Have you ever faked being sick to get the day off from work? Well, you were egroting. Have you ever laid a shampoo bottle on its side to draw the stubborn goop out of the bottom? You were duffifying.
HERE IS A COLLECTION OF SOME ENGLISH WORDS THAT YOU PROBABLY DO NOT KNOW AND MIGHT ACTUALLY FIND USEFUL:
balter (v.): to dance artlessly, without particular grace or skill but usually with enjoyment.
Example: “Never underestimate the healing power of listening to your favorite music on full blast while baltering”
Example: “Never underestimate the healing power of listening to your favorite music on full blast while baltering”
chork (v.): to make the noise that feet do when one’s shoes are full of water.
Example: “Caught in the rainstorm with no shelter, he was soon chorking his way toward a terrible cold.”
Example: “Caught in the rainstorm with no shelter, he was soon chorking his way toward a terrible cold.”
duffifie (v.): to lay a bottle on its side for some time so that it may be completely drained of the few drops remaining.
Example: “The relationship started to fall apart when Dennis uprighted a bottle of ketchup that Sarah had been duffifying for days.”
Example: “The relationship started to fall apart when Dennis uprighted a bottle of ketchup that Sarah had been duffifying for days.”
egrote (v.): to feign sickness in order to avoid work.
Example: “Among lazy men, egroting is a pursuit of perfection.”
feague (v.): to put a live eel up a horse’s bottom; used figuratively to describe encouraging someone or getting their spirits up.
Example: “I’ve heard Ann Romney’s secret to winning dressage is feaguing Rafalca right before the competition.”
This word, used in the 1700s by what were apparently kinky horse-traders, came from a reference called Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.
jehu (n.): a fast or furious driver.
Example: “So I’ve got an idea for a movie. We get a bunch of jehus—well, that’s about it..” A jehu is named for Jehu, a Biblical figure who “driveth furiously” as he went to murder King Ahab by the Lord’s decree.
metanoia (n.): the journey of changing one’s mind, spirit, heart, self or way of life; fundamental change of mind; spiritual conversion.
Example: Metanoia in the psychological theory of Carl Jung denotes a process of reforming the psyche as a form of self healing, a proposed explanation for the phenomenon of psychotic breakdown .
This one actually has its origins in Greek.
pedeconference (n.): to hold a meeting while walking.
Example: “Roughly 40% of the West Wing is footage of people pedeconferencing.”
Example: “Among lazy men, egroting is a pursuit of perfection.”
feague (v.): to put a live eel up a horse’s bottom; used figuratively to describe encouraging someone or getting their spirits up.
Example: “I’ve heard Ann Romney’s secret to winning dressage is feaguing Rafalca right before the competition.”
This word, used in the 1700s by what were apparently kinky horse-traders, came from a reference called Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.
jehu (n.): a fast or furious driver.
Example: “So I’ve got an idea for a movie. We get a bunch of jehus—well, that’s about it..” A jehu is named for Jehu, a Biblical figure who “driveth furiously” as he went to murder King Ahab by the Lord’s decree.
metanoia (n.): the journey of changing one’s mind, spirit, heart, self or way of life; fundamental change of mind; spiritual conversion.
Example: Metanoia in the psychological theory of Carl Jung denotes a process of reforming the psyche as a form of self healing, a proposed explanation for the phenomenon of psychotic breakdown .
This one actually has its origins in Greek.
pedeconference (n.): to hold a meeting while walking.
Example: “Roughly 40% of the West Wing is footage of people pedeconferencing.”
redamancy (n.): the act of loving the one who loves you; loving in return
Example: “Despite his lack of redamancy her passion for him was unabated for several years.”
Example: “Despite his lack of redamancy her passion for him was unabated for several years.”
scuddle (v.): to run with an affected haste.
Example: “Desperate to look important and with nothing to do, she scuddled around the office like a pinball.”
Example: “Desperate to look important and with nothing to do, she scuddled around the office like a pinball.”
serendipity (n.): the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident; finding something good without looking for it.
Example: “Sarah had known Josh for years and had a crush on him. She never knew that Josh liked her too. It must have been serendipity that their mutual friend Alice set them up on a blind date.”
Example: “Sarah had known Josh for years and had a crush on him. She never knew that Josh liked her too. It must have been serendipity that their mutual friend Alice set them up on a blind date.”
snollygoster. (n.): One, especially a politician, who is guided by personal advantage rather than by consistent, respectable principles.
Example : “Even though he professed to not be a crook, our president was still a bit of a snollygoster, wasn’t he?”
Example : “Even though he professed to not be a crook, our president was still a bit of a snollygoster, wasn’t he?”
throttlebottom (n.): a dishonest man who holds public office.
Example: “’That Barack Obama is a downright throttlebottom!’ said the Tea Party supporter who feigned political opinions so he could wear colonial garb.”
Other great political insults include flapdoodler, lollie boy, pollywog and quockerwodger.
uhtceare (n.): lying awake before dawn and worrying.
Example: “Knowing that some object he owned had been secretly put in the toilet bowl, Jerry lay awake, plagued by uhtceare.”
Pronounced oot-key-are-a, the word breaks down into two parts: uht, a word for the restless hour before dawn and ceare, an Old English term for care and sorrow.
zarf (n.): the cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup that keeps you from burning your fingers.
Example: “Forgetting a zarf often leads to a dangerous game of hot potato.”
In the olden days, zarfs were typically metal or ornamental. These days they’re referred to as ‘one of those little cardboard thingys.
Example: “Knowing that some object he owned had been secretly put in the toilet bowl, Jerry lay awake, plagued by uhtceare.”
Pronounced oot-key-are-a, the word breaks down into two parts: uht, a word for the restless hour before dawn and ceare, an Old English term for care and sorrow.
zarf (n.): the cup-shaped holder for a hot coffee cup that keeps you from burning your fingers.
Example: “Forgetting a zarf often leads to a dangerous game of hot potato.”
In the olden days, zarfs were typically metal or ornamental. These days they’re referred to as ‘one of those little cardboard thingys.
Sources:
1. Horologicon by Mark Forsyth
2. www.thefreedictionary.com/
3. http://other-wordly.tumblr.com/
1. Horologicon by Mark Forsyth
2. www.thefreedictionary.com/
3. http://other-wordly.tumblr.com/
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