Overmorrow refers to the day after tomorrow and I feel like it comes in quite handy for example.
Sesquipedalian: A user of big words
I like that saying sesquipedalian makes you sesquipedalian.
This is my favourite too. I have a very sesquipedalian friend, and I had the honour of introducing him to the word.
Whom
The
Vituperative. Means vicious.
It’s German but ‘Rucksackriemenquerverbindungsträger’, the thing between the straps of a backpack that you can connect to lighten the load on your shoulders.
Well … I knew exactly what you meant, as you know what I mean when I say: “Rucksackriemenquerverbindsungsträgerersatzschnalle” and I think it’s beautiful.
Also: “Getriebeschmiernippel”
The chest strap?
Yes
fuck germany
That’s a lot of people, I doubt you have the stamina
What did Germany ever do to you?
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Albeit.
My favorite English word… I use it quite often because it fits the German Ductus.
Gloam/gloaming
The onset of twilight/becoming gloomy
Spotted the Radiohead fan
I’m honestly not sure what you’re referring to. Is that a word they use a lot in their lyrics?
Meant to say in my Nero Wolfe comment - there’s a Lemmy community for interesting words at !wotd@lemmy.world - it’s not very busy, but still.
Sorry
I see you’ve never been to Canada.
Sorry, I speak a little Canadian, eh?
Not a word, but there’s a specific phrase uttered when you casually pass by someone working, stop for a chat, and then genuinely wish them well with their work as you leave.
This phrase does not exist in English:
- “Break a leg” is close, but more reserved for some grand performance
Nor does it exist in German:
- “Viel Spass/Glück” (Have fun, Good Luck) is also close, but has an element of sarcasm and/or success through chance.
In Turkish, you just say “Kolay Gelsin”, meaning “May the work come easy so that you finish sooner”.
Its such a useful unjudgemental phrase, easily uttered, that I’ve seen nowhere else. Maybe other languages have it too.
“Good luck with/have fun with that!” In a pleasant tone while gesturing towards the act being done is enough, I’ve found
Unless it’s clearly like, WORK, work, then something like “don’t work too hard, there!” Is common
The tone of it is the same, but there’s also a sarcastic interpretation of it though, and it can be applied liberally to lots of non-work situations
Dutch: ‘Werk ze’
I say “good luck” in a non-sarcastic tone to people whenever they head off on some banal errand. It gets some confused looks sometimes, laughs others.
Reminds me of a much abbreviated version of this Irish prayer:
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Exactly this kind of sentiment. Beautiful poem.
I will steal that one!
“May the odds be ever in your favor” works in almost any situation!
Would “Have a good one” maybe serve that purpose? It’s not exactly the same, but similar sentiment.
Very true! At the same time, I feel like you would only say that to something that will happen and not something that is currently happening. Is that right?
Yeah, I’d say so. Maybe something like “Take it easy” would fit better.
“… and if that don’t work, take it sleazy.”
Smaragdin which means “green”
I’m currently reading through all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, and one fun feature is that he almost always includes one or more very obscure words. It’s a nice little thing to look out for.
In the one I’m currently reading it’s, “peculate,” meaning to embezzle or steal money. Others include:
- Plerophory - Fullness, especially of conviction or persuasion
- Apodictically - From apodictic: clearly established or beyond dispute
- Usufruct - The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
- Acarpous - Not producing fruit; sterile; barren
- Yclept - By the name of
- Eruction - A belch or burp
I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.
It’s curious to see how things merge between languages. In Spain, both usufruct (usufructo) and eruction (eructo) are quite common words.
Oh really? That’s cool, thanks for the info. Language is so fascinating 👍
I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Yeah, I was thinking I might. I ly thing is, I haven’t got all the books, nor do I have a website on which to host such a list. However I might still have a go 👍
If you start it, just put a tag that the list is incomplete and the wiki crowd will finish it.
I think it’s used more often in computer science, but the difference between contiguous and continuous. Continuous means “without end” and contiguous means “without break.”
As in the continuous United States 🦅🦅🦅
🫡
Gandalf brought an extra eagle because he didn’t know if Smeagol survived.
Look, you cant just go around throwing mind-bending wisdom like that into a random thread.
I’ve got six of them:
- Tittynope: “A small amount left over; a modicum.”
- Cacography: “bad handwriting or spelling.”
- Epeolatry: “the worship of words.”
- Kakistocracy: “a state or society governed by its least suitable or competent citizens.”
- Oikophilia: “love of home”
- Tenebrous: “dark; shadowy or obscure”
‘Tenebroso’ is commonly used in Spanish, at least in Spain. This whole thread is very interesting.
Feel like tenebrous being on a list of obscure words is tenuous, but maybe I just have esoteric interests.
Darth Tenebrous
Unlike many of these I’d heard it before but didn’t know its true meaning. It fits.
That list is going to send me down a rabbit hole looking for the etymology of words
I’m a master in Cacography!
“Pardon my cacography” sure has a better ring to it than, “can you read this?”
Oh, I also really like Mammonism: “the greedy pursuit of riches”, from the Biblical “Mammon”.
