Thirteen (Fun) Obscure Words
I like words quite a bit, as if you couldn’t tell from me having this site and all. I especially like obscure, obtuse, abandoned words. Words that are too specific or odd to be commonly used (or known). I sort of collect them, you might say.
Here are thirteen gems from the vaults – thirteen words you will probably never have occasion to use:
- circumambulate: to walk around (something)
- omphaloskepsis: naval-gazing (especially to induce a trance)
- nepenthe: A drug used by the ancients to give relief from pain and sorrow; hence anything soothing and comforting
- pleonasm: The use of more words than necessary. Good in poetry, bad everywhere else
- apophenia: The spontaneous perception of connections and meaningfulness in unrelated things; seeing patterns where none, in fact, exist
- arbejdsglæde
pronounced ah-bites-gleh-the) Arbejde means work and glæde means happiness, so arbejdsglæde literally translates into work-happiness. - fnord: don’t see the fnords. If you don’t see the fnords, the fnords can’t eat you.
- hypergraphia: an overwhelming urge to write
- antediluvian: In the Bible, occurring or belonging to the era before the Flood, thus something extremely old and antiquated.
- ad hominem: literally “to the man”; appealing to a person’s feelings or prejudices rather than his intellect
- crotchet: a highly individual and usually eccentric opinion or preference
- deipnosophist: a person skilled in dinner conversation
- desiderata: things desired as essential
About this entry
You’re currently reading “Thirteen (Fun) Obscure Words,” an entry on JONTILLMAN.COM
- Published:
- 1.11.07 / 12am
- Category:
- Doing
- Tags:
- Thursday Thirteen, writing
) Now the challenge this week is to use each of those words in a sentence in everyday conversation!
Really interesting entry and thanks for dropping by 
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