Words I Like

I like words, I use them everyday, and it only frustrates me very slightly when the word ‘squirrel’ is written with eleven Qs and an infinite amount of Ls. Some words however I like more than others (sorry words), and here is just a mere sampling, merely (goddamit mere, get out of here). I do not use them all in general conversation though as some are more suited to an evening with a lit candle and a plastic spoon, with Debbie Does Dallas* playing softly in the background.

I don’t particularly care what they mean of course, as the words are simply a festering pit of sheer joy themselves.

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1. Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is structurally beautiful- it rolls from the tip of your pen, up your nostril, and right into your heart. It’s all like whoosh, and then the ending is all like oooh betty. Um, in more simpler terms, I enjoy writing it down and feeling it dance around in my brain box because it sounds damn good too. Onomatopoeia, bitches.

2. Malaise

I recently used this wonderful word in an Insanity Aquarium story. The word itself sounds like the very sickness it describes in a fashion which recalls vast deserts and crumbling internal organs. ‘I can’t, on account of my general malaise’ should be a reasonable excuse for most things.

3. Apostasy

It’s all serious and potentially perilous (ooh alliteration, you ugly tramp), but it sounds like it would be wonderful to yell on a bouncy castle.

4. Maelstrom

I love the word maelstrom, as I love mausoleum, as I love maggotorium… actually, that last one not so much. Maelstrom takes the biscuit though because you can feel its power wash over you before you even know that you’re drowning. Beautiful.

5. Felicific

Because if you’re going to have a word to demonstrate the capacity for evolving happiness, at least make it a misery to spell.

6. Codswallop

I love that this is an actual word. People say it, and then you can write it down and everything. Oh God yes.

7. Wont

As in, it is my wont to use the word wont.
‘Doesn’t it need an apostrophe?’
*Maniacal laughter*

8. Juxtaposition

My love of this word developed exclusively from my English Literature GCSE examination answers; the casual dropping of the word alongside its correct usage and occasional correct spelling would always win a smiley face at the very least. Semi-colons never went amiss either;

9. Surreptitiously

My college teacher once challenged me preposterously by claiming that you can be surreptitious, but cannot do things surreptitiously. I subsequently (alas brazenly, not surreptitiously) led the entire class down to the library and found a dictionary to prove the existence of the term. My teacher didn’t like me so much after that.

10. Laceration

It cuts through you even as you just write it- that final stretch of your fingers to reach the T burns somewhat and reminds you that some words are really fun to carve into your body. Laceration being one of them.

11. Schadenfreude

Inspired by a post by the lovely Lily in Canada, I lastly just wanted to mention this incredible German word which can be roughly translated as ‘shameful joy’. It’s what you experience when you watch an old lady fall in the street, and you can’t help but laugh insanely for a long, long period of time. It’s also partly explains why I’m not enjoying X-Factor this year… there just aren’t as many freaks as before, and I simply can’t stand to watch other people be successful.

Hmm. Probably shouldn’t have admitted that so publicly.

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*My boyfriend’s first response to ‘Name a porn film’.

And what are your favouritest words, dearest reader?

14 Sep This entry was published on 14/09/2013 at 00:04. It’s filed under Weird & Wonderful and tagged communication, interesting words, language, literature, merely squirrels, onomatopoeia, schadenfreude, unusual words, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.