Obscure Vocabulary Words

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
8,839
Location
North Shore, Chicago
I am curious. How many of you knew that "ideation" is a real word? I didn't until I looked it up but it is a word I have never heard anyone actually use...kind of like the words "chortle", "guffaw", "effete", "eschew" or "insouciant". you see them in books but never hear anyone use them in conversation. I have said it before, I am very skeptical of nebulous job titles. WTBS, wish him the best in his job...whatever it may be. ;)
Eschew and insouciant are commonly enough used words. Chortle and guffaw are a little archaic today. Effete, although I know its meaning, is not a word I would probably use. Ideation is not a word I had ever heard until about 3 years ago. It has become an "it" word today. I have a fascination with words and their etymology. I probably would have made a good lexicographer.
 

EddieK

Jolly Good Fellow
Messages
155
Location
Smyrna, GA
Eschew and insouciant are commonly enough used words. Chortle and guffaw are a little archaic today. Effete, although I know its meaning, is not a word I would probably use. Ideation is not a word I had ever heard until about 3 years ago. It has become an "it" word today. I have a fascination with words and their etymology. I probably would have made a good lexicographer.
I had to look up three words in this paragraph
 

orientalnc

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
9,900
Location
Oriental, NC
Eschew and insouciant are commonly enough used words. Chortle and guffaw are a little archaic today. Effete, although I know its meaning, is not a word I would probably use. Ideation is not a word I had ever heard until about 3 years ago. It has become an "it" word today. I have a fascination with words and their etymology. I probably would have made a good lexicographer.
My attitude toward this latest turn in the thread is insouciant, so I will eschew ideation of further comments.
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
8,839
Location
North Shore, Chicago
Make it four then, guffaw too. I've heard the word a few times, but didn't know its definition
To me chortle and guffaw make me think of "It's a Wonderful Life" era speech. They're just not words that have much traction today.

Some of my favorite uncommonly used words: are melange, crapacious, twattle, and defalcation. I especially like crapacious and defalcation. (BTW, crapacious doesn't mean being crappy)
 

whitegoldsphinx

Ramblin' Wreck
Messages
817
To me chortle and guffaw make me think of "It's a Wonderful Life" era speech. They're just not words that have much traction today.

Some of my favorite uncommonly used words: are melange, crapacious, twattle, and defalcation. I especially like crapacious and defalcation. (BTW, crapacious doesn't mean being crappy)
Too bad. My first thought was that TFG was a crapacious head coach.
 

Augusta_Jacket

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
8,095
Location
Augusta, Georgia
To me chortle and guffaw make me think of "It's a Wonderful Life" era speech. They're just not words that have much traction today.

Some of my favorite uncommonly used words: are melange, crapacious, twattle, and defalcation. I especially like crapacious and defalcation. (BTW, crapacious doesn't mean being crappy)

Did you mean capacious instead of crapacious?
 

GT121314

Georgia Tech Fan
Messages
19
It's not in any dictionary I know of. That, however, doesn't always mean it's not an actual word.
I agree. I'm not saying those two sources are the final word on if a word is a word, but I figure it would be mentioned somewhere official when it is searched. Not the top 4 results being slang dictionaries giving the exact definition forensic said that it did not mean :unsure:
 

forensicbuzz

21st Century Throwback Dad
Messages
8,839
Location
North Shore, Chicago
What language are you speaking? I can't find this word in Merriam-Webster or Dictionary.com. Top result is from Urban Dictionary meaning "being crappy"

I agree. I'm not saying those two sources are the final word on if a word is a word, but I figure it would be mentioned somewhere official when it is searched. Not the top 4 results being slang dictionaries giving the exact definition forensic said that it did not mean :unsure:
It's a really old word. But, I just realized autocorrect kept correcting the word I was spelling. It's Crapulous. Sorry. I was drinking last night and not paying enough attention to my spelling.
 

HurricaneJacket

Helluva Engineer
Messages
1,718
I am curious. How many of you knew that "ideation" is a real word? I didn't until I looked it up but it is a word I have never heard anyone actually use...kind of like the words "chortle", "guffaw", "effete", "eschew" or "insouciant". you see them in books but never hear anyone use them in conversation. I have said it before, I am very skeptical of nebulous job titles. WTBS, wish him the best in his job...whatever it may be. ;)
I use it almost daily in my design engineering job
 

4shotB

Helluva Engineer
Retired Staff
Messages
4,935
I use it almost daily in my design engineering job
And honestly, I imagine if I were still working a "real job" (i.e. a "high paying" job), I would be using it too. I used the buzz words liberally (corporate code switching if you will) in my day as I needed the paycheck.Had mouths to feed and bills to pay. Survivalism in the postmodern world. It worked. I jumped off the merry go round and left on my own volition. Left all the jargon in the trash and my good stapler on my desk for the next guy. :)
 
Top