20 Weird English Words

Brimstone

5-7-2008 9:57 AM

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<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/1846ab68-372f-446c-86cb-4e421a1c80cc/949927D5-E4F7-46C6-9AF9-E1AC16D5E0C2/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/" href="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/" style="font-size: 11px;">listverse.com</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">1. Erinaceous</SPAN></p> <P>Like a hedgehog</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">2. Lamprophony</SPAN></p> <P>Loudness and clarity of voice</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">3. Depone</SPAN></p> <P>To testify under oath</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">4. Finnimbrun</SPAN></p> <P>A trinket or knick-knack</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">5. floccinaucinihilipilification</SPAN></p> <P>Estimation that something is valueless.  <EM>Proper</EM> pronunciation based on Latin roots: flockə-nowsə-nəkələ-pələ-fək-<STRONG>a</STRONG>tion.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">6. Inaniloquent</SPAN></p> <P>Pertaining to idle talk</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">7. Limerance</SPAN></p> <P>An attempt at a scientific study into the nature of romantic love.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">8. Mesonoxian</SPAN></p> <P>Pertaining to midnight</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">9. Mungo</SPAN></p> <P>A dumpster diver - one who extracts valuable things from trash</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">10. Nihilarian</SPAN></p> <P>A person who deals with things lacking importance (pronounce the ‘h’ like a ‘k’).</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">11. Nudiustertian</SPAN></p> <P>The day before yesterday</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">12. Phenakism</SPAN></p> <P>Deception or trickery</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">13. Pronk</SPAN></p> <P>A weak or foolish person</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">14. Pulveratricious</SPAN></p> <P>Covered with dust</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">15. Rastaquouere</SPAN></p> <P>A social climber</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">16. Scopperloit</SPAN></p> <P>Rude or rough play</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">17. Selcouth</SPAN></p> <P>Unfamiliar, rare, strange, marvelous, wonderful.  For example: The List Universe is such a selcouth website!</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://listverse.com/miscellaneous/20-weird-english-words/"><P><SPAN class="litem">18. Tyrotoxism</SPAN></p> <P>To be poisoned by cheese</P></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/949927D5-E4F7-46C6-9AF9-E1AC16D5E0C2/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content6.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

tags:

literature

Brimstone says:

19. Widdiful

Someone who deserves to be hanged

20. Zabernism

The abuse of military power or authority. I wonder how long it will take for this one to show up in the comments.

4 Comments |

Add a Comment

5-7-2008 9:59 AM

alanocu

weird and hard to pronounce, too!

5-7-2008 10:07 AM

alanocu

here's an interesting blog post: THE TEN FOREIGN WORDS THAT WERE VOTED HARDEST TO TRANSLATE (sorry about the caps)
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/08/lost_in_transla.html

5-7-2008 1:50 PM

michellezm

Nice Brim.

Alan, I think some of the hardest words to pronounce must be the Zulu/Xhosa and Khoi-San languages because they have click sounds. I think Zulu has four different clicks and the Khoi-San even more (but I stand to be corrected). For instance, my father was born in a town called Xopo. The X is a deep click where the tongue is placed on the roof of the mouth and then drawn down sharply into a deep sounding click and then followed by the 'opo' (aww paw). But it's beautiful to listen to. Just thought you may be interested.

5-8-2008 5:07 AM