It’s funny how some words strike a chord. They may set your teeth on edge, or they may make you smile. Here a 10 of my favourite words.
10. Snarky – sarcastic, irritable or disrespectful behaviour
This attitude seems adopted mainly by teenagers and politicians. I love that you almost have to sneer to say this word, which only adds to its effectiveness.
9. Salubrious – healthy, wholesome or beneficial; grand, agreeable, luxurious
The rich mouth-feel of this word indeed conveys luxury and grandness.
8. Gimp – slang for someone who is physically lame; one who has “certain fetishes”; stiff cord used for trimming
OK… so I’m a massive Pulp Fiction fan and can’t get past that iconic line “Bring out the gimp”. I’m also prone to using this with reference to my “gimpy” heart.
7. Mellifluous – pleasant to the ear; flowing with honey or sweetness
This word just flows off the tongue and sounds like a bubbling brook. Again, the meaning seems to be embodied in the verbal expression of the word.
6. Conniption – a violent fit of emotion, such as anger or panic
Do you really want to give your mother a conniption by not calling to say you’ll be late? This one really evokes such a clear mental image.
5. Segue – moving seamlessly from one state, theme, or situation to another
I just love how this is pronounced so differently from what you would expect from the spelling.
4. Pernickety – fussy, picky, fastidious
This delightfully old-fashioned word really does evoke images of a fussy old dear who needs everything “just so”.
3. Foible – a failing, weakness or idiosyncrasy; the most vulnerable part of a sword blade
It’s just fun to say!
2. Flibbertigibbet – a silly, scatterbrained person
Another terrifically fun word to say. I also like to use it to refer to someone who is running around a lot, but not achieving much eg. “He was flibbertigibbetting all over the place”
1. Thanks – no explanation needed, I would hope
Honestly, this word costs nothing and achieves so much. And there is so much in life to be thankful for.
So what are your favourite words? Are they in this list, or have you got an entirely different set?
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