The 100 Funniest Words In English 1h6e6k

The 100 Funniest Words in English Abibliophobia

The fear of running out of reading material.

Absquatulate

To leave or abscond with something.

Allegator

Some who alleges.

Anencephalous

Lacking a brain.

Argle-bargle

A loud row or quarrel.

Batrachomyomachy

Making a mountain out of a molehill.

Billingsgate

Loud, raucous profanity.

Bloviate

To speak pompously or brag.

Blunderbuss

A gun with a flared muzzle or disorganized activity.

Borborygm

A rumbling of the stomach.

Boustrophedon

A back and forth pattern.

Bowyang

A strap that holds the pants legs in place.

Brouhaha

An uproar.

Bumbershoot

An umbrella.

Callipygian

Having an attractive rear end or nice buns.

Canoodle

To hug and kiss.

Cantankerous

Testy, grumpy.

Catercornered

Diagonal(ly).

Cockalorum

A small, haughty man.

Cockamamie

Absurd, outlandish.

Codswallop

Nonsense, balderdash.

Collop

A slice of meat or fold of flab.

Collywobbles

Butterflies in the stomach.

Comeuppance

Just reward, just deserts.

Crapulence

Discomfort from eating or drinking too much.

Crudivore

An eater of raw food.

Discombobulate

To confuse.

Donnybrook

An melee, a riot.

Doozy

Something really great.

Dudgeon

A bad mood, a huff.

Ecdysiast

An exotic dancer, a stripper.

Eructation

A burp, belch.

Fard

Face-paint, makeup.

Fartlek

An athletic training regime.

Fatuous

Unconsciously foolish.

Filibuster

Refusal to give up the floor in a debate to prevent a vote.

Firkin

A quarter barrel or small cask.

Flibbertigibbet

Nonsense, balderdash.

Flummox

To exasperate.

Folderol

Nonsense.

Formication

The sense of ants crawling on your skin.

Fuddy-duddy

An old-fashioned, mild-mannered person.

Furbelow

A fringe or ruffle.

Furphy

A portable water-container.

Gaberlunzie

A wandering beggar.

Gardyloo!

A warning shouted before throwing water from above.

Gastromancy

Telling fortune from the rumblings of the stomach.

Gazump

To buy something already promised to someone else.

Gobbledygook

Nonsense, balderdash.

Gobemouche

A highly gullible person.

Godwottery

Nonsense, balderdash.

Gongoozle

To stare at, kibitz.

Gonzo

Far-out journalism.

Goombah

An older friend who protects you.

Hemidemisemiquaver A musical timing of 1/64. Hobbledehoy

An awkward or ill-mannered young boy.

Hocus-pocus

Deceitful sleight of hand.

Hoosegow

A jail or prison.

Hootenanny

A country or folk music get-together.

Jackanapes

A rapscallion, hooligan.

Kerfuffle

An uproar, mild scandal.

Klutz

An awkward, stupid person.

La-di-da

An interjection indicating that something is pretentious.

Lagopodous

Like a rabbit's foot.

Lickety-split

As fast as possible.

Lickspittle

A servile person, a toady.

Logorrhea

Loquaciousness, talkativeness.

Lollygag

To move slowly, fall behind.

Malarkey

Nonsense, balderdash.

Maverick

A loner, someone outside the box.

Mollycoddle

To treat too leniently.

Mugwump

An independent politician who does not follow any party.

Mumpsimus

An outdated and unreasonable position on an issue.

Namby-pamby

Weak, with no backbone.

Nincompoop

A foolish person.

Oocephalus

An egghead.

Ornery

Mean, nasty, grumpy.

Pandiculation

A full body stretch.

Panjandrum

Someone who thinks himself high and mighty.

Pettifogger

A person who tries to befuddle others with his speech.

Pratfall

A fall on one's rear.

Quean

A disreputable woman.

Rambunctious

Aggressive, hard to control.

Ranivorous

Frog-eating

Rigmarole

Nonsense, unnecessary complexity.

Shenanigan

A prank, mischief.

Sialoquent

Spitting while speaking.

Skedaddle

To hurry somewhere.

Skullduggery

No good, underhanded dealing.

Slangwhanger

A loud abusive speaker or obnoxious writer.

Smellfungus

A perpetual pessimist.

Snickersnee

A long knife.

Snollygoster

A person who can't be trusted.

Snool

A servile person.

Tatterdemalion

A child in rags.

Troglodyte

Someone or something that lives in a cave.

Turdiform

Having the form of a lark.

Unremacadamized

Having not been repaved with macadam.

Vomitory

An exit or outlet.

Wabbit

Exhausted, tired, worn out.

Widdershins

In a contrary or counterclockwise direction.

Yahoo

A rube, a country bumpkin.

@

The "at" sign.

The 100 Most Beautiful Words in English Ailurophile A cat-lover.

Assemblage A gathering. Becoming Attractive. Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks. Brood To think alone. Bucolic In a lovely rural setting. Bungalow A small, cozy cottage. Chatoyant Like a cat's eye. Comely Attractive. Conflate To blend together. Cynosure A focal point of iration. Dalliance A brief love affair. Demesne Dominion, territory. Demure Shy and reserved. Denouement The resolution of a mystery. Desuetude Disuse. Desultory Slow, sluggish. Diaphanous Filmy. Dissemble Deceive. Dulcet Sweet, sugary. Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm. Effervescent Bubbly. Efflorescence Flowering, blooming. Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word. Elixir A good potion. Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech. Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion. Emollient A softener. Ephemeral Short-lived. Epiphany A sudden revelation. Erstwhile At one time, for a time. Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable. Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time. Evocative Suggestive. Fetching Pretty. Felicity Pleasantness. Forbearance Withholding response to provocation. Fugacious Fleeting. Furtive Shifty, sneaky.

Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully. Glamour Beauty. Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider's silk Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free. Harbinger Messenger with news of the future. Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern. Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation. Imbue To infuse, instill. Incipient Beginning, in an early stage. Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible. Ingénue A naïve young woman. Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth. Insouciance Blithe nonchalance. Inure To become jaded. Labyrinthine Twisting and turning. Lagniappe A special kind of gift. Lagoon A small gulf or inlet. Languor Listlessness, inactivity. Lassitude Weariness, listlessness. Leisure Free time. Lilt To move musically or lively. Lissome Slender and graceful. Lithe Slender and flexible. Love Deep affection. Mellifluous Sweet sounding. Moiety One of two equal parts. Mondegreen A slip of the ear. Murmurous Murmuring. Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy. Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore. Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning. Opulent Lush, luxuriant. Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones. Panacea A solution for all problems Panoply A complete set. Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources. Penumbra A half-shadow. Petrichor The smell of earth after rain.

Plethora A large quantity. Propinquity An inclination. Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses. Quintessential Most essential. Ratatouille A spicy French stew. Ravel To knit or unknit. Redolent Fragrant. Riparian By the bank of a stream. Ripple A very small wave. Scintilla A spark or very small thing. Sempiternal Eternal. Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem. Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else. Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny. Sumptuous Lush, luxurious. Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky. Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania. Susurrous Whispering, hissing. Talisman A good luck charm. Tintinnabulation Tinkling. Umbrella Protection from sun or rain. Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate. Vestigial In trace amounts. Wafture Waving. Wherewithal The means. Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast.

1. Kummerspeck (German) Excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, grief bacon. 2. Shemomedjamo (Georgian) You know when you‘re really full, but your meal is just so delicious, you can‘t stop eating it? The Georgians feel your pain. This word means, ―I accidentally ate the whole thing." 3. Tartle (Scots) The nearly onomatopoeic word for that panicky hesitation just before you have to introduce someone whose name you can't quite . 4. Mamihlapinatapai (Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego) This word captures that special look shared between two people, when both are wishing that the other would do something that they both want, but neither want to do. 5. Backpfeifengesicht (German) A face badly in need of a fist.

6. Iktsuarpok (Inuit) You know that feeling of anticipation when you‘re waiting for someone to show up at your house and you keep going outside to see if they‘re there yet? This is the word for it. 7. Pelinti (Buli, Ghana) Your friend bites into a piece of piping hot pizza, then opens his mouth and sort of tilts his head around while making an ―aaaarrrahh‖ noise. The Ghanaians have a word for that. More specifically, it means ―to move hot food around in your mouth.‖ 8. Greng-jai (Thai) That feeling you get when you don't want someone to do something for you because it would be a pain for them. 9. Mencolek (Indonesian) You know that old trick where you tap someone lightly on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool them? The Indonesians have a word for it. 10. Faamiti (Samoan) To make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog or child. 11. Gigil (Filipino) The urge to pinch or squeeze something that is irresistibly cute. 12. Yuputka (Ulwa) A word made for walking in the woods at night, it‘s the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin. 13. Zhaghzhagh (Persian) The chattering of teeth from the cold or from rage. 14. Vybafnout (Czech) A word tailor-made for annoying older brothers—it means to jump out and say boo. 15. Fremdschämen (German); Myötähäpeä (Finnish) The kindler, gentler cousins of Schadenfreude, both these words mean something akin to "vicarious embarrassment.‖ 16. Lagom (Swedish) Maybe Goldilocks was Swedish? This slippery little word is hard to define, but means something like, ―Not too much, and not too little, but juuuuust right.‖ 17. Pålegg (Norwegian) Sandwich Artists unite! The Norwegians have a non-specific descriptor for anything – ham, cheese, jam, Nutella, mustard, herring, pickles, Doritos, you name it – you might consider putting into a sandwich. 18. Layogenic (Tagalog) in Clueless when Cher describes someone as ―a full-on Monet…from far away, it‘s OK, but up close it‘s a big old mess‖? That‘s exactly what this word means. 19. Bakku-shan (Japanese) Or there's this Japanese slang term, which describes the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front. 20. Seigneur-terraces (French) Coffee shop dwellers who sit at tables a long time but spend little money.

21. Ya’arburnee (Arabic) This word is the hopeful declaration that you will die before someone you love deeply, because you cannot stand to live without them. Literally, may you bury me. 22. Pana Po’o (Hawaiian) ―Hmm, now where did I leave those keys?‖ he said, pana po‘oing. It means to scratch your head in order to help you something you‘ve forgotten. 23. Slampadato (Italian) Addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons? This word describes you. 24. Zeg (Georgian) It means ―the day after tomorrow.‖ OK, we do have "overmorrow" in English, but when was the last time someone used that? 25. Cafune (Brazilian Portuguese) Leave it to the Brazilians to come up with a word for ―tenderly running your fingers through your lover‘s hair.‖ 26. Koi No Yokan (Japanese) The sense upon first meeting a person that the two of you are going to fall in love. 27. Kaelling (Danish) You know that woman who stands on her doorstep (or in line at the supermarket, or at the park, or in a restaurant) cursing at her children? The Danes know her, too. 28. Boketto (Japanese) It‘s nice to know that the Japanese think enough of the act of gazing vacantly into the distance without thinking to give it a name. 29. L’esprit de l’escalier (French) Literally, stairwell wit—a too-late retort thought of only after departure. 30. Cotisuelto (Caribbean Spanish) A word that would aptly describe the prevailing fashion trend among American men under 40, it means one who wears the shirt tail outside of his tros. 31. Packesel (German) The packesel is the person who‘s stuck carrying everyone else‘s bags on a trip. Literally, a burro. 32. Hygge (Danish) Denmark‘s mantra, hygge is the pleasant, genial, and intimate feeling associated with sitting around a fire in the winter with close friends. 33. Cavoli Riscaldati (Italian) The result of attempting to revive an unworkable relationship. Translates to "reheated cabbage." 34. Bilita Mpash (Bantu) An amazing dream. Not just a "good" dream; the opposite of a nightmare. 35. Litost (Czech) Milan Kundera described the emotion as ―a state of torment created by the sudden sight of one‘s own misery.‖ 36. Luftmensch (Yiddish) There are several Yiddish words to describe social misfits. This one is for an impractical dreamer with no business sense.

37 & 38. Schlemiel and schlimazel (Yiddish) Someone prone to bad luck. Yiddish distinguishes between the schlemiel and schlimazel, whose fates would probably be grouped under those of the klutz in other languages. The schlemiel is the traditional maladroit, who spills his coffee; the schlimazel is the one on whom it's spilled.

Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/50698/38-wonderful-foreign-words-wecould-use-english#ixzz2nDG5xFhq --brought to you by mental_floss!

Weird Words section index The word weird in this section is interpreted broadly to mean words that refer to obscure or outlandish subjects, are in themselves rare, or which look odd. A Abacot; Abditory; Abecedarian; Abigail; Ablewhackets; Absquatulate;Acersecomic; Acronychal; Acrophony; Adipocere; Adoxography; Adumbrate ; Adust;Agelastic; Agrestic; Alamagoozlum; Albertopolis; Alegar and beeregar; Alexipharmic;Aliment; Allision; Ampersand; Anadiplosis; Analemmatic; Anamorphosis; A natine;Anfractuosity; Ansated; Ansible; Anthropodermic; Antifogmatic; Antimacassar;Apocope; Aposematic; Aposiopesis; Apozem; Apricate; Arenaceous; Argosy; Aristology; Asparagus; Astrobleme; Astrobolism; Ataraxy; Atrabilious; Attercop;Austringer; Autohag iography.

B Backronym; Bafflegab; Balderdash; Balductum; Banausic; Bankrupt; Bant;Baragouin; Barmecide; Barometz; Bathykolpian; Bedizened; Beghilos; Behove and behoove; Bejuggle; Bellwether; Betwixt; Bezoar; Blackguard; Blackmail; Blatherskite;Blood and thunder; Bloviate; Blurb; Bodacious; Bodger; Bombilation; Bonzer;Boondoggle; Bootless; Borboryg mus; Boscage; Boustrophedonic; Bowdlerise;Bridewell; Brimborion; Brobdingnagian; Bromopnea; B rosiering; Brummagem; Bruxer;Burgoo.

C Cachinnatory; Cacography; Cad; Cadastral; Cadge; Caitiff; Calenture; Callipygian;Callithumpian; C altrop; Camelion; Cancrine; Candent; Cantankerous; Cantrev;Carabidologist; Carphology; Carwhich et; Carwichet; Cascabel; Cataglottism; Cataract;Catchpole; Catoptromancy; Cello scrotum; Cenatory; Cento; Ceraunograph;Charabanc; Chatoyant; Cheapskate; Cheatbread; Chicanery; Chiliastic; Chissicking;Chrestomathy; Chronogram; Chthonic; Chuck-

farthing; Chucklehead; Circumbendibus;Clerihew; Clinquant; Cockaigne; Cockamamie; Cockshut; C odology; Codswallop;Cohobation; Colcannon Night; Collop; Collyrium; Collywobbles; Colophonian;Comeuppance; Commash; Concinnity; Conker er; Contumely; Coopering; Copacetic;Costard; Costus; Coulrophobia; Coxcomb; Cribellate; Crimping ; Crinkum-crankum;Criticaster; Crosspatch; Cruciverbalist; Cucking-stool; Cucumber time; Culpon; Culprit;Cunicular; Curtain lecture; Cyborg; Cymbocephalic; Cynosure.

D Dactylonomy; Daftdays; Dandiprat; Darg; Deasil; Defenestrate; Deipnosophist;Deliquescent; Deray; Derringdo; Destrier; Digamy; Digladiation; Discombobulate;Divagation; Donnybrook; Doohickey; Doryphor e; Dozenal; Dracontology; Droogish;Drunkard's cloak; Dumbbell; Dumbledore; Dwile flonking; Dydler.

E Eagre; Ecdysiast; Edacious; Egyptian days; Eleemosynary; Ell; Emmet and grockle;Empasm; Emuscation; Enchiridion; Engastrimyth; Ensorcelled; Epeolatry; Epizeuxis;Ergop hobia; Erumpent; Esculent; Estovers; Esurience; Etaoin shrdlu; Etheromaniac;Eximious; Eyot.

F Facinorous; Factotum; Fandangle; Fanfaronade; Fantods; Farb; Fardel; Feghoot;Ferret; Fescennin e; Festucine; Fidimplicitary; Filemot; Fimbriated; Financephalograph;Flabbergasted; Flagitious; Fla pdoodle; Flavicomous; Fletcherise; Flibbertigibbet;Floccinaucinihilipilification; Florilegium; Fogou; Foison; Folderol; Foofaraw;Foudroyant; Franglais; Frigorific; Fritinancy; Frontispiece; Froward; Fug leman;Fuliginous; Funambulist; Furbelow; Fustigate; Fustilugs.

G Gaberlunzie; Gadzooks; Gafiate; Gainsay; Galanthophile; Galimatias; Galligaskins;Gallimaufry; Ga llivant; Gamp; Gander month; Gantlope; Garbler; Garboil; Gargalesis;Garth; Gazebo; Gazump; Geis; Gelotologist; Gimcrac k; Ginglyform; Gist; Glebe;Gnathonic; Gobbledygook; Gobemouche; Gobo; Godwottery; Gomer; Gon falon; Gong farmer; Gongoozler; Gooding; Gorbellied; Gormagon; Gossypiboma; Gowk; Gowpen;Grangerise; Gra wlix; Gremial; Gremlin; Griffonage; Grok; Groze; Guddling; Guiser;Gurning; Guy Fawkes night.

H Haberdasher; Haggard; Ha-ha; Halcyon; Halt; Handfasting; Handsel Monday;Haplology; Haptic; Harum-scarum; Haruspex; Hearthmoney; Hebdomadal;Hebesphenomegacorona; Hebetude; Hedera; Heiligenschein; Heterography; H iggledy-piggledy; Higgler; Hippodroming; Hircocervus; Hobbledehoy; Hocuspocus; Hodening;Hoity-toity; Hokeypokey; Honeyfuggle; Honorificabilitudinitatibus; Hoosegow;Hornswoggle; Houghmagandy; Hoyden;

Huggermugger; Humdudgeon; Humicubation;Humongous; Hwyl; Hyetal; Hyperborean; Hypnobioscope.

I Ice house; Ichthyophagous; Idioticon; Ignivomous; Ignoramus; Illeism;Impignorate; Imposthume; In silico; Incalescence; Incarnadine; Incunabulum;Inenarrable; Infra dig; Infundibulum; Inglenook; Ingrained; Insinuendo; Interrobang;Inwit; Isabelline; Ishkabibble; Ix nay.

J Jackalope; Jackanapes; Jactitation; Jaculation; Janus-faced; Jiggerypokery;Jingoism; Jobation; Jobbernowl; Jobsworth; Jocund; Jollop; Jorum; Josser;Jumentous.

K Kakistocracy; Katzenjammer; Kelemenopy; Kerfuffle; Killick; Kinetoscope;Knucker.

L Labretifery; Lackadaisical; Lagan; Lagniappe; Larrikin NEW ; Latrociny;Leechcraft; Leiotrichous; L emniscate; Leucipottomy; Lexiphanic; Limitrophe; Linhay;Linseywoolsey; Lipogrammatist; Lippitude; Liripipe; Lithophone; Logan stone;Logodaedalus; Lollapaloosa; Lollygag; Lorinery; Ludibrious; Lustrum; Lycanthropy.

M Macaronic; Machicolation; Macilent; Maggot; Magiric; Magnoperate; Maieutic;Makebate; Malape rt; Malarkey; Mallemaroking; Maloik; Manavilins; Manicule;Mansuetude; Manticore; Maritorious; Marmalise; Mastigophorous; Materteral;Mattoid; Maundy; Megilp; Merrythought; Mesmerise; Meta grobolise; Metemptosis;Metoposcopist; Mimsy; Mithridate; Mongo; Mononymous; Mooreeffoc; Mor tsafe;Mournival; Mudlark; Mugwump; Mulct; Muliebrious; Mulligrubs; Mumchance;Mumping; Mun dungus; Musterdevillers; Mutoscope; Myrmidon.

N Nambypamby; Natiform; Naysayer; Nepenthes; Nescient; Niddering; Nidicolous;Nihilartikel; Nincompoop; Ninnyhammer; Nipperkin; Nomophobia; Nosopoetic;Nostoc; Nous; Nubbingcheat; Nugiperous; Nut-crack night; Nychthemeron; Nye;Nympholepsy.

O Oaf; Obdiplostemonous; Obnubilate; Oche; Octothorpe; Odd-shoe boy; Olitory;Ombre; Omniumgatherum; Omphaloskepsis; Onomasticon; Onomatopoeia;Onychophagist; Ooglification; Oojah; Opi sthograph; Opodeldoc; Orismology; Orotund;Orrery; Ostrobogulous; Overweening; Oxter; Oyez.

P Pace egg play; Palimpsest; Pallmall; Palpebrous; Pandiculation; Panglossian;Panjandrum; Panking pole; Panorama; Pantechnicon; Paralipsis; Paraphernalia;Paraprosdokian; Paregoric; Paroemiologic al; Pastinaceous; Patibulary; Pavonine;Pecksniffian; Pelf; Percontation; Perissology; Peristeronic; Pe rverb; Petard; Petrichor;Pettifogging; Phantasmagoria; Pharology; Phenology; Phrop; Picadil; Picayu ne;Piepowder; Pigwidgeon; Pilcrow; Pilgarlic; Pillaloo; Pinchbeck; Pinguescence; Pitmatic;Plat; Pleni lune; Plug-ugly; Pocillovy; Pogonotrophy; Poltroon; Poodlefaker; Popinjay;Poppycock; Poppysmic; Portolan; POTUS; Pound; Preantepenultimate; Preposterous ;Prestidigitator; Prick-medainty; Pridian; Prodnose; Prognosticate; Protologism;Pulchritudinous; Purdonium; Pusillanimous; Pyknic.

Q Quidnunc; Quillon; Quincunx; Quinion; Quinquagenary; Quocker-wodger;Quodlibet.

R Rambunctious; Rannygazoo; Rantipole; Rasorial; Rebarbative; Recumbentibus;Refocillate; Retron ym; Rhadamanthine; Rhapsodomancy; Rhinotillexomania;Rhopalic; Richard Snary; Rigmarole; Ripsnorter; Robinsonade; Rodomontade; Roisterdoister; Roo; Roscid; Rumbledethumps; Rusticate.

S Sabermetrician; Sabrage; Saggar; Salmagundi; Sapid; Sarcophagus; Sardoodledom;Saturnalia; Sca cchic; Scalene; Scallywag or Scalawag; Sciolist; Scobberlotcher;Scofflaw; Scombroid; Scrimshaw; Scrumping; Scrumptious; Scutc hing; Seersucker;Selmelier; Semordnilap; Sennight; Sequacious; Serendipity; Sesquipedalian; Sferics ;Shemozzle; Shenanigan; Siccity; Simoleon; Singultient; Sisyphean; Sitooterie;Skedaddle; Skewwhiff; Skillygalee; Skimbleskamble; Skimmington; Skulduggery;Slangwhanger; Sledging; Slipshod; Slubberdegullion; Slumgull ion; Smaragdine;Smellfeast; Smouch; Snarge; Sneap; Snickersnee; Snollygoster; Sobriquet;Sockdola ger; Somniloquent; Sooth; Sophrosyne; Spanghew; Spatterdashes;Sphairistike; Sphexish; Sphragisti cs; Spifflicate; Spissitude; Spondulicks; Sponging-house; Squabash; Staddle; Stammel; Standing pie; Stannator; Steganography;Sternutatory; Stillicide; Stotting; Stramonium; Strickle; Struthonian; Stultiloquy;Stylite; Subfusc; Succedaneum; Supererogation; Surrebutter; Swanupping; Swazzle;Swoose; Symploce; Synaesthete; Syzygy.

T Tabnabs; Tagarene; Taghairm; Talaria; Tantivy; Taradiddle; Tatterdemalion;Tautochrone; Tawdry ; Teetotum; Teknonymy; Teleplasmic; Tergiversate; Termagant;Tetrapyloctomy; Thaumaturgy; The longest word; Thelemic; Therianthrope;Thrasonical; Tiffin; Tillyvally; Tintamarre; Tintinnabulation; Titch; Titivil;Titubation; Tolfraedic; Tolley; Tontine; Toploftical

; Tosticated; Totter; Tourbillion;Trebuchet; Triacle; Tripudiate; Triskaidekaphobia; Truckle; Truepe nny; Trussell;Tufthunter; Tumbarumba; Turducken; Turgescent; Turlough; Twitterpated.

U Ugsome; Ullage; Ultimo; Ultracrepidarian; Umami; Umbrage; Umpty; Umquhile;Understrapper; Unipedal; Unobtainium; Urtication; Usufructuary.

V Vaccary; Vaccimulgence; Valetudinarian; Velleity; Vellicate; Velocipedist; Venery;Verecund; Vexill ology; Vilipend; Vinolent; Virescent; Volitation; Volvelle;Vomitorium; Vril.

W Wait; Wanion; Wardour Street English; Wassail; Waywiser; Wayzgoose; Welkin;Whiffler; Whilom; Widdiful; Wigg; Williwaw; Willo’-the-wisp; Willy-nilly; Wiseacre;Wittol; Wobbegong.

X Xenoglossy; Xeric.

Y Yaffle; Yale; Yclept; Yealm; Yuletide.

Z Zany; Zemblanity; Zenzizenzizenzic; Zograscope; Zymurgy.

Foreign Words and Phrases

1

The English meanings given below are not necessarily literal translations. ad absurdum (ad ab-sir'dum) [Lat.]: to the point of absurdity. ―He tediously repeated his argument ad absurdum.‖

ad infinitum (ad in-fun-eye'tum) [Lat.]: to infinity. ―The lecture seemed to drone on ad infinitum.‖

ad nauseam (ad noz'ee-um) [Lat.]: to a sickening degree. ―The politician uttered one platitude after another ad nauseam.‖

aficionado (uh-fish'ya-nah'doh) [Span.]: an ardent devotee. ―I was surprised at what a baseball aficionado she had become.‖

angst (angkst) [Ger.]: dread and anxiety. ―Sylvia's teenage angst was nothing compared to the parental angst experienced by the two individuals whose duty it was to raise her.‖

annus mirabilis (an'us muh-ra'buh-lis) [Lat.]: wonderful year. ―Last year was the annus mirabilis for my company.‖

a priori (ah pree-or'ee) [Lat.]: based on theory rather than observation. ―The fact that their house is in such disrepair suggests a priori that they are having financial difficulties.‖

au courant (oh' koo-rahn') [Fr.]: up-to-date. ―The shoes, the hair, the clothes—every last detail of her dress, in fact—was utterly au courant.‖

beau geste (boh zhest') [Fr.]: a fine or noble gesture, often futile. ―My fellow writers ed me by writing letters of protest to the publisher, but their beau geste could not prevent the inevitable.‖

beau monde (boh' mond') [Fr.]: high society. ―Such elegant decor would impress even the beau monde.‖

bête noire (bet nwahr') [Fr.]: something or someone particularly disliked. ―Talk of the good old college days way back when had become his bête noire, and he began to avoid his school friends.‖

bona fide (boh'na fide) [Lat.]: in good faith; genuine. ―For all her reticence and modesty, it was clear that she was a bona fide expert in her field.‖

bon mot (bon moe') [Fr.]: a witty remark or comment. ―One bon mot after another flew out of his mouth, charming the audience.‖

bon vivant (bon vee-vahnt') [Fr.]: a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink. ―It's true he's quite the bon vivant, but when he gets down to business he conducts himself like a Spartan.‖

carpe diem (kar'pay dee'um) [Lat.]: seize the day. ―So what if you have an 8:00 a.m. meeting tomorrow and various appointments? Carpe diem!‖

carte blanche (kart blonsh') [Fr.]: unrestricted power to act on one's own. ―I may have carte blanche around the office, but at home I'm a slave to my family's demands.‖

casus belli (kay'sus bel'eye) [Lat.]: an act justifying war. ―The general felt that the banana republic's insolent remarks about our national honor were enough of a casus belli to launch an attack.‖

cause célèbre (koz suh-leb'ruh) [Fr.]: a widely known controversial case or issue. ―The Sacco and Vanzetti trial became an international cause célèbre during the 1920s.‖

caveat emptor (kav'ee-ot emp'tor) [Lat.]: let the buyer beware. ―Before you leap at that real estate deal, caveat emptor!‖

comme ci comme ça (kom see' kom sah') [Fr.]: so-so. ―The plans for the party strike me as comme ci comme ça.‖

comme il faut (kom eel foe') [Fr.]: as it should be; fitting. ―His end was truly comme il faut.‖

coup de grâce (koo de grahss') [Fr.]: finishing blow. ―After an already wildly successful day, the coup de grâce came when she won best all-around athlete.‖

cri de coeur (kree' de kur') [Fr.]: heartfelt appeal. ―About to leave the podium, he made a final cri de coeur to his people to end the bloodshed.‖

de rigueur (duh ree-gur') [Fr.]: strictly required, as by etiquette, usage, or fashion. ―Loudly proclaiming one's for radical causes had become de rigueur among her crowd.‖

deus ex machina (day'us ex mahk'uh-nuh) [Lat.]: a contrived device to resolve a situation. ―Stretching plausibility, the movie concluded with a deus ex machina ending in which everyone was rescued at the last minute.‖

dolce vita (dole'chay vee'tuh) [Ital.]: sweet life; the good life perceived as one of physical pleasure and self-indulgence. ―My vacation this year is going to be two uninterrupted weeks of dolce vita.‖

doppelgänger (dop'pul-gang-ur) [Ger.]: a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person. ―I could not shake the sense that some shadowy doppelgänger echoed my every move.‖

ecce homo (ek'ay ho'mo) [Lat.]: behold the man. ―The painting depicted the common Renaissance theme, ecce homo— Christ wearing the crown of thorns.‖

enfant terrible (ahn-fahn' tay-reeb'luh) [Fr.]: an incorrigible child; an outrageously outspoken or bold person. ―He played the role of enfant terrible, jolting us with his blunt assessment.‖

entre nous (ahn'truh noo') [Fr.]: between ourselves; confidentially. ―Entre nous, their marriage is on the rocks.‖

ex cathedra (ex kuh-thee'druh) [Lat.]: with authority; used especially of those pronouncements of the pope that are considered infallible. ―I resigned myself to obeying; my father's opinions were ex cathedra in our household.‖

ex post facto (ex' post fak'toh) [Lat.]: retroactively. ―I certainly hope that the change in policy will be honored ex post facto.‖

fait accompli (fate ah-kom-plee') [Fr.]: an accomplished fact, presumably irreversible. ―There's no use protesting—it's a fait accompli.‖>

faux pas (foh pah') [Fr.]: a social blunder. ―Suddenly, she realized she had unwittingly committed yet another faux pas.‖

Feinschmecker2 (fine'shmek-er) [Ger.]: gourmet. ―No, I don't think McDonald's will do; he's much too much of a Feinschmecker.‖

flagrante delicto (fla-grahn'tee di-lik'toh) [Lat.]: in the act. ―The detective realized that without hard evidence he had no case; he would have to catch the culprit flagrante delicto.‖

glasnost (glaz'nohst) [Rus.]: open and frank discussion: initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev in 1985 in the Soviet Union. ―Once the old chairman retired, the spirit of glasnost pervaded the department.‖

hoi polloi (hoy' puh-loy') [Gk.]: the common people. ―Marie Antoinette recommended cake to the hoi polloi.‖

in loco parentis (in loh'koh pa-ren'tiss) [Lat.]: in the place of a parent. ―The court appointed a guardian for the children, to serve in loco parentis.‖

in medias res (in me'-dee-as rays) [Lat.]: in the middle of a sequence of occurences. ―The film begins in medias res, with a panting, terrified man running through the night.‖

in situ (in sit'too) [Lat.]: situated in the original or natural position. ―I prefer seeing statues in situ rather than in the confines of a museum.‖

in vino veritas (in vee'no vare'i-toss) [Lat.]: in wine there is truth. ―By the end of the party, several of the guests had made a good deal of their private lives public, prompting the host to murmur to his wife, ‗in vino veritas.‘‖

ipso facto

(ip'soh fak'toh) [Lat.]: by the fact itself. ―An extremist, ipso facto, cannot become part of a coalition.‖

je ne sais quoi (zheh neh say kwah') [Fr.]: I know not what; an elusive quality. ―She couldn't explain it, but there was something je ne sais quoi about him that she found devastatingly attractive.‖

mano a mano (mah'no ah mah'no) [Span.]: directly or face-to-face in a confrontation or conflict. ―‗Stay out of it,‘ he onished his friends, ‗I want to handle this guy mano a mano.‘‖

mea culpa (may'uh kul'puh) [Lat.]: I am to blame. ―His mea culpa was so offhand that I hardly think he meant it.‖

memento mori (muh-men'toh more'ee) [Lat.]: a reminder that you must die. ―The skull rested on the mantlepiece as a memento mori.‖

mise en scene (mee' zahn sen) [Fr.]: the stage setting; surroundings. ―The mise en scene for the sci-fi movie was molded, futuristic furniture and blinding klieg lights.‖

mot juste (moh zhoost') [Fr.]: the exact, appropriate word. ―‗Rats!‘ screamed the defiant three-year-old, immensely proud of his mot juste.‖

ne plus ultra (nee' plus ul'truh) [Lat.]: the most intense degree of a quality or state. ―Pulling it from the box, he realized he was face to face with the ne plus ultra of computers.‖

nom de guerre (nom duh gair') [Fr.]: pseudonym. ―He went by his nom de guerre when frequenting trendy nightclubs.‖

nom de plume (nom duh ploom') [Fr.]: pen name. ―Deciding it was time to sit down and begin a novel, the would-be writer spent the first several hours deciding upon a suitable nom de plume.‖

nota bene (noh'tuh ben'nee) [Ital.]: note well; take notice. ―Her postcard included a reminder: nota bene, I'll be returning on the 11 o'clock train.‖

persona non grata (per-soh'nuh non grah'tuh) [Lat.]: unacceptable or unwelcome person. ―Once I was cut out of the will, I became persona non grata among my relatives.‖

prima facie (pry'ma fay'she) [Lat.]: at first sight, clear and evident. ―Although her husband implored, ‗I can explain!‘ the sight of another woman wrapped in his arms was prima facie evidence that he was a deceitful lout.‖

pro bono (pro boh'noh) [Lat.]: done or donated without charge; free. ―The lawyer's pro bono work gave him a sense of value that his work on behalf of the corporation could not.‖

quid pro quo (kwid' pro kwoh') [Lat.]: something for something; an equal exchange. ―She vowed that when she had the means, she would return his favors quid pro quo.‖

sans souci (sahn soo-see') [Fr.]: carefree. ―After serveral glasses of champagne, their mood turned distinctly sans souci.‖

savoir-faire (sav'wahr fair') [Fr.]: the ability to say and do the correct thing. ―She presided over the gathering with impressive savoir-faire.‖

schadenfreude (shah den froy'deh) [Ger.]: pleasure at someone else's misfortunes. ―Schadenfreude suffused the classroom after the insufferably supercilious class pet was caught cheating by the teacher.‖

sic transit gloria mundi (sick tran'sit glor'ee-uh mun'dee) [Lat.]: thus es away the glory of the world. ―Watching the aging former football quarterback lumber down the street, potbellied and dissipated, his friend shook his head in disbelief and muttered, ‗sic transit gloria mundi.‘‖

sine qua non (sin'ay kwah nohn') [Lat.]: indispensable element or condition. ―Lemon is the sine qua non of this recipe.‖

sotto voce (suh'tow voh'chee) [Ital.]: in a quiet voice, attempting not to be overheard. ―While the others were distracted, he filled me in sotto voce on all the delicously sordid details of the scandal.‖

sui generis (su'ee jen'e-ris) [Lat.]: unique. ―Adjusting her pirate's hat and fringed hula skirt, Zelda sashayed into the party, knowing her fashion statement was sui generis.‖

terra incognita (tare'uh in-kog-nee'tuh) [Lat.]: unknown territory. ―When the conversation suddenly switched from contemporary fiction to medieval Albanian playwrights, he felt himself entering terra incognita.‖

tout le monde (too luh mond') [Fr.]: everybody; everyone of importance. ―Don't miss the event; it's bound to be attended by tout le monde.‖

veni, vidi, vici (ven'ee vee'dee vee'chee) [Lat.]: I came, I saw, I conquered. ―After the takeover the business mogul gloated, ‘veni, vidi, vici.’‖

verboten (fer-boh'ten) [Ger.]: forbidden, as by law; prohibited. ―That topic, I am afraid, is verboten in this household.‖

vox populi (voks pop'yoo-lie) [Lat.]: the voice of the people. ―My sentiments echo those of the vox populi.‖

Wanderjahr2 (vahn'der-yahr) [Ger.]: a year or period of travel, especially following one's schooling. ―The trio took off on their Wanderjahr, intent on visiting every museum between Edinburgh and Rome.‖

Weltanschauung2 (velt'an-shou'ung) [Ger.]: a world view or philosophy of life. ―His Weltanschauung gradually metamorphized from a grim and pessimistic one to a sunny, but no less complex, view.‖

Weltschmerz2 (velt'shmerts) [Ger.]: sorrow over the evils of the world. ―His poetry expressed a certain Weltschmerz, or world-weariness.‖

Zeitgeist2 (zite'guyst) [Ger.]: the thought or sensibility characteristic of a particular period of time. ―She blamed it on the Zeitgeist, which encouraged hedonistic excess.‖

1. Foreign words and phrases should be set in italics (or underlined if written in longhand) if their meanings are likely to be unknown to the reader. Whether the expression is familiar or unfamiliar, however, is a matter of judgment. In this list, all foreign words have been italicized for the sake of emphasis. 2. German nouns are capitalized. A familiar German expression that is not italicized, however, should be lowercased, following the English conventions of not capitalizing common nouns. ―His proclivities leaned more to the occult than to the philosophical: a poltergeist he could understand; the Zeitgeist he could not.‖

Foreign Phrases used in English a la carte [French]

adj., adv. with a separate price for each item, printed on the menu; basically it is used to refer to the menu, as opposed to, say, a buffet Can we eat a la carte? Can we order from the a la carte menu? alfresco [Italian] adj., adv. open air; outdoors We’ve been invited to an alfresco dinner at the Mughal Gardens. Are we dining alfresco tonight? alma mater [Latin] n. any institution one has graduated from; in other words, one’s old school or university I haven’t returned to my alma mater since the day I graduated. avant-garde [French] n. an artist or group associated with the use of new techniques in their field Our friend is an avant-garde; we can’t really appreciate his work because it is too modern for us. adj. of or pertaining to such an artist or group or (cutting edge, radically new) approach His avant-garde work was found by the school to be unacceptable by their conventional standards. Blitzkrieg [German] n. rapid, intensive attack, originally used to describe sudden military offensives MS Dhoni’s blitzkrieg at the end of yesterday’s match saved it for India. bona fide [Latin] adj. authentic, genuine, in good faith Is the painting by MF Hussain on your wall bona fide? He is not a dishonest salesman; his offer is bona fide. c’est la vie [French] that’s life; such is life I don’t allow myself to get depressed; I just say ‘C’est la vie!’ and move on. curriculum vitae (CV) [Latin] n. resume, i.e., outline of one’s educational and professional qualifications, made for job applications

Have you got your CV ready for the interview tomorrow? de facto [Latin] adv. in reality, actually The result of the elections was, de facto, simply a public verdict on the government’s complacency during the riots; despite the absence of real alternatives, the incumbent government was displaced. adj. existing whether legally recognised or not While the President may be referred to as the Head of the State, the de facto head in India, as everyone knows, is the Prime Minister. déjà vu [French] n. the sensation of having previously experienced something that one is experiencing I experienced déjà vu when I entered the kitchen, even though I was fully aware that I had never been in that house before. en route [French] adv. on the way I’ve just left, I’m en route for the auditorium. ergo [Latin] conj. therefore; consequently Neither side was willing to play in such terrible conditions; ergo, there would no match. faux pas [French] n. social blunder I committed a faux pas the other day when I went to a formal dinner dressed up for a costume party. fiasco [Italian] n. total failure The party was a fiasco; the lights went out 10 minutes into the affair, and three people got injured trying to feel their way around in the dark. guerrilla [Spanish] n. a member of an irregular army operating in a territory under the control of a hostile force, i.e the enemy; their warfare is generally hit-and-run, employing sudden attacks and sabotages because they are fewer in number The guerrillas threatened to overthrow the government of the state. adj. pertaining to guerrillas or their methods of warfare

The troops, bested in the open, fled to the forests, resorting to guerrilla tactics. joie de vivre [French] joy in living It is rare that one is able to experience true joie de vivre once one is past one’s youth. klutz [Yiddish] n. a clumsy person I behaved like a klutz at the party, tripping and spilling my drinks all over the place. lingua franca [Italian] n. common language English is the lingua franca of the world by virtue of the fact that is spoken in the largest number of countries. nee [French] adj. born; used for the maiden name of a married woman Aishwarya Bacchan nee Rai par excellence [French] adj. the best at something It was clear from the beginning that Sachin Tendulkar was a batsman par excellence. per capita [Latin] adj., adv. per person The per capita income of the country was very high. Indian earning per capita is much higher abroad than it is at home. per se [Latin] adv. in itself The statement was interesting per se; it did not make much sense in context, however. prima donna [Italian] n. temperamental entertainer Be on your best behaviour around her; she’s known to be quite the prima donna. Realpolitik [German] n. opportunistic politics that concerns itself with ground realities, with self-advancement as the sole driving principle

Considerations of realpolitik drove me to campaign relentlessly, pandering to the masses to garner votes. status quo [Latin] n. the existing state of things The point of having her elected was for the reigning party to perpetuate the status quo. tabula rasa [Latin] n. blank slate A child’s mind is like tabula rasa; it is very important to ensure that it is not exposed to harmful influences. terra firma [Latin] n. hard, firm ground I was very scared the first time I travelled in an airplane; I drew my first breath of relief when we landed back on terra firma. tete-a-tete [French] n. a private, intimate conversation I managed to sneak a tete-a-tete with him during the trip about his daughter’s nightly wanderings. adv. face-to-face, intimate We talked tete-a-tete in the morning; he had some great insights, I was glad that we had the talk. vis-à-vis [French] adv., adj. face-to-face They sat vis-à-vis across the table. They had a vis-à-vis talk about Kevin, who was showing signs of psychopathy early in his childhood. prep. in relation to His role vis-à-vis the recent match was that of a game-changer. Zeitgeist [German] n. the intellectual outlook or spirit characteristic of a particular time period or generation The zeitgeist today seems to hint towards a Leftist overthrow of government.