QOD
Inspired by a website devoted to people's favorite words.
I was surprised to find that my own personal word preference - cacophony - was already entered.
Other favorites of mine:
ubiquitous
snowfall
serendipity
flitter
flabbergasted
smithereens
What's your favorite word? Why?
Comments
Heebeejeebees
Posted by: Roxanne | July 18, 2005 10:19 AM
shenanigans
Posted by: Bon | July 18, 2005 10:38 AM
My favorite word of all time is one I made up as a child: monkercaints. It's a noun, used to describe people who I wanted to call dirty names when I couldn't say them in front of my parents or other adults. I'm not really sure how it's spelled, since I came up with it before I could actually write.
As far as real words go, I kind of like the word 'sesquipedalian'.
Posted by: shank | July 18, 2005 10:53 AM
I like "flummoxed." If used properly and judiciously, it will get a laugh every time.
Posted by: Robb | July 18, 2005 11:01 AM
Have several made-up words from many bored hours in the Navy.
Gritch; a part of your dinner left on your shirt.
Gribble; a small sip from your soda, please?
Gurf; beer then liquor will make you gurf.
Then, a word we hijacked to mean something entirely different...
Gazebo; that's a HUGE zit on your face there... You'd better POP that GAZEBO!
Posted by: Rob@L&R | July 18, 2005 11:07 AM
Onomatopoeia. The word itself is rhythmic--like it's doing a little jig off your tongue. And the fact that it means "a word that imitates the sound it describes" is just cool. BAM! CRASH! PURRRRRRRRRRRR :-)
Posted by: Amanda | July 18, 2005 11:26 AM
horticulture
lugubrious
saturnine
ostentatious
masticate
germinate
obstreperous
No real idea why. But I like most of the other ones listed here as well.
Posted by: Keiran Halcyon | July 18, 2005 11:37 AM
Mephistophelean
because it is devilish
knucklehead
because it is so old school
Posted by: mbruce | July 18, 2005 12:07 PM
asscock
psychopharmocological
salient
douchebag
irregardless*
adequelaciousness**
schwarzenegger
*Wifey and I use this as code to indicate that someone with whom we are conversing is a pretentious ass
**Not sure of the exact spelling; it's from NewsRadio when Bill is expounding about how fantastic it is to be called "adequate"
Posted by: disconnect | July 18, 2005 12:07 PM
I like 'cling' and 'moist' because they sound like what they mean.
Posted by: Karol | July 18, 2005 12:08 PM
If you click on the link I provided, I think you'll see that they are referring to REAL words.
Posted by: michele | July 18, 2005 12:09 PM
Indefatigable, but it's already up.
I could potentially break down and add reconnoiter, if it's not there by the time I go home.
Posted by: Tanya | July 18, 2005 12:09 PM
Semi-real words: Irregardless, Misunderestimate.
Posted by: Tanya | July 18, 2005 12:12 PM
Hallelujah, and I'm not sure why. I'm not religious at all; I just have always thought it was a beautiful word. It's been my favorite since I was a kid.
Posted by: shannon | July 18, 2005 12:13 PM
How could I forget
"Mollycoddle" ?
as a transitive verb of course, rarely as a noun.
Picked it up from "Aresenic and Old Lace", as in
'Mollycoddle,stuff and nonsense"
God I'm old.......
Posted by: mbruce | July 18, 2005 12:16 PM
Are John Madden words allowed? If so I'd choose slobberknocker.
Posted by: The Deacon | July 18, 2005 12:40 PM
Mendicant.
It just sounds cool.
Posted by: Laurence Simon | July 18, 2005 12:41 PM
If we're talking real words I've always enjoted imbroglio, and fisticuffs.
Posted by: The Deacon | July 18, 2005 12:43 PM
Vagina.
As in ...
"Is that your vagina?"
"Yes, that vagina belongs to me."
Posted by: Bill from INDC | July 18, 2005 01:02 PM
I like cornucopia-- especially when paired with 'veritable'
and fuckwad has always been dear to my heart
Posted by: AimeeC | July 18, 2005 01:04 PM
I actually keep a running list of my favorite words. I think the present toppers are:
whisper
delicious
lunacy
sensual
and always.
Posted by: Warren | July 18, 2005 01:47 PM
Bill,
Also as in...
"Sounds like someone has sand in their vagina"
Posted by: coolrobc | July 18, 2005 01:51 PM
Well, the official language hasn't caught up with popular usage yet, so mook isn't eligible.
That leaves me with postprandial and condign. And brobdingnagian. And feckless.
Posted by: HT | July 18, 2005 02:42 PM
eponymous
Posted by: MarkD | July 18, 2005 02:52 PM
huggermugger
nonsequitor
billingsgater
raconteur
and of course, albatross
Posted by: Charlie on the Pennsylvania Turnpike | July 18, 2005 03:25 PM
Favorite word: "Yes"
Why: Because of what follows.
Posted by: Chrees | July 18, 2005 03:34 PM
voluptuous
Posted by: lucia | July 18, 2005 04:15 PM
lunch
why: because we get to eat!
Posted by: Wind RIder | July 18, 2005 04:24 PM
pretty.
it's simple, it's nice. it's always nice to be told you look pretty, your hair looks pretty, pretty shoes...
pretty.
Posted by: Libragirl | July 18, 2005 05:31 PM
Plethora. I just like what it means and no one ever uses it.
Posted by: Timmer | July 18, 2005 05:40 PM
humuhumunukunukuapua'a. because it rolls right off the tongue, and it's fun to say.
it's the (unofficial) state fish of Hawai'i, also known as the Picasso Triggerfish.
Posted by: mikey | July 18, 2005 07:16 PM
serendipity
transmogrify
fubar
transubstantiate
connivance
Posted by: leelu | July 18, 2005 07:25 PM
Conniption.
As in "Andrew Sullivan is having another conniption fit over abu-ghraib"
Posted by: Gromulin | July 18, 2005 07:29 PM
I'm a big fan of cacophony and serendipity as well. Also "tranquil", I like it's meaning and the way it tickles my mouth. Ok, that sounds dirty, I didn't mean it that way, but what the hell...
Posted by: Christine | July 18, 2005 09:20 PM
Clearly, "defenestration."
Posted by: Adam | July 18, 2005 10:24 PM
Sisyphean
I love this word and what it implies, the endless, repetitive, futile nature of a task, something I relate to as s single mom. I even have a little statue of Sisyphus ... not exactly for inspiration but just to remind me that things could be worse!
Herculean works when I have to dumb my conversation down a bit ... it doesn't have quite the same effect, though.
Posted by: SharonO | July 18, 2005 11:28 PM
Milquetoast.
A great, descriptive word.
Posted by: Gromulin | July 19, 2005 12:46 PM
Erg.
It's a unit of measure and a superhero name...
Posted by: LDH | July 19, 2005 05:14 PM
Mandible.
Posted by: Dean Esmay | July 19, 2005 07:52 PM
Blunderbuss?
Posted by: G-Do | July 20, 2005 12:26 AM