What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

You know, some words just have resonance. They sound good. They don't have to sound -like- anything, I'm not talking about onomatopoeia, I'm just talking about words that sound good for their own sake. For instance, I think "mahogany" is a particularly good word, as is "Aaron". "Plinth", on the other hand, whilst a great word, sounds untrustworthy. There ought to be a Uriah Heep character somewhere called "Augustus Plinth".

Michael

- Plethora
- Garrulous
- Vagrant

Plethora and Garrulous are obviously good, perhaps because they're exotic. But vagrant takes a rare mind to spot - and I think it's good one.

Pedestrian
I just like how it sounds.

Pique
Just because...
No but seriously, not only I like the sound of it, but I also like that many people have problems with the spelling. I also love words taken from another language.

Intergalactic.

Well, Michael, my favorite word is "Michael".

I love the way its spelled, I love the way it rolls off the tongue, and I love the sharp sound of the "c".

I always hoped that I would at least date a Michael so that I could say it as much as I want, but alas, that was not meant to be.

Here's one I purposefully mispronounce, because I like it better that way:

Epitome

But seriously, you want me to pick one (or a few?). I'm a glutton for dem lexemes.

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "Here's one I purposefully mispronounce, because I like it better that way:

Epitome

But seriously, you want me to pick one (or a few?). I'm a glutton for dem lexemes."

I started this thread with the intention of it becoming a conversation, not a competition. So all your favourite words are welcome - but the criterion is personal preference - so there can be no winners.

Anything you really like is both valid, and welcome.

Michael

But Epitome is good. However, I'm struggling to imagine how else you would pronounce it.

Cumbling Michael wrote: "But Epitome is good. However, I'm struggling to imagine how else you would pronounce it."

On second thoughts, I suppose you could combine "epi" as in "epigram" with "Tome" as in "large book". That might be fun.

I thought that was how it was pronounced?

☆Joycedale☆ wrote: "I thought that was how it was pronounced?"

It's one of those dastardly classical words. It's really hard to describe the proper pronunciation in English. However, here we go:

Starts off with E (as in "Ear") then "pit" (as in hole in the ground) Then O (as in Oh, my!), followed by "me" as in "Me or you"?

So put together it's Ee-pit-Oh-Me.

Michael

Hope that helps.

1) Ain't anyone got time for that! My personal dictionary list has at least this much in one of the files;
wc: 1733 24610 161344

2) You got my pronunciation in one. And did a great job with the correct version as well.

Love the word "plump". How it sounds is apropos to its definition. It sounds so full, I love the "mp" sound. :)

There's a moorland region of Lancashire, not far from me, with the ancient and evocative name "Anglezarke". In Wiltshire, there's an ancient forest called "Savernake". Words dripping with history.

Some of my favorites
- loquacious
- cryptic
- verisimilitude
- whiskey (I say whisssskey)
- splendid
- rubbish
- ghastly
- soup
- espionage
- lyric

Suddenly


Sometimes I think I use it in every story I write.

Susurrous
Gregarious
Paradox
Arithmetic - yeah, I know, I'm weird
Quixotic

-- edited because I had to add a couple extras --

Daniel
rubric
diamante
luscious
anorexic
chalcedony
orange
inattentive

Apparently I like long words with lots of fricatives. Ooh, and there's another one: fricative :)

Laura wrote: "Love the word "plump". How it sounds is apropos to its definition. It sounds so full, I love the "mp" sound. :)"

"Apropos" is a word I like, mainly because there's still a little school boy in me that can't help but giggle when he sees it as it looks so, well, as if it meant to say backside. :D


Random wrote: "Quixotic"

Yes, that's a fine one!
Can't imagine a reader who wouldn't like this.

All of these were so lovely.
My favorite words are: ephemeral, ethereal, diaphanous, truculent

Mine are


Limerick
Pumpkin
Critter
Espionage
Derriere
Wanderlust
Wunderkind

I'm sure there are more, I just can't think of them right now.

infused.

When my daughter was very little and confused she would say, "I'm so infused."

It became a family word that spread to others over the years.

another vote for discombobulated

Salish. I've always loved the sounds of the city names where I grew up in the northwest. Issaquah, Snoqualmie, Snohomish. They're names from the first nations languages, often the names of tribes. I love the way my mouth shapes around the names, and how much they sound like home.

Oh yeah, there are lots of words like epitome that can go either way, and for some reason my brain has been getting stuck on all of them for the last few months. Once it flashes thru my head, i start chewing on each way... Rarely finding a definitive preference... Much to my annoyance!

But my favorite word has to be BUMBLEBEE. Especially when mixed with drunken. She looks like a drunken bumblebee! The visual always makes me smile.

I need to add a recent favorite Tatterdemalion - not the character. It means ragamuffin or a person in dilapidated clothing. Skedaddle too.

Posh. It just sounds so... posh.

2 of my favorites are vendetta and cahoots, not because of their meaning, but because of how they sound and are spelled.

I love the word "crisp". It sounds so fresh and exciting!

I love "vast" and "heebie-jeebies"!

I'll have to add twitterpated, defenestrate, and myriad.

I'm bummed because I learned a couple of days ago that 'octopi' is not actually the correct plural of 'octopus'. (It's apparently 'octopuses' or 'octopodes'.) So upsetting. Octopi is fun to say and one of my favorites.

Several of my other favorites have already been mentioned. I also like:
dappled
auspicious
dwindle
gloom
multitudinous
luminous
lapse
ember
autumn
quince

antepenultimate

funambulist

monobromotrifloromethane

Verisimilitude
Brobdingnagian
Googolplex

Gobsmacked

Evolution, biology, cedar, and Galaxy

skedaddle
serendipity
ramshackle
ubiquitous

I have a three way tie for my fav; Anarchy, Memorabilia, and Raggamuffin

Hmm, I'm curious...

Does anyone else have a privately compiled dictionary?

You mean a commonplace book?

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "Hmm, I'm curious...

Does anyone else have a privately compiled dictionary?"

The thought has never occurred to me. I'd love to, but I have a feeling if I started one I'd never get anything else done.

Skedaddle, Effervescence and I don't have a dictionary on file but I do have an unofficial one of made up words and expressions so my fiancé can keep them straight. :D

calliope
serendipity
gelatinous
ruminant

The list goes on and on. I love words.

Justanotherbiblophile wrote: "Hmm, I'm curious...

Does anyone else have a privately compiled dictionary?"

Yes.

It's not big though, it's quite short because frankly you have to remember you're keeping it, and it takes time to stop what you're reading and add the word, or make yourself a note to add the word. Right now it goes from adamantine to yurt.

And then an Addendum to the dictionary is a collection of phrases I've either read or heard that were hilarious or noteworthy, and if I'm being careful, I note the source. For example, "he went shouty crackers" means he threw a hissy fit. Source: Hugh Grant

Waldo wrote: "You mean a commonplace book?"

I have one of those too.

Another useful list is "words I always say in my head but don't know if I'm pronouncing correctly, so I should learn before I say them out loud."

Believe it or not Youtube is a good source for finding out the pronunciation of things.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-ESS...

It has never occurred to me to use YouTube for that. Thanks, Lobstergirl!