Words we love and hate

[anon]

lubricious; oxycocet; crystalline

[anon]

The sound, the mouthfeel, the ... something about the meanings underlying them..

[mimi]

Words that irk me. (irk being one of them)

ergo ...Not that there's anything wrong with the word....there's just some kind of pompousness around it.

infrastructure....same reason.

epic ....the exact opposite reason.

[eugenetswong]

I love "antidisestablishmentarianism".
I might have mispelled it, but I'm try to share the longest English word. I love the longest word for the length, and for how easy it is to understand, once you break down the syllables. Trying to figure it out on your own is like playing with a logic puzzle.

I'm sure that there are words that I dislike, but I just can't think of them right now.

[Blurt]

Nincompoop is a fave. I guess just for the way it ends with a bang on the lips of those who utter it.

Meek is another. It actually sounds like what you'd hear if you crushed someone under your boot.

I also like the word agog; it brings to mind very cartoonish images of dislocated jaws and exorbited eyeballs (think Jim Carey in The Mask, during the wolf whistle scene).

I just love the word avuncular. Not having any children of my own, at least my niece can use it (in its proper sense).

I hate the word utilize. People "utilize" it inappropriately in order to make themselves sound more intelligent whereas, in fact, it just makes them sound officious. Use of the word "use" ought to be enough to cover pretty much all the bases.

Another peeve: the word parturition. It's unnecessarily jargonistic. You give birth. Period. (Oh! the ironic juxtaposition of words!)

[Blurt]

[Mad Serb]

I hate like.

[k.s.ethan]

I like the word vehicle.

[k.s.ethan]

I like how it sounds. I also like the word defibrillator.

I like the following words too: conduct, perform, investigate, repair, complete, submit, install, replace, modify, program, etc.
They're simple words that describe daily work activities.

[Blurt]

I love it when people say the "l" in it because they can't bring themselves to ask for some "kawk" at the hardware store.

That would be like asking for some KALK at the Village sauna baths.

[Blurt]

Speaking of caulk, I never figured out the word lollygag. I have this image of Telly Savalas choking.

[Azhya Aryola]

I like all words, English words, that is. Remember that this is not my mother tongue. I speak it well enough but I speak Tagalog also to all my Filipino family and friends. When I speak and write in English, it is like putting on a different hat like acting/performing.

[Azhya Aryola]

Interesting Asia. I never thought of it that way before.

Hi, RW! I don't like words put together that have negative impact such as when I hear the following:

"Don't take this the wrong way..."

"I don't mean no disrespect but..."

"I hate to disappoint you but..."

"Listen here..."

[J0E]

Interesting Asia. I never thought of it that way before.

Hi, RW! I don't like words put together that have negative impact such as when I hear the following:

"Don't take this the wrong way..."

"I don't mean no disrespect but..."

"I hate to disappoint you but..."

"Listen here..."

...somehow AA, I think you like the words that have anything to do with 'sex'

[bill barilko]

chthonic-throws 'em every time.

[Lochdubh]

Interesting Asia. I never thought of it that way before.

Hi, RW! I don't like words put together that have negative impact such as when I hear the following:

"Don't take this the wrong way..."

"I don't mean no disrespect but..."

"I hate to disappoint you but..."

"Listen here..."

With all due respect.................

[Lochdubh]

Speaking of caulk, I never figured out the word lollygag. I have this image of Telly Savalas choking.

gobsmacked.

[Lochdubh]

fave words:

akimbo - sounds vaguely African - also sexually open for errr...........business

inchoate - precise and economical

niggardly - a perfectly good word that can set the barn ablaze

[Azhya Aryola]

Hi, RW! I don't like words put together that have negative impact such as when I hear the following:

"Don't take this the wrong way..."

"I don't mean no disrespect but..."

"I hate to disappoint you but..."

"Listen here..."

...somehow AA, I think you like the words that have anything to do with 'sex'

You mean words like wet, rub, swell, engorged, plump, spread, open, enter, penetration, impale, press, intrude, invade, ride, moan, grind, squirt, explode, implode, ooze, drip. Haha!

[J0E]

...somehow AA, I think you like the words that have anything to do with 'sex'

You mean words like wet, rub, swell, engorged, plump, spread, open, enter, penetration, impale, press, intrude, invade, ride, moan, grind, squirt, explode, implode, ooze, drip. Haha!

...well in that case, I'll have to cook up an X-Rated Special for you, post it in the Art Forum.

Call it 'The AA Special', with 'Oooohs!" "Ahhhs" and complete with the smoke.

[Azhya Aryola]

You mean words like wet, rub, swell, engorged, plump, spread, open, enter, penetration, impale, press, intrude, invade, ride, moan, grind, squirt, explode, implode, ooze, drip. Haha!

...well in that case, I'll have to cook up an X-Rated Special for you, post it in the Art Forum.

Call it 'The AA Special', with 'Oooohs!" "Ahhhs" and complete with the smoke.

Really, Joe?! Haha! I don't know about that. I don't want to raise the blood pressure of some of our citizens here.

[Lochdubh]

turgid, glistening, entwined, caress, enfold, nuzzle, prod, cleft, trembling, quiver, rigid, tease, lave, pinion

[Lochdubh]

turgid, glistening, entwined, caress, enfold, nuzzle, prod, cleft, trembling, quiver, rigid, tease, lave, pinion

Hmmmmmmmmmmm........................double post. Must have gotten carried away.

[deletedelete]

"nether regions" - love it:)

[k.s.ethan]

homicide, suicide, patricide, matricide, infanticide, gendercide, biocide... and get this:

regicide, the deliberate killing of a monarch.

[k.s.ethan]

I love 'em all. Such grim words with simple pronunciation.

[Reel]

Indeed - for roughly the same reason as rw, but primarily because my grandfather used to say it regularly without a hint of pomp and it always fascinated me that he managed to do that. I type it often and imagine it the way he would say it, but I can't bring myself to actually say it because I'm afraid I would ruin the charm.

I hate utilize for the same reason as Blurt. It creates a visceral feeling of rage in me and the user is instantly branded as an idiot in my mind.

Otherwise, I like most pointlessly pompous or archaic words such as indubitably, feckless, nugatory or perchance, particularly if I don't know what they mean right away. However, I have the same feeling of visceral rage if I know they are being misused without some humourous intent (being relatively apolitical, this is the main thing that sets me off on the likes of Conan, Joe, or Munday, who do this frequently).

That being said, my vocabulary has taken a severe beating in the past two years that has left it comatose and whimpering.

[deletedelete]

hm. interesting to see how hated utilize is.. i used to utilize it, rarely tho, but still, i'd use it in my - science writing.. to my defense, my supervisor was american and he seemed to like it. or, not hate it:))

[kiebers]

I have a problem with the word retard. It's not a problem in and of itself with the word but what people have done to it.

At one point, it was in common use and described someone who was "delayed" in some way. Then it became disparaging and offensive as words tend to, so we stopped calling those with "challenges" retards. Instead, we started using it to describe someone who did or does something stupid. But some people are still unhappy about it.

If the word retard has been abandoned as a descriptor for someone "challenged" and now applies to people who just do dumb shit, why is it so offensive to call someone of able mind a retard or to say something is retarded? Society, or whoever the fuck is dictating appropriate word usage, has said we shouldn't use the word retard because it's been perverted to be offensive, but we can't use it to be intentionally offensive either?

I'm sorry, but that's just retarded.

Guess you need a close family member to be "challenged" and to experience their reactions to the word to really understand the devastation it causes. And they react to the word regardless of whether it was meant for them or not. So I have to be on the side of hate on that one, even though I may slip myself.
*edit
And I do completely understand your viewpoint, however we can just call the culprits dumb shit, stupid, idiots, shit for brains...lots of things.

[kiebers]

And like I said, I do completely understand your view point. I may be totally off base here but if I attempt to read a little between the lines not only is it frowned upon to use but you personally feel that little tug of guilt in the back of your mind every time you use it, because of your cousin. And DAMMIT its not fair ...Just like I do because of my brother-in-law, that my wife and I take care of. But I agree its such a good word to use in certain circumstances and sucks cause of the assholes that made it derogatory because of the ridicule rained down on those who are challenged. Used to be really bad in my school days. (which is when the word got a bad rap) Assholes making fun of the special ed students. Should have run them all up the flagpoles. Although we had one that everyone used to throw pennies at to see him scramble to pick them up. Back then a penny was probably worth a quarter now...he probably made what would be about 30-40 dollars a day, today. But I felt so small when they treated him like that. Ashamed to be human almost...they called him Sky King cause he always had his arms out like wings pretending to be an airplane going down the hall....Ahhhh the not so good old days. So it was my generation that screwed that word up for everyone...LOL