witty and entertaining, this new paperback brings together two best-selling compendiums to all words unique and strange, Weird and Wonderful Words and More Weird and Wonderful Words. Offering a potpourri of colorful and fascinating words compiled by noted lexicographer Erin McKean, it contains hundreds of definitions, and has been updated to include two new essays, with over 150 words new to this edition. Written in a clear and conversational style, the book contains full-page cartoon illustrations by Roz Chast and Danny Shanahan. Featuring hundreds of words guaranteed to amuse and astonish, this is a book that will appeal to logophiles everywhere. It also features a bibliography of Oxford dictionaries and a guide to creating your own unusual words correctly from Greek and Latin roots. Smart and funny and with just a touch of whimsy, Totally Weird and Wonderful Words is the perfect book for reading in your sitooterie with a bumbo in your hand while mavises sing in your ear.
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TheBookHippie
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Suet624 I‘m with you. I feel like not enough people are paying attention. 5d
Deblovestoread @Suet624 I agree. I think we are all sooo tired and when you try to talk about any of the things that are happening people‘s eyes just go blank. Unfortunately, this is how they will win. 5d
CBee Thank you for sharing. You know I‘m with you 💚 Fighting as much as I‘m able! 5d
See All 15 Comments
SamAnne Such scary times. 5d
IndoorDame It is terrifying to see us sliding down that slope! People do need to pay attention. But I think you‘re right and we‘re all exhausted, on both sides of the divide… 4d
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame yup https://wghn.com/2023/05/24/ottawa-county-commissioner-roger-bergman-checks-in/ now they‘ve taken over the counties social media to spread lies.. fun. 4d
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie yikes! that actually scares me the most. It has impactful implications long term… 4d
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame Yes. Mr Book Hippie looked at me this morning and said I know you‘re done I know you want to move away, but….. these kids they need you. So yah…. At the cost of my health no. It‘s breaking my heart. 4d
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie and I just saw that Montana became the first state to ban TikTok, so if they can actually uphold the ban we really are attacking social media because people have figured out just how powerful a tool it is 4d
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame considering I was just asked how we ran an underground without social media -phones- etc by someone I didn‘t expect to ask, and want to implement - I assume people are planning on it. 4d
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie sigh… I guess I‘m going to need that primer too. I wasn‘t nearly as political as a teenager as I am now 4d
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame ♥️ I was born an activist probs why I‘m paying for it now… 😵‍💫😂😅 4d
IndoorDame @TheBookHippie just keep doing little things to recharge yourself. We can‘t afford to lose you in this fight!!! 4d
CBee @TheBookHippie you need to take care of you first. You can help and advocate anywhere you live but you can‘t do that at all if you aren‘t physically okay 💚 4d
48 likes15 comments
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CBee
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I‘ve come across a lot of words lately that I‘d never heard of 😊 Here‘s another one where the definition isn‘t what I expected. #weirdwords

IndoorDame I love this one! I also came across it in my reading recently! 5d
CBee @IndoorDame how cool! I‘m not sure what I thought it meant but the definition surprised me 😂 5d
KathyWheeler I was aware of the first meaning but not the second. Words are so interesting! 5d
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dabbe The pronunciation is not what I thought it's be either! #excellentweirdword 5d
CBee @KathyWheeler they are! 😊 5d
CBee @dabbe why thank you 😊💚 5d
KathyWheeler @dabbe I was familiar with the word but only through reading. I‘ve just learned that I‘ve been pronouncing it wrong in my head all this time! 4d
CBee @KathyWheeler I thought it was in-chote 😂 4d
dabbe @KathyWheeler #metoo! 🤣😍🤗 4d
dabbe @CBee Exactly how I thought it, too! 🤣🤩😍 4d
CBee @dabbe we‘re just three peas in a pod 🫛 🥰 @KathyWheeler 4d
dabbe @CBee 😍🤩🤗 4d
57 likes12 comments
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TheBookHippie
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Simcha

♥️

#weirdwords

AmyG It‘s my daughter‘s Hebrew name. 2w
TheBookHippie @AmyG ♥️ awe!!! 2w
CBee @AmyG how lovely 💚 2w
dabbe @AmyG 😍 2w
48 likes5 comments
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CBee
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#Weirdwords day! Came across this one in my current book. I can‘t figure out if calling someone “louche” is a good or bad thing though 😂 Probably not the best compliment 🤓

IndoorDame Love this! 2w
CBee @IndoorDame it‘s also funny how in French it means “squinting” 😂🤔 2w
dabbe I'd call Lord Byron a louche. 🤩🤣🤗 2w
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Megabooks I love this word!! 2w
CBee @dabbe I admit I don‘t know much about Lord Byron 🤔 Off to Google! 2w
CBee @dabbe I see that now 😂😳 2w
dabbe @CBee Your last emoji is priceless. Quite the rogue, Lordy B! 🤣🤣🤣 2w
TrishB @dabbe agreed! 2w
CBee @dabbe Lordy B 😂😂😂 2w
dabbe @TrishB 😍 2w
dabbe @CBee 😍 2w
dabbe @IndoorDame 💙💚💙 2w
vivastory I'm happy to see #weirdwords again. Thanks for the tag! 2w
CBee @vivastory of course 😊 2w
55 likes14 comments
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TheBookHippie
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#weirdwords @CBee

Yiddish for exhausted 😮‍💨😝
I feel this in my soul these past years in my activist life..

CBee I feel this SO much 🥱 3w
IndoorDame 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ 3w
AmyG That‘s a new one for me. 3w
peanutnine The book I'm currently reading has a Jewish author/MC and it is full of Yiddish words & phrases- a bunch you've mentioned here on Litsy. It's made me think of you! 🤗 2w
TheBookHippie @peanutnine awe how fun!!! I‘ll have to read it! 2w
51 likes5 comments
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CBee
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I met a dog with a moue just this morning 😂 #weirdwords

IndoorDame Love this one!!!! 3w
dabbe 💙💚💙 3w
KathyWheeler I have never been sure how to pronounce this word as I‘ve only read it and never heard it. 3w
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CBee @KathyWheeler I read it just recently and hadn‘t ever seen it before. Now you know, it‘s MOO 😂😂 3w
KathyWheeler @CBee yep and I‘ve been pronouncing it wrong in my head too. 3w
CBee @KathyWheeler it seems like it would be “moo-eee” 😂 3w
KathyWheeler @CBee It does! But I pronounced it “moo-aaa” a like in may — like it was French. 3w
CBee @KathyWheeler sort of like “moi” or mwah 😊 3w
mandarchy In French oi is wah, ou is oo, the e may be silent unless it has an accent é it would be ay. Whenever I'm not sure, I type 'pronounce' and then the word into Google to get a recording. 3w
KathyWheeler @mandarchy The ay is how I was pronouncing it in my head. I‘ve started doing the Google thing for pronunciation too, but I first saw this word ages ago — before Google — and just didn‘t get around to looking it up. 3w
CBee @mandarchy I do that too! Google is also great about always including the pronunciation in the definition. 3w
54 likes11 comments
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TheBookHippie
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👀

#weirdword Wednesday

I think this word sounds like what it is…👀

Leftcoastzen Love that word 4w
CBee Reminds me of Yentl, wonder if it‘s related to yenta somehow? 4w
dabbe @CBee I was thinking the exact same thing! 🤣 4w
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Aimeesue I find that word all the time when I‘m doing the NYT Spelling Bee! 🐝 4w
TheBookHippie @Aimeesue I say it fairly often 🤣😅. 4w
49 likes6 comments
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CBee
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This isn‘t really a weird word, but it is a LOVE-ly one 🥰 Cariad is the Welsh word for love, but can also mean sweetheart, dear, and lover. I‘ve come across it twice in the past week - in the book Bloodmarked and the TV show Call the Midwife. ❤️❤️❤️ #weirdwords

peanutnine 💖💖💖 4w
dabbe It kind of sounds like “carry, I did,“ which in a way goes along with the definition! 💙💚💙 4w
CBee @dabbe you‘re right! It‘s such a beautiful word ❤️ 4w
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Megabooks Great word! Sorry I‘ve fallen off this and a lot of other litsy since it‘s such a cool idea! 💜💜 4w
dabbe @CBee 🥰 4w
CBee @Megabooks that‘s okay! You‘re welcome to play along anytime 😁 And I can start tagging you again if you‘d like! (edited) 4w
Megabooks Yes please! 4w
CBee @Megabooks you got it 👍🏻 4w
59 likes8 comments
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TheBookHippie
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“Schlemiel! Schlimazel!

A Schlemiel is an inept clumsy person and a Schlimazel is a very unlucky person. There's a Yiddish saying that translates to a funny way of explaining them both.
A schlemiel is somebody who often spills his soup and a schlimazel is the person it lands on.
Hasenpfeffer is actually a German stew and I have no idea why it is part of this ditty..

#weirdwords FYI

TheBookgeekFrau Omg I Loved Lavern and Shirley!!!! I remember when they made their debut on Happy Days 😁 1mo
TheBookHippie @TheBookgeekFrau Me too I loved them! 1mo
UwannaPublishme Awww…Love this and Laverne & Shirley! I read both of their memoirs. Two amazingly talented women who left us too soon. 1mo
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Alfoster Oh yes! Loved this show too!😝🥰❤️ 1mo
TheBookHippie @UwannaPublishme I do so agree! 1mo
julesG My grandfather used the word "Schlemiel" for a cheeky person. Not sure whether it had that meaning where he comes from (east prussia, now part of Poland) or whether the family changed the meaning. 1mo
dabbe Look at those two! Oh how I loved LAVERNE AND SHIRLEY! 💙🤗💚 1mo
AmyG I thought of you today @TheBookHippie ….I was finishing the A. rich book and she was a member of a group of feminists… Di Vilda Chias. Vilda Chia meaning a wild beast, animal. When I used to run around my grandparents apartment as a kid my grandmother called me that! Made me laugh. 1mo
TheBookHippie @AmyG 🤣🤣🤣♥️♥️♥️♥️ 1mo
Hooked_on_books Perhaps Hassenpfeffer is the soup/stew previously spilled then landed in? The picture made me smile. 1mo
TheBookHippie @Hooked_on_books Aha!!! Could be! The picture gives me all the warm fuzzies. 1mo
Bookishlie I thought hassepfeffer had something to do with the brewery they worked at? 1mo
59 likes12 comments
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CBee
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You GUYS 😍😍😍 These are the most adorable tiny birds I‘ve ever seen! Here‘s an article about them:
https://mymodernmet.com/shima-enaga-long-tailed-tit/
#weirdwords

TheBookHippie Oh my word!!! I love birds! 1mo
CBee @TheBookHippie me too! I‘d love to visit Japan someday, and I would have to go to Hokkaido just to see these little guys! 😍 1mo
Jari-chan It's so fluffy! 🤩 1mo
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psalva So cute! Though I had several scary interactions with seagulls as a child, I‘m fascinated by birds as an adult. And these little puff balls!? Come on! 😊 1mo
IndoorDame Adorable!!!😍 1mo
CBee @Jari-chan I just love it! Tiny fluff babies! 1mo
CBee @psalva seagulls can be really mean! 😳 1mo
dabbe Little white fluff-balls. I. Can't. Even. 🤩🤩🤩 1mo
56 likes8 comments
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CBee
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Came across this in my last read and immediately looked it up! I didn‘t expect it to mean this - I was thinking something gross 😂
#weirdwords

TheBookHippie Yes sounds yucky 🤣😅 1mo
CBee @TheBookHippie imagine using this in day to day conversation 😂 Folks would probably keep their distance 😂😳 1mo
IndoorDame @CBee @TheBookHippie It does sound gross! Really lends an extra negative connotation to the idea timidity… 1mo
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CBee @TheBookHippie oh! So I went to tag Scott (@vivastory) and noticed you‘d sent him a book recently. Any idea how he‘s doing? It‘s odd he hasn‘t posted in a month 🙁 I think a lot of us are worried. 1mo
TheBookHippie @CBee I have not heard a word ! I just sent an email to check on him I‘ll report back ♥️ (edited) 1mo
CBee @IndoorDame it does! I think I‘ll stick with timid 😂 1mo
CBee @TheBookHippie oh thank you! I hope he‘s okay🤞🏻💚 1mo
AmyG New word for me, too. I worry, too, about people who haven‘t posted in a while. Hope he is just busy, not ill. (edited) 1mo
CBee @AmyG yes! Busy is what I‘m hoping 🤞🏻 1mo
Ruthiella I always forget this definition too and think it must mean something gross. 1mo
Ruthiella @CBee @TheBookHippie I‘ve been thinking about Scott too and hoping he‘s okay. ❤️ 1mo
CBee @Ruthiella hopefully we‘ll hear something from him soon 🤞🏻🤞🏻 1mo
peanutnine Wow I've never heard this word before. Definitely not the meaning I would have guessed! 1mo
CatMS This is the perfect word to describe Hanya Yanagahara's characters; David (To Paradise), and Jude (A Little Life). 1mo
CBee @CatMS I‘ve read A Little Life and it about broke me 💔 Haven‘t read To Paradise yet but hopefully will at some point! But yes, Jude 💔💔 1mo
CatMS @CBee after reading A Little Life, which was excellent but disturbing, I vacillated over reading anything else by the author but picked up To Paradise in the bookstore and read a few pages which I liked so I am now reading. Her first book The People In The Trees i read an really liked, then read A Little Life which i have a love/hate relationship with due to the Jude character. 1mo
CBee @CatMS yes, very disturbing. I don‘t think I could ever read it again. I can understand the love/hate relationship for sure! (edited) 1mo
TheBookHippie I‘ve not heard back I do keep checking my email .. 1mo
CBee @TheBookHippie 🙁🙁🙁 okay! Ugh 1mo
55 likes19 comments
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psalva
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I learned about this word a few days ago while doing the NYT Crossword. It was clued as “Misunderstood song lyric like ‘Scuse me while I kiss this guy.‘” It was new to me as a word, but not as a concept. I think my favorite of the lyrics I‘ve misheard in recent years is Feel it Still by Portugal the Man- “take a vegetable and put it back up on a shelf,” which should be, “Think I‘ll dust ‘em off, put ‘em back up on the shelf.”
#weirdwords @CBee

CBee So this is what it‘s called! Wow!! I had a friend when I was a kid who thought Richard Marx was singing “hold on to your mammaries” (memories) 😂 Plus the one from “Blinded by the Light” - wrapped up like a douche (actually deuce) 😂😂 (edited) 2mo
Reggie That Shakira song when she says He‘s my territory. I always thought she was saying- he‘s my teletubby and that she was just into portly guys. Lol. Mondegreen. 1mo
19 likes2 comments
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CBee
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Not necessarily weird, but this BOTHERS me to no end 😂😂😂 #grammarnerd #spellingnerd #weirdwords

CBee Also, happy birthday, Adina 💚 @IndoorDame 2mo
BookHoarder32 Tonight I‘m having aporkchop for dinner! 🤣 2mo
CBee @BookHoarder32 oh hahahaha 😂😂😂 well, I‘m having apizza! 😂 2mo
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IndoorDame Thank you! 💚 2mo
5feet.of.fury 🤣 2mo
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame Happy bday your card is enroute 🤣👀🤦🏻‍♀️😬 (edited) 2mo
TheBookHippie I like this A LOT 🤣🤣🤣 I admit I used alot as a teenager to be “cool” 👀🤦🏻‍♀️😵‍💫🙃 2mo
persephone1408 Wow! I learned this in high school. 2mo
CBee @TheBookHippie ha! High school will do that to you 😂🤪 2mo
AmyG Ha! I say this alot. 😬 (edited) 2mo
CBee @AmyG 😂😂😂 2mo
Librariana Sis!! Me ? Too!! ? And given that English is my second language, it baffles me to no end when native speakers say things like "Should of" ? Or dont 2mo
Librariana Hit send too soon! Or don't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'. Oi! 2mo
CBee @Librariana yes! All of that! Can‘t STAND it 😂😂😂 How are you sis? 2mo
Susanita I‘ve also seen “allot,” which is another word entirely. 2mo
Librariana @CBee I swear I try not to be a meanie about it! ? And I do try to be patient... I just quietly "sheesh" in my own head ? I'm doing... ok? I'm trying to concentrate on my reading, but it's been tricky with life stuff and health stuff all converging. But that's life, right? All these things happening when you least expect them. How are YOU doing, sis?? 2mo
Librariana @CBee Also! I found the capybara song! Are you on/use Instagram? 2mo
CBee @Susanita oh man 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️ now that‘s just silly 😂 2mo
CBee @Librariana oh honey, I understand life stuff. And health stuff! I hope it all settles down for you soon. I say “sheesh” in my head all the time (or possibly another choice word depending on the mood 😂🫢). I have IG but rarely use it, I‘d say I look at it maybe once a week? But I‘d love to hear the capybara song! 💚 2mo
Librariana @CBee It's a tiny little song, but I found one with cute little cartoon drawings I can send you via DM 💜 Are you there under the same handle? Mine is the same - librariana 😁☺️😊 2mo
batsy Lol! Love this. 2mo
CBee @Librariana just sent you a friend request on IG 😘 maybe you‘ll get me to use it more 😂 2mo
Librariana @CBee I promise not to a) be obnoxious and b) send you ALL the capybara content 😁 I've not posted there myself in YEARS (maybe I will again in the future!), but I still use it to keep up with all things BTS and to send my friends funny memes 😁 2mo
CBee @Librariana I ended up posting a couple of recent pics this morning 😂 I think the last one I posted was like, 2017? Anyway, send me whatever you‘d like! 2mo
Librariana @CBee I tell ya, I RAN to Instagram to send you the brief capybara cuteness 😁 2mo
CBee @Librariana 🎶 capybara…. capybaracapybaracapybara (CAPYBARA!) 🎶 total 👂 🪱 2mo
Reggie Lol @AmyG I was just about to post that I‘m guilty of this……alot. 1mo
CBee @Reggie 😂😂😂😂 1mo
AmyG Ha, @Reggie 👊🏻 1mo
79 likes30 comments
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dabbe
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#WeirdWords
#WeirdWordWednesday
@CBee

Another literary one; I can't help it! 🤣

CBee Ooooo, I adore Jabberwocky! My sweet elderly Latin teacher (in high school) used to recite it for us. And very dramatically 😂😊 2mo
dabbe I used it with students to teach the parts of speech. They had to tell me what part of speech all the nonsense words were! 🤣 2mo
Aimeesue Gorey‘s my favorite! And, not to brag, (well, ok, yes, to brag) I had to memorize Jabberwocky in high school and I can still recite it. As I often do, when having an MRI. 😂 I‘m also working on Memorizing Shel Silverstein‘s “Sick.” “I cannot go to school today/Said little Peggy Ann McKay . . “ (edited) 2mo
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SaunteringVaguelyDownwards @dabbe That's an amazing assignment and I'm mad I didn't think of it myself! I've been using Jabberwocky in my college Intro to Lit poetry unit to demonstrate how poets create meaning through sound - my students tell me what the nonsense words mean based on their sounds. 2mo
dabbe @CBee It is one of the most FUN poems to read out loud! I never get tired of hearing it! 💜 2mo
dabbe @Aimeesue What an excellent activity for the mind. As teachers, we have kids recite, but when do we? I'm going to try to memorize a poem occasionally, too. The last one I remember doing was the “quality of mercy is not strained“ from Portia in THE MERCHANT OF VENICE back in middle school! 💜 2mo
dabbe @SaunteringVaguelyDownwards That's an excellent activity, too! It's amazing how well you understand that poem--even with all of the nonsense words--because its structure is perfect for a fairy tale poem. 💜 2mo
CBee @dabbe same! Always a favorite with happy memories attached! 2mo
Aimeesue @dabbe My grandfather had memorized many poems in his youth, and would recite the humorous ones to us grandkids. So I guess I inherited the practice 😁 2mo
dabbe @CBee 💜🤗💜 2mo
dabbe @Aimeesue It's a good one! 💜 2mo
48 likes11 comments
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CBee
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Super cool word (despite sounding a bit like some sort of bacteria or fungi 😂), and the images in the pictured book are BEE-YOU-TI-FUL 😍😍😍
#weirdwords

IndoorDame So neat! I had no idea! 2mo
CBee @IndoorDame yep! If you look up the word there are all these lovely plant anthologies and such 🪴 2mo
peanutnine I love this word! I first heard it on the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text - they pick quotes that stand out to them within a chapter and put them together to find new meaning. It's a lovely practice and I've started a florilegium journal with all my favorite quotes 🥰 2mo
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dabbe Fun one to say out loud! 💜 2mo
Megabooks I have never heard/read this word before! Fantastic!! 2mo
CBee @peanutnine that‘s so cool! So an anthology of sorts, with quotes. I like it! 2mo
CBee @dabbe most definitely! 2mo
CBee @Megabooks isn‘t it? 2mo
50 likes8 comments
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psalva
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One of my favorite podcasts is A Way With Words. Recently, I was blown away by the etymology they gave of the niche word thalweg. German origin- weg is way. Thal is valley and is found in names like Bloomenthal, Rosenthal, and Neanderthal! But also it‘s the root for dollar!
Here‘s the episode if you‘re interested: https://www.waywordradio.org/familiar-strangers/

25-minute mark for the relevant clip.
#weirdwords @CBee

TheBookHippie I love this! 2mo
CBee I‘ll have to check out this podcast! 2mo
julesG Talweg is used in German today. Not often, but still in use. We got rid of the H some time in the last 200 years though. 😁 2mo
psalva @julesG Very cool! They said on the podcast that it also has implications for mapping geopolitical boundaries. It seems like a very useful word for just the right occasion. 2mo
15 likes4 comments
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TheBookHippie
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Some fun Yiddish history : https://forward.com/forverts-in-english/532026/speaking-yiddish-to-chickens-holo...

#weirdwordwednesday I use this often sounds so much nicer than you don‘t know shit 🤣🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

CBee 😂😂😂 2mo
julesG That's a word I now want to use. 2mo
TheBookHippie @julesG I USE IT DAILY !!!!!! 🤣 2mo
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dabbe Which one makes you appear less intelligent: “I don't know bupkis“ or “I know bupkis“? Or is saying “I don't know bupkis“ using a double negative and therefore is grammatically incorrect? #iworryaboutthesethings 🤣❣️🤣 (edited) 2mo
TheBookHippie @dabbe I say bupkis alone in response to someone being a fool... as for me I say I know bupkis aka I know nothing. However people around me say -you don't know bupkis -which is indeed grammatically incorrect LOL. 2mo
dabbe @TheBookHippie I've always said “I don't know bupkis,“ but now I know better! Another #weirdword clarified! Thanks! 🤗 2mo
julesG "You know bupkis, Jon Snow." ??? 2mo
TheBookHippie @julesG 🤣👏🏼🤣 2mo
48 likes8 comments
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CBee
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Imagine my delight when I looked up “weird words” and stumbled across this treasure trove! Personal favorites are “clinchpoop” and “quakebuttock” 😂😂 I also might start using “jigamaree” daily 😆 Enjoy!!
#weirdwords
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/646906/unusual-words-everyday-things

IndoorDame How fun!!! 2mo
RaeLovesToRead I'm going to asport some of these. Also, I definitely have quakebuttocks on the dancefloor 🤣 2mo
CBee @RaeLovesToRead omg 😂😂😂😂 2mo
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Lizpixie I love whisterpoop, slobber-chops & fimble-famble!😂 2mo
CBee @Lizpixie ha! Also “bumfodder” - toilet paper! Might start using that one - “hubby, bring me a roll of bumfodder!” 😂😂 2mo
dabbe @CBee Also used in reference to horrible literature! :That certainly was a bumfodder of a book!“ 🤣 What fun this was to read! ❣️❣️❣️ 2mo
CBee @dabbe ha! I can see that! Luckily I haven‘t read any bumfodder books lately 😂 2mo
AmyG I just started Young Jane Young. Thank you. I am already loving it…these are my people, Ha. Rachel is my age! Oy vey! 2mo
CBee @AmyG I‘m so happy you like it so far!! 😊😊 2mo
43 likes9 comments
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TheBookHippie
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Mr BookHippies mug ♥️
#weirdwords

A mensch, in Yiddish, is a person of integrity, morality, dignity, with a sense of what is right and responsible.

But mensch is more than just an old Yiddish adage. It is relevant now, across the world, more than ever… “To be a mensch is to be supportive. To be a friend, to be calm in troubled times.”

Texreader Very nice!! 2mo
IndoorDame Awww 🥰 2mo
CBee One of my favorite Yiddish words (not that I know that many 😂)! 2mo
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AmyG Better than having a mug that says shmendrick!!! 🤣 2mo
TheBookHippie @AmyG 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 2mo
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CBee
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Following Adina‘s lead and posting a weird word with an animal theme today! I mean, who doesn‘t love a capybara 😍 Also, do yourself a favor and look up “weird animal names” - it‘s hilarious 😂 About capybaras: https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/capybara #weirdwords

IndoorDame Omg the babies are sooo cute 🥰 2mo
CBee @IndoorDame 😍😍 baby animals are hard to resist but capybara babies are high on the list of cutest!! 2mo
KristiAhlers Ok cute overload! 2mo
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CBee @KristiAhlers everyone needs cuteness today!! 😊😍 2mo
mandarchy If you get a chance to visit West Pal Beach, I think the Palm Beach Zoo is overrun by these. These and iguanas. 2mo
CBee @mandarchy I‘d be in heaven! I also heard a small population of them live in Florida, like not in captivity! 2mo
mandarchy @CBee that may be the case at the zoo. It's really funny how many you see. You'll have to make a trip! 🌴 2mo
dabbe They're a much cuter version of our javelinas! ❣️ 2mo
CBee @mandarchy that would be so cool! 2mo
CBee @dabbe I had to look up a javelina 😀 Ooo, that reminded me though, don‘t you have Gila monsters in Arizona? 2mo
dabbe @CBee Yes, yes we do. We try to let them mind their own business. 🤣 2mo
CBee @dabbe hahaha I bet 😆😳 2mo
Librariana But have you heard the capybara song??? 2mo
CBee @Librariana omg noooo I haven‘t!! Do tell! 2mo
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TheBookHippie
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A farshlepteh krenk
(ah fahr-SHLEP'-teh krenk)

Just sounds how my migraines have felt!! 👀😵‍💫

#weirdwords

CBee Welp, I‘ve got a few of those 😂😳🤦‍♀️ 2mo
IndoorDame 🙌 definitely a word I need in my vocabulary 👏👏👏 2mo
AmyG That‘s a new one for me. And I love this….I read these in my Mom and Granma‘s voices. (edited) 2mo
TheBookHippie @AmyG I do my grandma & great grandma ♥️♥️♥️♥️ 2mo
TheBookHippie @IndoorDame I agree!!! It‘s so on point! 2mo
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CBee
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The Bog of Eternal Stench, anyone? 😳🫢😂
Also, fun historical factoid I didn‘t know about: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory
#weirdwords

Bklover Wow! I‘m glad they disproved it. I‘d hate to gain weight by smelling food!! 2mo
CBee @Bklover ha! Same here 😂😂 2mo
dabbe @Bklover Especially odorous food! 🤣🤣🤣 2mo
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dabbe There's an entire chapter in Book 2 of THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING that talks of the miasma of the Orkneys' setting, where Morgause lives. It matches your definition and the “miasma theory“ perfectly. ❣️ 2mo
CBee @dabbe that sounds……stinky 😂😂 2mo
dabbe @CBee It was indeed a very odorous chapter! 🤣🤣 2mo
CBee @dabbe 😂😂😂 2mo
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CBee
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So when you say “Shhhh….. I‘m reading,” you‘re using a sibilant word. Also like a snake hissssssing 😊 I‘ve come across this word a handful of times recently so, figured I‘d use it for today‘s #weirdword!

peanutnine Love this! Thanks for sharing ☺️ 3mo
CBee @peanutnine absolutely 💚😊 3mo
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IndoorDame
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Yes, please! 🙋🏻‍♀️ #WeirdWords @CBee

rockpools Ha! I might need to roll that one out on occasion! 3mo
julesG @rockpools me too! 3mo
CBee This word is EVERYTHING 🤪🤪🤪 3mo
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SamAnne My sweetie and I are opening a beer/wine bar—with some bookish elements. I told him about this word last week after seeing it here on Litsy. Considering calling our place the Latibulum. A place where you can escape from the world! (edited) 3mo
IndoorDame @SamAnne I love that!!!! 3mo
BiblioLitten @SamAnne That‘s so cool! 3mo
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TheBookHippie
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kspenmoll 😊 3mo
Amiable Ha! I have a coworker who uses this word all the time. 😀 3mo
CBee I can do a pretty decent expression of Mike Myers doing this bit on SNL 😂🤭 3mo
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dabbe Can't believe Myers did this in 1991! Seems like yesterday. #lovethisword ❣️ 3mo
Leftcoastzen Love!👍👏👏👏 3mo
UwannaPublishme Omg! I just loved those Mike Myers skits! 😂 3mo
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CBee
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Here‘s my late post for #weirdwordswednesday! I‘ve usually heard or read this word describing something negative (you know, a “harbinger” of doom, etc), but it is also used in a positive way (see sentence in definition).
#weirdwords

Megabooks Great choice! I use it for both negative and positive things, but I guess you do see it more often in literature in the negative context. 🤔 3mo
dabbe Love the positive point of this word as well as the word itself! ❣️ 3mo
peanutnine I've never thought of the positive aspect of it either! Very cool! 3mo
TheBookHippie I use it for both 🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. 3mo
ShelleyBooksie Love this! I'd never thought of using it in a positive way! 3mo
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CBee
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Since it‘s Mardi Gras time, and since some Mardi Gras parties could be considered…..hmm, raucous? I saw on a website that this word is another way to describe “unrestrained merrymaking” 😂 So, another word from Greek (Dionysus) and Roman (Bacchus) mythology (my fave, obvi). And a very cool word at that! #weirdwords

Slajaunie That‘s fitting. Not just parties but parades as well. That‘s why I stay home and read. 3mo
CBee @Slajaunie good thinking!! Same 😂😂 3mo
Megabooks Great choice!! 3mo
CBee @Megabooks thank you! 3mo
44 likes4 comments
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TheBookHippie
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Tchotchke

#weirdwords 👀

IndoorDame I‘ve never heard it used for a woman. I‘m kind of offended! 3mo
CBee I love this word! We have a ton of tchotchkes at our house - my 10 year old wants to keep every.single.thing 😂😂😂 3mo
thebackyardgnome It seems to comr from the E. European word "cacko", whivh is still in use and means anything (or, though not as oftrn, anyone) nice or pleasing. You oftrn hear it when talking about stuff like cars:) 3mo
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UwannaPublishme So that‘s how you spell it! 3mo
Ruthiella I grew up saying “knickknacks“ and was astounded to find as an adult there were other words for this. 😅 3mo
TheBookHippie @Ruthiella 🤣🤣🤣🤣👀 3mo
Chelsea.Poole My mom always uses this word and whenever I do outside of my family everyone looks at me weird lol. It‘s one of my favorites though! 3mo
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CBee
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Another cool word for #weirdwords Wednesday! I relate to this one on a deep level 😂😂

vivastory Same. Same. 😂 3mo
CBee @vivastory let the perpetually maladroit unite 😂😂😂 3mo
BkClubCare OOOooooo new hashtag to check out. I love weird words 3mo
CBee @BkClubCare yes! Feel free to chime in with a weird word anytime 😊 3mo
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CBee
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I‘ve always loved this word. For my Greek mythology geeks, remember Charybdis? She was a maelstrom and along with Scylla the sea monster, sent many a sailor and ship to the deadly depths 🌊
@Soubhiville you like this word too, I‘m guessing 😂😘 #weirdwords

dabbe One of my favorite Poe stories is “A Descent into the Maelstrom.“ Fantastic word! 👏❣️😊 4mo
CBee @dabbe oh! I love Poe. I‘ll have to read that one! 4mo
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Soubhiville Yes I certainly do! You could say it‘s about my favorite! 💕 4mo
CBee @Soubhiville I KNEW it! 😂😂😂 Tell him he got a nice shoutout on Litsy today 🙌🏻 4mo
peanutnine I love words that have different vowel combinations like this ae 4mo
Megabooks Great word!! 4mo
Soubhiville Haha, will do! 4mo
60 likes8 comments
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CBee
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So I wouldn‘t really classify this as a “weird” word, but it‘s a unique and very special Ojibwe word that I‘ve come across a lot since being introduced to Indigenous authors and fiction (thanks to Litsy for that ♥️). It means “thank you,” and is pronounced “MEEG-WETCH.” #weirdwords

IndoorDame Love this! 4mo
Megabooks Very cool! 4mo
wanderinglynn I follow James Vukelich on IG who shared Ojibwe word of the day as well as ancient wisdom through an indigenous lens. I love learning Ojibwe. 4mo
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CBee @wanderinglynn I think I came across him when I was researching how to say this! The language is just beautiful. 4mo
vivastory This is fantastic! Reminds me of a Dickens character. Do you have a favorite indigenous author that you've read recently? 4mo
AmyG Is it TBR Tarot reveal day????? 4mo
CBee @AmyG yes! I‘ll be doing that shortly 😊 4mo
AmyG 🎉🎉🎉 4mo
CBee @vivastory yes! I just finished The Sentence by Louise Erdrich, and the Firekeeper‘s Daughter by Angeline Boulley is also amazing. I also like Cherie Dimaline. I haven‘t read very many Indigenous authors but am working to fix that ♥️ 4mo
CBee @vivastory also! The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson is excellent. 4mo
vivastory Adding The Seed Keeper to my TBR. The Sentence was one of my '22 favorites. I would rec. Tommy Orange's There There. I haven't read it yet, but I've heard great things about the following (edited) 4mo
CBee @vivastory I have There There, I‘ll have to bump it up the list. I‘m not much of a horror person or else I‘d try Stephen Graham Jones - I thought My Heart is a Chainsaw looked good but I‘m a scaredy cat! 😂 Night of the Living Rez looks amazing! (edited) 4mo
Lizpixie I love words & languages. So many different languages have such beautiful, and apt, words for things that English is lacking in. Especially words for feelings for some reason🤷🏻‍♀️ #stacked (edited) 4mo
CBee @Lizpixie that‘s very true! ♥️♥️ 4mo
vivastory If you want to try SG Jones but want something not very scary, I recommend his novella Night of the Living Mannequins. It's campy fun! 4mo
CBee @vivastory cool, I‘ll check it out 👏🏻👏🏻 4mo
dabbe Weird AND cool! 😎 4mo
fredamans Not a weird word to me... it's my language. 😐
It's like saying merci is a weird word. It's just thank you.
4mo
CBee @fredamans oh no, I didn‘t mean to offend. I actually said I didn‘t think it was a weird word, just a unique and special word. I really am sorry - I meant no disrespect 😔 4mo
fredamans @CBee it's all good 4mo
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CBee
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I *might* have partly chosen this word so that I could use the pug sticker in Pic Collage 🤓😂
That being said, this is a fun and kind of weird word - I don‘t think I‘ve ever used it before (how often do you get to use pugnacious anyway 😂). #weirdwords

IndoorDame I‘ve never used this word either, I think I mostly see it in romance novels and other books that describe rakish behavior 4mo
CBee @IndoorDame rakish is another cool word actually 😊 I tend to avoid romance novels (okay, I read a few when I was younger 😂), probably because of a tendency for certain characters to be pugnacious! 🤓 4mo
IndoorDame @CBee 🤣🤣🤣 4mo
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dabbe I can use this one to describe my rapscallion German shepherds, can't I? 🤣 4mo
CBee @dabbe rakish! Rapscallion! I love it! I think you could probably say your shepherds are pugnacious 😂 4mo
dabbe @CBee Pugnaciously rakish! Love it! 🤣❣️🤣 4mo
CBee @dabbe rakishly (is that a word?) pugnacious rapscallions 😂 (say that 10 times fast 😅) 4mo
dabbe @CBee Oh, your version wins, hands-down! 🤣🤗🤣 4mo
CBee @dabbe ha, thank you! 😂😊 4mo
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dabbe
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Another fun one to say! Anyone remember the Monty Python Spam skit? 🤣
#weirdwords
@CBee

CBee Tomorrow x3 was an amazing read! And now I know another new word 😊😊 4mo
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CBee
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Today I found a word I‘ve never heard of! The opposite of pauciloquent is yet another weird word: bloviate! #weirdwords
Anyone can play! Just post a word, use the hashtag, and tag me! 😊

IndoorDame I like this one! 4mo
CBee @IndoorDame it‘s fun to say! 4mo
mandarchy I've always loved bloviate! 4mo
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CBee @mandarchy same!! 4mo
Tamra Wonderful! 4mo
dabbe Fun to say, and the first part of it sounds like PAUSE, and that kind of fits with the meaning of the word! New one for me, too! 😊 4mo
CBee @dabbe I read it in a sentence, something like “he was so pauciloquent that he was thought to be mute” but also a meme that has someone at a podium saying “Hello. Goodbye” and walking off the stage 😂😂 4mo
Megabooks Great word!! 4mo
CBee @Megabooks isn‘t it cool? 4mo
Amiable Ooh, this is a good one! 4mo
CBee @Amiable ☺️☺️☺️ 4mo
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Megabooks
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This #weirdwords is dedicated to my dad, who is always down to discuss any anniversary. He likes any excuse to use sesquicentennial to celebrate a municipality, event, or state. He also tuned me into the proper word for America‘s next major b-day. 🥂 Dad 🫶🏻

Cinfhen Yay for dad👍🏻🤓 5mo
CBee That‘s a super great word!! Yay Dad!! 5mo
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RowReads1
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is a fun word to say. Also a delicious thing to eat. #weirdwords @CBee

CBee Falafel is a wonderful word! And I agree, it‘s super yummy 😊 5mo
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dabbe
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Another fun one to say out loud, and how it sounds is exactly what it means! 🤣

#weirdwords @cbee

CBee Oh I love this one! It‘s so cheerful. 5mo
marleed A high school vocabulary word many (and many) years ago - and then a favorite word between my father and me :) 5mo
dabbe @CBee I think it should be spelled BREWhaha. With some kind of coffee meme, too. 🤣 5mo
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dabbe @marleed That's lovely. ❣️ 5mo
CBee @dabbe that would be perfect 😂 @TheBookHippie would like that, too 😀 5mo
TheBookHippie @CBee 💯☕️ 5mo
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CBee
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I‘m not sure it could be considered “weird,” but I love this word and I love to say it. Of course I didn‘t realize it also meant an excess of bodily fluid - ew. #weirdwords
Tagging some new folks today!

Suet624 I use this word quite a bit too! 5mo
Tamra I use it! 5mo
CBee @Suet624 @Tamra me too, but definitely not when referring to blood 😱😳😂 (edited) 5mo
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Tamra @CBee 😂😂 5mo
dabbe Thanks for tagging me! This word was in our SAT vocabulary book at school. It is a fun one to say out loud, and I never knew it means an excess of bodily fluid, too. Kind of gross, huh? 🤣 5mo
wanderinglynn I had not idea it also referred to excess blood. 😳 5mo
CBee @dabbe it IS gross! I never knew 🫣 5mo
CBee @wanderinglynn ewwwww, right?? 5mo
Megabooks Oooo!! Now I know what two medical words I‘m choosing next week! 🤫 it‘ll be a nice, gross surprise! 🤣🤣 5mo
CBee @Megabooks oooooo I like medical words! I was a nurse years ago so bring it on 😂😂 5mo
CBee @Megabooks bring it on! Former nurse, I can handle it 😂😂 5mo
robinb Thanks for the tag! I love that word. My husband was laughing at me earlier tonight because I said I was “struck dumb” about something rather than “dumbstruck”. 😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️ 5mo
CBee @robinb ha! Struck dumb does sound funnier than dumbstruck 😂😂 4mo
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CBee
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Ever said a word over and over until it starts to sound silly? This is one of those words. And fitting for today as I‘m listening to The Escape Artist (Freedland) on audio (everyone needs to read it, btw). Play along if you‘d like! #weirdwords

dabbe This is such a fun one to say out loud! 5mo
RaeLovesToRead My Mum once misread doing to rhyme with boing 🤣🤣 5mo
wanderinglynn Yes! And there‘s science behind it! It‘s called semantic satiation, which happens because our brains translate words into ideas. When a word is repeated, the brain just focuses on the sound of the word and not the meaning, which is why it can start to sound like gibberish. How cool is that? 5mo
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CBee @RaeLovesToRead omg 😂😂😂 5mo
CBee @wanderinglynn that is SO cool! I‘d never even heard of it! I always felt it when I‘d say bubble gum over and over again too 😂 5mo
TheRiehlDeal When I was a kid, I did this with the word asked until it started sounding like axed. 😂 5mo
CBee @TheRiehlDeal I still do it sometimes 😂 5mo
Deblovestoread Thanks for the tag! And I love learning little tidbits like this @wanderinglynn 5mo
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dabbe
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If you celebrate with bubbly, sign your John Hancock, count heads, and pay with plastic, then you are a MASTER of the synecdoche.

My students always pronounced this as SIN-eh-doshe. 😂

@Cbee #weirdword

CBee This is a new one for me! Apparently my glasses are an example, and bread and butter is too! Super interesting and great choice! You are an English teacher, right? My mom was too ❤️ 5mo
dabbe @CBee Yep. For 28 years. I retired in May 2021 after the 1st Covid year. I just couldn't do it anymore. I still sub and do AP testing for my school, though, so I'm still in the loop a little bit. I taught sophomore honors and juniors. The sophs learned British lit, and the juniors learned American lit. Not a bad gig as far as literature goes. What did your mom teach? 5mo
CBee @dabbe she taught all sorts. English, writing, literature (all kinds), even social studies. She also directed the school choir once upon a time. 5mo
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dabbe @CBee Of course literature had to be her favorite subject, right? 😃 5mo
CBee @dabbe oh yes! She gave me my love of reading ♥️ 5mo
dabbe @CBee 😊 5mo
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TheBookHippie
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Schlep: To carry something or go somewhere that is an inconvenience, even if a minor one. Usually accompanied by kvetching.

Example: You want me to schlep all the way over to your place at 10pm? Gurl, byeee.

Lots of peeps use this #weirdword that sounds like the action it is!

CBee I often schlep and kvetch 😂😂😂 (true story tho) 5mo
MoonWitch94 Omg I love it! It‘s one of my favorites. Not even Jewish, but adopted it from my Jewish friends over the years. 5mo
CBee I love the included Hebrew - it‘s so beautifully written. 5mo
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AlaMich I ❤️ this! Is it a real thing or just a meme? 5mo
AlaMich Thank you!! 5mo
julesG It's fascinating how many loan words Yiddish brought into English. https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/schlep 5mo
TheBookHippie @julesG I AGREE!!! 5mo
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CBee
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The word “onomatopoeia” has always been super fascinating to me - just the way it sounds and what it means! Boom, buzz, pitter patter, crash, crackle!
Here‘s an article to check out: https://www.rd.com/list/examples-of-onomatopoeia/
Feel free to post your own word and tag me 😊 #weirdwords (I‘m sticking with this as I might choose different days to post)

CBee @gossamerchild @SamAnne and anyone else! 5mo
Megabooks I will participate later today! Great idea! 5mo
CBee @Megabooks great! Excited to see what word you pick 😊 5mo
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CBee @TheBookHippie I meant to tag you as I‘m hoping to learn some Yiddish 😂 5mo
TheBookHippie @CBee 🤣♥️ So are you doing a weekly thing ? 5mo
CBee @TheBookHippie hope so! I‘m giving it a shot to see how much interest I get 🤷‍♀️ 5mo
TheBookHippie @CBee 🤞🏻 5mo
dabbe @Cbee Oh, yes, this is a fun one and fun to teach! One of my favorite examples is from the poem “The Highwayman“ by Alfred Noyes. To imitate the sound of horses' hooves running in the night, the invented word TLOT is used. When you read it out loud, there is no better sound for horses trotting!

“Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horsehoofs ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?“
5mo
CBee @dabbe oh wow! Yes, I can hear the trotting when I say tlot! How cool. 5mo
dabbe @CBee 💜 5mo
quietjenn I've always lived this word 💚 Today was a travel day for me, but I will be ready next week! 5mo
CBee @quietjenn great! Excited to see what you‘ll pick 😊 5mo
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CBee
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Thoughts? Some options I‘ve got so far: onomatopoeia, plethora, bamboozled, miasma, atavistic, bacchanalian, harbinger. These can be words you see in books, words you‘ve just always liked or wondered about. You would post the word and include the definition. Let me know what y‘all think - I‘m open to suggestions! Tagging a few folks below but feel free to spread it around!

TheBookHippie I will use all my Yiddish 🤣 (edited) 5mo
CBee @TheBookHippie that would be WONDERFUL!! 5mo
SamAnne I love this idea. 5mo
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CBee @SamAnne yay! I love words in general (obviously 😂), but I especially love odd and interesting ones. I love reading a book and coming across a word I‘ve not heard before! 5mo
Cinfhen @TheBookHippie hahaha I‘m shepping nachos 😉 5mo
Cinfhen I‘m not a huge wordsmith but this is a fun idea …..I‘ll happily post when a word wow‘s me☺️🥳🤓 5mo
CBee @Cinfhen it‘s definitely a no pressure “challenge” - not even sure it‘s a challenge! But yep, just words you‘ve come across that wow you or ones you have to research! (edited) 5mo
gossamerchild Ooh, macabre! The first time I said that word out loud I think my mom laughed at my pronunciation 🤣🤣 5mo
gossamerchild Basically means horrifying. 5mo
BarbaraBB I have so many words in English that I don‘t know 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ 5mo
quietjenn I love weird and interesting words, so I'm all about this! 5mo
dabbe Count me in! 5mo
CBee @gossamerchild that‘s a great word!! 👏🏻 5mo
CBee @BarbaraBB maybe you can learn some new ones! 😊 5mo
CBee @quietjenn hooray! 5mo
CBee @dabbe yay! 5mo
BarbaraBB Every day! I‘ll gladly follow along! 5mo
vivastory This sounds like a fun challenge! 5mo
Bklover Sounds fun! 5mo
Allylu Cool 5mo
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