# Words we don't know



## SueC (Jan 21, 2021)

I was reading an article in the _Guardian_ on President Trump this morning and along came this word:

perspicacity

It means: Perspicacity is a penetrating discernment —a clarity of vision or intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight. It takes the concept of wisdom deeper in the sense that it denotes a keenness of sense and intelligence applied to insight. It has been described as a deeper level of internalization. 

The author said that Trump did not posses this quality, so I had to look it up. I agreed with his assessment, but I wondered - how many of you look up words that you don't know when you see them in print or on the Internet, or do you just read on hoping you'll get the gist eventually? Are you compelled sometimes to use unusual words in your stories, just for the fun of it?


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## Bloggsworth (Jan 21, 2021)

Always, specially when it is the overwriting on a palimpsest...


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## Taylor (Jan 21, 2021)

I definitely look things up. In your example, by using an usual word, the author is bringing your attention to his point.  It works well in non-fiction.   I think you have to be careful not to try too hard to use unusual words in fiction.  It can appear to be clumsy and over-worked.  If you do use an unusual word in fiction, you likely need to add some context to it.  Why have you used it? That's my initial thought.  

But, now that you mention it, I'm going to watch for examples of unusual words in fiction, to see if works.


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## Kent_Jacobs (Jan 21, 2021)

I do it all the time. When I read books, I jot down words I don't know with the page and paragraph so I can go back and see them used in context. I started a little book with lots of different ways of describing things for reference too. I had a snowy scene section, a thunder storm section, a forest section etc. It was intended as a way of copying but merely a way of seeing how other authors dealt with these scenes. Unfortunately I lost all of that work, along with a good two thirds of my writing.


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## SueC (Jan 21, 2021)

TheMightyAz said:


> I do it all the time. When I read books, I jot down words I don't know with the page and paragraph so I can go back and see them used in context. I started a little book with lots of different ways of describing things for reference too. I had a snowy scene section, a thunder storm section, a forest section etc. It was intended as a way of copying but merely a way of seeing how other authors dealt with these scenes. Unfortunately I lost all of that work, along with a good two thirds of my writing.



What a shame you have lost it!


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## SueC (Jan 21, 2021)

Taylor said:


> I definitely look things up. In your example, by using an usual word, the author is bringing your attention to his point.  It works well in non-fiction.   I think you have to be careful not to try too hard to use unusual words in fiction.  It can appear to be clumsy and over-worked.  If you do use an unusual word in fiction, you likely need to add some context to it.  Why have you used it? That's my initial thought.
> 
> But, now that you mention it, I'm going to watch for examples of unusual words in fiction, to see if works.



I agree, Taylor. Also, one of my biggest turn-offs is when fiction writers spend a lot of time discussing regional aspects that are so unfamiliar that I lose interest pretty quickly. I think this falls in the same category as seldom-used words. Using terminology about an Alaskan wilderness, for example, that has little meaning or understanding to most writers who don't live in Alaska can often spell disaster. I don't mean a casual reference. I mean filling page after page with words that are meaningless unless you have a dictionary nearby.


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## Taylor (Jan 21, 2021)

TheMightyAz said:


> I do it all the time. When I read books, I jot down words I don't know with the page and paragraph so I can go back and see them used in context. I started a little book with lots of different ways of describing things for reference too. I had a snowy scene section, a thunder storm section, a forest section etc. It was intended as a way of copying but merely a way of seeing how other authors dealt with these scenes. Unfortunately I lost all of that work, along with a good two thirds of my writing.



Perhaps the memory of writing these scenes is more valuable than having the paper record.  Sorry to hear about the loss of your work!  But, a good incentive to write more...


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## EternalGreen (Jan 21, 2021)

_*Pulchritude*_. (It means beauty.)

Who comes up with these words?
*
Acerbic*. (Adjective | a harsh manner of speaking.)

Don't feel bad if you didn't know it, either. I couldn't even find it in my desktop dictionary.

*Avuncular*. (Of or relating to an uncle.)

Why do we have a word for this?

*Adumbrate*. (Summarize as an outline.)

I should have already known that. 

*Aquiline. *(Looking like an eagle.)

This one, though I have heard it before once or twice without investigating the meaning, stuck with me. I think it has a potential for being very "show"-y. It has a built-in metaphor.

*Argot*. (Jargon.)

*Bathetic. *(Insincere, superficial. )  
This list could probably go on for a couple hundred thousand words.


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## EmmaSohan (Jan 21, 2021)

From today, from a book my library said was a classic:



> ...pooling Jackson Pollack schmierkunst on the monovalent radicals of the Vinylite seat covers.



I didn't look.

My worry, actually, is using a word my reader doesn't know. So I have this fear that if look up _schmeirkunst_, I'll like it and want to use it. I don't care about _Vinylite_, and I don't want to get angry if the author is misusing _monovalent radicals_.


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## Taylor (Jan 21, 2021)

EternalGreen said:


> _*Pulchritude*_. (It means beauty.)
> 
> Who comes up with these words?
> *
> ...



Ok learned some new ones here, but Acerbic and Aquiline are two of my favourites.  

Acerbic is so much better than mean or nasty.  The word itself has such a visual connotation, I picture acid or sour lemons.

And I use Aquiline to describe a certain type of nose, it is slightly hawked.  I have always wanted one myself, so I use it as a favourable feature.


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## bdcharles (Jan 21, 2021)

_Erstwhile_ (or is it _erstwile_?) - I always thought, till about two months ago, that it actually didn't mean anything. I thought people - perhaps even erstwhile people - put it in there just to fill space with something fruity-sounding. But it has a specific meaning - the previous occupant of a post.


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## EternalGreen (Jan 21, 2021)

Taylor said:


> Ok learned some new ones here, but Acerbic and Aquiline are two of my favourites.
> 
> Acerbic is so much better than mean or nasty.  The word itself has such a visual connotation, I picture acid or sour lemons.
> 
> And I use Aquiline to describe a certain type of nose, it is slightly hawked.  I have always wanted one myself, so I use it as a favourable feature.



The acidic connotation of "acerbic" did pop out at my after I learned it. That makes it easy to remember, I suppose.


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## Llyralen (Jan 21, 2021)

SueC said:


> I was reading an article in the _Guardian_ on President Trump this morning and along came this word:
> 
> perspicacity
> 
> ...



How interesting to draw attention to a word hardly used.  I really enjoy that meaning.  The whole description sounds like more than astute or shrewd and kind of combines both perception and appropriate action.  

I’m thinking of other times certain authors drew attention to a word.  
I’m recalling something a high school professor said about the word epiphany and James Joyce... that Joyce had brought epiphany back into discussion and that before Joyce it was archaic and not in use.   I’m glad Joyce brought it back into use if this is true.  After I send I will look this is, so this post will likely be edited.


Edit:  Joyce re-purposed the word.  Here’s an article:  
https://jamesjoyce.ie/epiphanies/


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## EternalGreen (Jan 21, 2021)

I use blue if I personally think the word would be handy for creative writing and useful for _showing_.*

Blanch* (to turn pale as if in fear)

This one could be helpful for creative writing.

*Blandishment* (false praise meant to persuade)

This is not too helpful for creative writing.

"_He supplemented his blandishments by offering us a nice meal_."

IDK, it seems a bit dry to me.

*Blasé* (to be jaded)

If you want your characters to sound obnoxious, use this word in dialogue.

*Bowdlerize* (to censor in an effort to create G-rated content)

I've never even heard this word in my life.

_*Bucolic*_ (very rustic in a picturesque manner) 

"_The houses were weathered grey, wearing shredded paper with company names in place of paint. Crumbling silos, unkempt pastures surrounded them. Their impression, however, was not bucolic."_

*​Conciliatory *(willing to cede)

I mention this one because I thought it had something to do with consolidation or concentricity. Nope! It's it's own word.

*Confluence *(a place where two things flow together)

A beautiful word. Think about ". . . a confluence of emotions."

*Deleterious *(harmful to living things)

How hard can this one be to remember? It has "delete" in it.

*Diaphanous *(so thin as to be transparent)

This could be very useful for writing. "A diaphanous pink membrane."
*
Dilettante  *(a neophyte, someone who does something like a craft or sport for fun but not seriously)

*​Dissimulate *(to hide one's feelings. Surprisingly non-transitive)

ALTERNATE DEFINITION OF *​Dissipated *(consumed by the pursuit of pleasure, usually to some kind of detriment) 

Weird how that word also has that other meaning. English is arbitrary sometimes.

*Distend* (to swell from the inside)

*Ebullient *(an adjective meaning "to be full of jubilee," basically)

_*Eclectic*_ (having style based on a wide variety of tastes, cultures) 

This is an honorable mention because I learned it yesterday.

​_*Effervescent*_ (to be in high spirits) 

I thought this one meant something like "brightly glowing," which it does . . . in a metaphorical way pertaining only to attitude.

​*Evanescent*  (behaving like a vapor, vaporous in a way that tends to disappear)

*​Extirpation *(complete destruction beginning from the "roots")

*Filial *(relating to the offspring of the parent generation)

*Foible* (a little weakness of character)

*Fracas* (a boisterous argument)

*Fulsome* (displaying a disgusting excess of fawning or flattery)
*
Gamut *(range or scope, but it must be abstract)

*Garrulous *(full of trivial conversation) 

*Genuflect *(to kneel before a king or religious item)

*Gossamer *(delicate and thin, such as with food)

*Gourmand* (a glutton, a pig)
*
Gustatory *(relating to taste)


That's all for now.


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## SueC (Jan 21, 2021)

Can you pronounce the word I posted? I can't get my tongue around it. At least we can say epiphany. I like epiphany... thank you James Joyce.  and you!


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## EternalGreen (Jan 21, 2021)

Per- pi - ca - si - tee ?


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## ArrowInTheBowOfTheLord (Jan 21, 2021)

EternalGreen said:


> *Blandishment* (false praise meant to persuade)
> 
> This is not too helpful for creative writing.
> 
> ...



I've never heard it, but I like it. It's similar to 'flattery' but with a different connotation -- kind of a blustery, flamboyant feel, as opposed to 'flattery,' which sounds like a soft-voiced snake.



EternalGreen said:


> *Bowdlerize* (to censor in an effort to create G-rated content)
> 
> I've never even heard this word in my life.



I hear it a lot, I think because I hear a lot about "bowdlerized Bible stories," which is a real problem in Christian kids' books/adaptions. The story of Jonah's a classic one: the whole point gets missed because bowdlerized versions skip the part where Jonah _doesn't _'learn his lesson' and remains unmerciful and hateful towards the Ninevites, even after God was merciful and loving to him. 

It's a very useful word to describe that phenomenon: stories being ruined or truth being compromised because somebody thought it was too hard for kids to handle. 



EternalGreen said:


> *​Conciliatory *(willing to cede)
> 
> I mention this one because I thought it had something to do with consolidation or concentricity. Nope! It's it's own word.



This one makes sense to me: "concil," like "reconcile" -- make up, compromise.



EternalGreen said:


> *Diaphanous *(so thin as to be transparent)
> 
> This could be very useful for writing. "A diaphanous pink membrane."


Ooh I like it. It kind of has a squishy, slimy feel.



EternalGreen said:


> *Distend* (to swell from the inside)



Ok, that's close to what I thought it meant ... I kind of thought it meant, 'swell in a distorted way,' because "dist"<-->"dist." It still has a grotesque connotation for me; not sure if I can shake that.



EternalGreen said:


> *Fracas* (a boisterous argument)



New to me, too. Love that! Because it has a positive connotation whereas "argument" has a negative one, and "debate" is too cool, too mild. Fracas -- great.



EternalGreen said:


> *Genuflect *(to kneel before a king or religious item)



Haha, thank you for correcting me on this one. I thought it meant "to make the sign of the cross," because I'd only read it in the context of Catholic novels. Goes to show how I _should _be looking up words more often!


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## MistWolf (Jan 22, 2021)

Diaphanous isn't squishy or slimy. It's thin, light, delicate and semi transparent. "Aphrodite wore a diaphanous gown."

One of my favorite words is defenestration. It means to throw someone or something out a window. "Dr. Dastardly must be stopped before he can unleash his doomsday machine, the Defenestration Device!"


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## VRanger (Jan 22, 2021)

MistWolf said:


> Diaphanous isn't squishy or slimy. It's thin, light, delicate and semi transparent. "Aphrodite wore a diaphanous gown."
> 
> One of my favorite words is defenestration. It means to throw someone or something out a window. "Dr. Dastardly must be stopped before he can unleash his doomsday machine, the Defenestration Device!"



Sadly, there is no defense against defenestration. :-(

Unless you're too fat to fit.


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## bdcharles (Jan 22, 2021)

MistWolf said:


> Diaphanous isn't squishy or slimy. It's thin, light, delicate and semi transparent. "Aphrodite wore a diaphanous gown."
> 
> One of my favorite words is defenestration. It means to throw someone or something out a window. "Dr. Dastardly must be stopped before he can unleash his doomsday machine, the Defenestration Device!"





vranger said:


> Sadly, there is no defense against defenestration. :-(
> 
> Unless you're too fat to fit.



I wonder if "deport" has a similar provenance, only with doors.


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## VRanger (Jan 22, 2021)

bdcharles said:


> I wonder if "deport" has a similar provenance, only with doors.



Or shipboard.


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## bdcharles (Jan 22, 2021)

vranger said:


> Or shipboard.



I like how everyday words often have totally different origins. Like _get_, as I understand it, originally meant a child, an offspring. _Stuff _actually means the material you stuff into teddy bears. _Piece _is a specific length of cloth. _Thing _is a meeting, a hustings. Decimate, etc. I love how all these specific terms get normalised.

One day I will work all this into something ... one day ... 

EDIT: ooh, ooh - from etymonline.com: "*ship* (n.) Old English scip "*ship*, boat," from Proto-Germanic *skipa-" ==> _"All right, skipper?"_


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## VRanger (Jan 22, 2021)

bdcharles said:


> I like how everyday words often have totally different origins. Like _get_, as I understand it, originally meant a child, an offspring. _Stuff _actually means the material you stuff into teddy bears. _Piece _is a specific length of cloth. _Thing _is a meeting, a hustings. Decimate, etc. I love how all these specific terms get normalised.
> 
> One day I will work all this into something ... one day ...
> 
> EDIT: ooh, ooh - from etymonline.com: "*ship* (n.) Old English scip "*ship*, boat," from Proto-Germanic *skipa-" ==> _"All right, skipper?"_



Decimate is a good one. The word means that an army takes 10% casualties, which is more than it typically takes for a unit to lose morale and flee. But the sense of the word, for a LONG time, means complete annihilation.


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## Jk_Sl (Jan 22, 2021)

I love Meraki - To do everything with soul and passion , to put everything you have into something you love with absolute devotion, and undivided attention.

J.


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## bdcharles (Jan 22, 2021)

Bloggsworth said:


> Always, specially when it is the overwriting on a palimpsest...



I'll see your palimpsest and raise you a ziggurat.


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## ehbowen (Jan 22, 2021)

vranger said:


> Decimate is a good one. The word means that an army takes 10% casualties, which is more than it typically takes for a unit to lose morale and flee. But the sense of the word, for a LONG time, means complete annihilation.



Actually, to "decimate" was one of the harshest punishments for soldiers in the Roman army. A unit which had performed poorly, or rebelled, or otherwise earned the ire of its superiors would be lined up, in rows...and every tenth man would be executed on the spot. _Pour encourager les autres,_ you understand.


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## EmmaSohan (Jan 22, 2021)

What about words I don't know because they are new? In one small article reporting tweets I ran into:

kpoppies

welcome to kpop stan twt

welp

_Kpoppies _was easy to figure out. Was _twt _a typo? Ah, probably short for tweet. _Stan _and _welp _are still beyond me (though I have finally grasped that stans are not countries south of Russia). But those words are now in common use.

This is a thrilling time to be a word lover. Scraping data! Firenados! _Community infection_ just appeared one day and now it's common. The article was about hijacking a hashtag.


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## EternalGreen (Jan 22, 2021)

"Welp" is not new. It's something old farmers say.

When you're talking to someone and you need to get on your way, you might swing your hands together and say "_Welp,_" or more commonly, "_Welt_."


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## indianroads (Jan 22, 2021)

I'll go out on a limb by saying that uncommon words should be used in context so the reader can figure out the meaning if they don't know it.

Someone, somewhere, decades ago told me that most Americans only have an 8th grade vocabulary. Which is pretty sad. Even worse though is that 27% of Americans don't read books at all according to the Pew Research Center. So if we make our books too daunting, we'll likely drive them away.


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## EternalGreen (Jan 22, 2021)

As long as you aren't torturing the reader with thesaurus words, I doubt most will mind.


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## BrandonTheWriter (Jan 24, 2021)

I've definitely had to look up words at times when reading certain books. Stephen King has often used words that stumped me. I don't mind it, though. It's always good to learn new words.

At least it's much easier these days. I imagine reading in the past without handy devices nearby to search up a word would have made it a bit more of a chore.


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## EmmaSohan (Jan 24, 2021)

indianroads said:


> I'll go out on a limb by saying that uncommon words should be used in context so the reader can figure out the meaning if they don't know it.



Or when it isn't critical? _Beatific smile_ was perfect in one of my stories, but _smile _was fine and whatever they would guess for _beatific _was fine.


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## apocalypsegal (Jan 25, 2021)

> _get_, as I understand it, originally meant a child, an offspring



It still does, at least in the horse world. Whelp is the term for the offspring of a bitch dog. Also, I believe, the process of birthing such.

Anyhoodles... I looked up words I didn't know when I was a kid. Had lists of them that I would check out at school, in the big dictionary in the library (it was bigger than I was). I'm very good at Scrabble and crosswords as a result.

My personal opinion is that in general fiction writing, one should strive to not overdo using the fancy words, as it can cause people to think you're uppity and ivory tower dwelling. No point in that. In literary fiction, maybe you can tart up your language. Probably should, in fact.

I'm trying to read something now that I suspect the writer used a thesaurus on, in an effort to make their writing better somehow. It's not working. I'm at the point of dropping the books (a bundle of three or so I got from Kindle Unlimited), because they are a terribly hard slog to read, and they're zompoc.


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## EternalGreen (Jan 29, 2021)

_*Encomium*_  - a high praise, a eulogy.


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## Kent_Jacobs (Jan 29, 2021)

Two of my favourite words: *Ablutions* and *Detritus*.

Can anyone guess my favourite author from these two words?


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## EternalGreen (Jan 29, 2021)

I'm guessing an old-fashioned author.


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## Kent_Jacobs (Jan 29, 2021)

EternalGreen said:


> I'm guessing an old-fashioned author.



No, not really. I'd consider him modern day, although he has been published since 1984


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## EternalGreen (Jan 29, 2021)

Milan Kundera?


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## Kent_Jacobs (Jan 29, 2021)

EternalGreen said:


> Milan Kundera?



This could go on all night! lol


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## MistWolf (Jan 30, 2021)

TheMightyAz said:


> ...since 1984



Sounds downright Orwellian


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## Kent_Jacobs (Jan 30, 2021)

MistWolf said:


> Sounds downright Orwellian



I'll be sure to work them into my next short story.


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## indianroads (Jan 30, 2021)

In one of my novels I used the word 'anthropomorphism' ... and will admit that I was kinda proud of myself.


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## druid12000 (Jan 30, 2021)

indianroads said:


> In one of my novels I used the word 'anthropomorphism' ... and will admit that I was kinda proud of myself.



That's a GREAT word!

I look up words constantly while I'm writing, mainly to make sure I'm using them in the correct context. A word for a scene will pop into mind and I _know_​ what it means and how it's used but I second guess myself and just look it up to satisfy my obsessive nature.


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## EternalGreen (Feb 21, 2021)

*Furtive* - hesitantly cowardly (such as a dog hanging its head down expecting to be beaten; I think "as a fugitive")

*Officious* - overbearing and authoritarian

*Trenchant* - vicious, as in criticism, but also sharp and not in a bad way; insightful as well.

*Irascible* - short-tempered (I think “can be turned into a rascal)

*Insular* - not concerned with cultures outside one’s own. (Think “insulated.”)

*Oracular* - difficult to interpret 

*Pusillanimity* - timidness (This word is easy to remember as “puny spirit.” That’s actually the root of the word.)


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## MistWolf (Feb 21, 2021)

EternalGreen said:


> *Irascible* - short-tempered


You mean "turns into a curmudgeon"




> *Oracular* - difficult to interpret


Not if you look it up in the dictionary! :read:


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## JJBuchholz (Feb 23, 2021)

Every so often, I'll come across a word I've never seen before. It usually happens when I'm either reading a rather large novel, or
a historical book of some sort. When this happens, I consult either an online dictionary, or I consult one or both of my dictonaries
that reside on my bookshelf. One of them is from the 1930's, so I usually have more success with it.

That being said, it's always nice to learn a new word, and even go so far as to locate additional synonyms or antonyms to use at
a later time. Research is fun!

-JJB


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## Pamelyn Casto (Feb 23, 2021)

I love words too. New ones. There's always another one (or million) to learn. I once got quoted in a California newspaper because in talking (online) to the writer I said my family was "autochtonic." He called that a $5 word in the newspaper. He loved the word. We never know who's listening. . . :-D


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## EternalGreen (Feb 23, 2021)

*Palavering* - to be engaged with prolonged and idle conversation


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## thepancreas11 (Feb 24, 2021)

I remember reading LM entries from @ppsage back in the day, and I had to look up almost every word. "Sage" is thus an excellent descriptor. The word that I remember most is *Antipodean*. This is apparently a classy way of referring to the down under folk of various kinds.


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## EternalGreen (Feb 24, 2021)

*Sternutation* - the act of sneezing.

Working that word into your story is downright silly. But you and I should know it because there is no shortage of silly people in this world.


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## Taylor (Feb 24, 2021)

I just learned "*Purloin*" - To steal, especially in a stealthy way. 


I could see lots of use for that.


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## VRanger (Feb 24, 2021)

Taylor said:


> I just learned "*Purloin*" - To steal, especially in a stealthy way.
> 
> 
> I could see lots of use for that.



You need to read more Poe. ;-)


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## SueC (Feb 24, 2021)

Jk_Sl said:


> I love Meraki - To do everything with soul and passion , to put everything you have into something you love with absolute devotion, and undivided attention.
> 
> J.



Can you use it in a sentence?


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## SueC (Feb 24, 2021)

TheMightyAz said:


> This could go on all night! lol
> I was


I was going to say Clive Barker. LOL! j/k


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## Jk_Sl (Feb 25, 2021)

SueC said:


> Can you use it in a sentence?



I will try


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## EternalGreen (Feb 28, 2021)

*condign* - adj. meaning “of a fitting punishment.”
*Vaticination* - a foretelling of the future
*Indurate* - harden


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## EternalGreen (Mar 2, 2021)

*Insouciance* - being boldly, blithely carefree


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## ritudimrinautiyal (Mar 2, 2021)

SueC said:


> I was reading an article in the _Guardian_ on President Trump this morning and along came this word:
> 
> perspicacity
> 
> ...



I do that more often in such a horrible way that people easily notice that English is not my first language. But before writing any story, I will try to make myself a bit better. 

Ritu


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## MistWolf (Mar 5, 2021)

ritudimrinautiyal said:


> I do that more often in such a horrible way that people easily notice that English is not my first language. But before writing any story, I will try to make myself a bit better.
> 
> Ritu


By all means, keep improving. But don't think your English is horrible. Who cares if somebody can tell it's not your native tongue? I love reading and listening to people whose primary language is anything but English because they have a different viewpoint and come up with interesting ways to explain things.

Myself, the only language have any fluency is English. Apologize for nothing. I think it's awesome you're here on the forums.


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## ritudimrinautiyal (Mar 5, 2021)

MistWolf said:


> By all means, keep improving. But don't think your English is horrible. Who cares if somebody can tell it's not your native tongue? I love reading and listening to people whose primary language is anything but English because they have a different viewpoint and come up with interesting ways to explain things.
> 
> Myself, the only language have any fluency is English. Apologize for nothing. I think it's awesome you're here on the forums.



I like your perspective. 

Thanks dear 

Ritu


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## Theglasshouse (Mar 5, 2021)

Curtsy-to bow. A writer I once knew used it.


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## EternalGreen (Apr 1, 2021)

I meant to type "scraping" and typed "scarping." Amazingly, spellcheck didn't consider this an error. I had to look up "scarping."


*scarp*

  (skɑrp)  

_n. _ * 1. * a  line  of  cliffs  formed  by  the  faulting  or  fracturing  of  the  earth's  crust;  an  escarpment. 
* 2. * escarp. 
_v.t. _ * 3. * to  form  or  cut  into  a  steep  slope.


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