- Joined
- Mar 30, 2011
- Messages
- 36,300
- Reaction score
- 16,288
- Location
- Glanaman,Carmarthenshire,Wales
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- Too many - but not nearly enough
Or for the great unwashed - top drawer words 
Careful to put this in the off topic ghetto, and as there’s bugger all happening at the moment a conversation came to mind – An erudite friend commented that I always have certain books within a hand’s reach of my desk (and not always on the bookshelf) for quick reference when I am cogitating (now that’s a good word which brings me to the point) – bible both English and Welsh – dictionaries – same, FN Howes plants and bees, Manley and Hooper ; he called them my enchiridia (plural of enchridions) – from the Greek, meaning a book carried in the hand for reference. ’ What a lovely word’ I thought, and what others come to mind?
Words such as Farrago and Miasma, Mumpsimus hails at me (aptly - A view stubbornly held even when shown to be wrong) And while I sit in my hotel partaking in some Omphaloskepsis (before you call the police, it means navel-gazing) attractive words with uglier meanings but great origins Ultracrepidate - To criticize beyond sphere of one’s knowledge. This very interesting-sounding and useful word for a common practice has a very interesting etymology. In a Roman story, a cobbler criticised the sandals in a painting by the painter Apelles, and then complained about further parts of the work, to which Apelles is said to have replied, "Ne sutor ultra crepidam", or, roughly, "The cobbler must not go beyond the sandal". As true today as it was then.
One word shoulders itself to the front of my mind at the moment, as it has done most days recently slightly more mundane, but rolls around the mouth like my favourite 21 year old Springbank malt –
All these words tintanabulate across the aural passages
So, all you out there what are your favourite words?
Careful to put this in the off topic ghetto, and as there’s bugger all happening at the moment a conversation came to mind – An erudite friend commented that I always have certain books within a hand’s reach of my desk (and not always on the bookshelf) for quick reference when I am cogitating (now that’s a good word which brings me to the point) – bible both English and Welsh – dictionaries – same, FN Howes plants and bees, Manley and Hooper ; he called them my enchiridia (plural of enchridions) – from the Greek, meaning a book carried in the hand for reference. ’ What a lovely word’ I thought, and what others come to mind?
Words such as Farrago and Miasma, Mumpsimus hails at me (aptly - A view stubbornly held even when shown to be wrong) And while I sit in my hotel partaking in some Omphaloskepsis (before you call the police, it means navel-gazing) attractive words with uglier meanings but great origins Ultracrepidate - To criticize beyond sphere of one’s knowledge. This very interesting-sounding and useful word for a common practice has a very interesting etymology. In a Roman story, a cobbler criticised the sandals in a painting by the painter Apelles, and then complained about further parts of the work, to which Apelles is said to have replied, "Ne sutor ultra crepidam", or, roughly, "The cobbler must not go beyond the sandal". As true today as it was then.
One word shoulders itself to the front of my mind at the moment, as it has done most days recently slightly more mundane, but rolls around the mouth like my favourite 21 year old Springbank malt –
POMPOSITY
- beats magniloquent and bombast any dayAll these words tintanabulate across the aural passages
So, all you out there what are your favourite words?
