WORD WORM Examining the English language...its use...and its misuse.

  

REAL WORDS....really!

Yes, these are real words...maybe not the kind you use everyday, but they are real.  Go ahead and look 'em up.  We agree...someone had too much time on their hands in coming up with some of these.

 

Vomitory- producing vomit. Also an exit way in Roman amphitheater. Hmmm. With this dual meaning, its a bit confusing on why we would consider those performances as classics.

Zymurgy- the branch of chemistry that treats the processed of fermentation such as brewing or winemaking. You did know that fermentation was the waste product of bacteria and other little critters, didn’t you? Think about that next time you gulp down your Budweiser.

Quire- The twentieth part of a ream of paper; 24 or 25 sheets. A set of all sheets necessary to make a book. Not special about this word....but it’s a great one to remember for Scrabble.

Weirdie- a bizarre or freakish person, thing, or occurrence. Weirdie? How many of you have heard this before? And surprise, surprise, the term weirdo was not in the Funk and Wagnalls dictionary. Now how weirdie is that?

Virago- A noisy, sharp-tongued woman, a scold. A clue for a similar word is a female dog that rhymes with witch.

Oyez- The introductory word used to call attention to a forthcoming proclamation and repeated three times. An example is "hear ye..hear ye..hear ye..." in court. Another example is "hey, hey, hey" when a parent addresses a child before a lecture.

Tetchy- peevishly sensitive, irritable, touchy. Seems to be a prevalent case with some women every four weeks or so.

Whiffet- a small snappish dog or a trifling, useless person. Both give credence to the claims of atheists.

Oxtail- you ready for this one? It is the tail of an ox. See, some words actually do make a lot of sense.

Paroxcysm- any sudden outburst, usually violent. Such as that which happens when you tell a child "no" when standing in front of a cotton candy machine.

Vituperate- to find fault with in an abusive manner, to berate or scold. And you thought your parents were just yelling...they were vituperating! No wonder their faces got so red.

Pasquinade- a posting in a public place of a satire that is usually abusive, coarse, or vulgar. To attack or ridicule. It used to be on public forums in olden days but now is usually found in the opening monologues of Saturday Night Live.

Windbroken- a term usually referring to horses regarding an asthmatic condition. When the two words are reversed and referred to a human, it can also cause symptoms resembling asthma.

Vedette- a mounted sentinel placed in advance of an outpost. Usually refers to the poor guy who drew the short straw.

Valvate- meeting without overlapping or touching each other. Happens quite often in a meeting between a priest and nun.

Tapster- one who draws and serves liquor...a bartender. Usually will talk to you if you’re lonely in hopes that you are a tipster that will appreciate the tapster.

Niggardly- Most dictionaries define this word as stingy or meanly insufficient; scanty. In the manner of a niggard which is a stingy person. Apparently in Washington D.C., they have a different definition as the Assistant Mayor was forced to resign for using this word because of the racial slur (the "N" word) was too similar.

Uxorious- fatuously or foolishly devoted to one’s wife. Most men have another term for this when they witness another man going through it.

Tussock- a tuft as of hair or feathers. Not to be confused with a "comb-over" of those men who have just a smidgen of hair they try to cover their whole head with.

Truckle- to yield meanly. What bullies do with the rhyming word of knuckle.

Timbre- the tone of one musical instrument from another. Usually not too apparent in most school bands.

Ballyhoo- Although now known for a clamor or uproar, it was originally blatant or sensational advertising. See info-commercial.

Thong- 1) a narrow strip of material. 2) whiplash. The first is usually seen on a beach worn by a woman and the second is usually seen on a beach in an affliction to men caused by same woman.

Third-rate- of the third rate or class. Of poor quality or inferior. Hmmm, doesn’t say much for the Bronze medal in the Olympics, does it?

Versify- if you think about it, it makes sense. It means to narrate or treat in verse, or to write poetry. So does that mean if you take apart a poem in a critical literature class, you’re deversifying?

Termagant- a scolding or abusive woman, shrew. Now c’mon....admit it...as soon as you read that, an image of someone popped in your head, didn’t it?

Tercet- a group of three lines rhyming together or connected with adjacent triplets by rhyme. Well evidenced in most bad poetry.

Pabulum- Any kind of substance that gives nourishment. So next time you’re getting a Big Mac, you’re actually getting pabulum.

Telpher- a light car suspended from cables and usually propelled by electricity. It is important to remember that even telphers want to respond to gravity and will do so at every opportunity.

Unit- a standard quantity of an individual belonging to a similar group. Oops, sorry. I thought this was Un-it which would mean not being IT....like in tag or something. My mistake.

Tamp- to force down or pack closer by firm repeated blows. Most suitcases on long trips are subject to this.