While Moby Dick is widely acknowledged to be filled with wonderful words that are used today by the most erudite of people, it should also be acknowledged that the book is filled with odd words that should be re-inserted into our modern conversations. Here are a few of these I'd like to promote.
Bosky (pg. 29): forest-like
Scraggy (pg. 32): ragged, bare
Verdure (pg. 37): greenery
Cupidity (pg. 39): greed
Confabulations (pg. 52): conversations
Vitiated (pg. 55): impaired
Trump (pg. 61): a reliable or admirable person (Oh dear!)
Vesture (pg. 75): clothing
Crotchet (pg. 88): a perverse or unfounded belief or notion
Costermonger (pg. 94): a person who sells fruits and vegetables from a cart on the street (I wish we had more costermongers, by the way.)
Muster (pg. 100): assemble, gather
Palavering (pg. 104): talking
Quoggy (pg. 111): mushy, soft
Waggish (pg. 116): humorous, playful
Essayed (pg. 129): attempted
Carking (pg. 156): distressing, worrying
Malignity (pg. 176): malevolence
Gainsaid (pg. 208): denied
Celerity (pg. 215): speed, haste
Solicitudes (pg. 220): causes for anxiety or concern
Haply (pg. 225): by chance
Cozening (pg. 246): misleading, deceiving
Shindy (pg. 293): commotion, uproar
Nonce (pg. 334): time being (I like this simply because it is very close to my last name.)
Disport (pg. 387): take amusement
Rake (pg. 390): a libertine, a pleasure-seeker
Diddled (pg. 405): cheated, swindled
Ablutions (pg. 425): cleansing rituals
Twigging (pg. 429): observing
Larders (pg. 443): pantries
Prating (pg. 470): babbling
Lave (pg. 478): wash
Sup (pg. 484): eat
Feign (pg. 510): fain, gladly
Arrant (pg. 519): complete
Boon (pg. 524): favor, benefit
Avail (pg. 547): use
Weltering (pg. 563): surging
Do you like any of these? Any of these you find useful?
Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words
that we’ve encountered in our reading.
If you want to play along, grab the button,
There are so many great words on that list, I don't even know where to start. I love diddled, carking, and waggish. I don't think I'll be using trump though! lol
ReplyDeleteMe, either.
DeleteAgain, I admire your perseverance in noting all these words. I think bosky is very good, but I really like the similar-meaning of "tulgey wood" in the poem Jabberwocky. There's tulgey wood near the boat harbor of Kona on the Big Island, in my opinion.
ReplyDeletebest... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Oh, that's lovely.
DeleteWhat a lovely list. I read it out loud and used the words in sentences, and the effect was almost musical! Try it.
ReplyDelete