Humans categorize everything, it’s in our nature. We try to figure out our favorite books, our favorite movies, our favorite foods, even our favorite colors. But have you ever tried to figure out your favorite word? Maybe you should? It could come in useful. . . could be on the year-end test.
And how does one pick a favorite word? You tell us. Some words have really cool meanings, some just roll off the tongue. Some words bring us comfort, others are just plain fun. What’s your favorite word and why?
I'm going with TROLL! :o)
ReplyDeleteI don't have favorite words as much as words that irritate me. Whenever I hear the word "AWESOME," I want to scream, especially when someone says it six times in the same sentence. Then there are always the tried and true favorites that get botched. In no particular order, they are:
ReplyDeletesupposebly
irregardless
libary.
Ugh...
Writer X -
ReplyDeleteI know this isn't what the thread was about but you want to know one of my grammar pet peeves?
Okay, you have "should have" (and would, could, etc.) which we abbreviate into "should've," right? Unfortunately, some people (mostly younger people) seem to think the un-abbreviated form of "should've" is "should of" as in "I should of gone to the store today" simply because that's the way it sounds.
As for my favorite word, man that's a tough one. I'll have to come back to this!
propinquity - a word meaning nearness or kinship. It's a nice word and I like how it sounds. Nothing pinks quite like propinquity.
ReplyDeleteScottDS, I think texting and too much bad TV are frying kids brains.
ReplyDeleteSince every word I write or say is like a precious golden nugget, it's so hard to choose...hmmm, I shall have to ponder...See, just golden!
ReplyDeleteWriterX and Scott, as an ex-jr. high teacher, I can assure you that the "whole language" approach to reading and the "it's more important that kids feel good about themselves than that they learn facts" movement haven't done our youth any favors either.
ReplyDeleteAs to my favorite word, hmmm... you've got me thinking, and I don't have an easy answer. I'll get back to ya, too!
Always got to break the rules, don't you people. Man, dealing with conservatives is like herding cats. . . ;-)
ReplyDeleteWriter X, If we were going to do bad grammar, I could fill up 100 articles. I'm sick of people (particularly supposed professionals (and sports announcers) dropping the "ly" on adverbs.
Jed, good word.
I like the sound of "poverty" -- don't know why. Something about the word just works for me. I also like the sound of "onomatopoeia" though I don't get to use it very much.
Okay, Andrew. I'll play nice...Not sure if this is an actual word, but I've always liked
ReplyDeleteSupercalifragilisticexpialidocious . Strange, but it's not in the dictionary.
Writer X, LOL! I hear that's a good word to use when things are atrocious.
ReplyDeleteantidisestablishmentarianism
ReplyDeleteThis is my favorite word. My mom, when teaching, would use it to demonstrate how to break down words.
WriterX, irregardless, supposebly the libary has a new book for me. I have to get.
Sorry, I couldn't resist.:-)
This might take the sting out of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS75NtlH3gI
Joel, that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteWriterX, Touche'.
ReplyDelete"Mississippi, lollipop, dwell, plop, simplicity, lilac, requiem, muddle, dwindle."
ReplyDeleteThese are a few of my favorite words.
If I have to pick one: Melody -- there’s a special magic when perfected, and will lift your spirits through a great piece of music.
ReplyDeleteBut since I’m no good with rules: Quintessential, winner, eureka, calliope, bard, renaissance, etc…
Stan, eureka! Excellent word, it really rolls off the tongue. I like saying that word.
ReplyDeleteMike, I like simplicity, good word. I just sounds right.
Writer X, dude, totally cool. ;-P
Joel, antidisestablishmentarianism, that's got to be worth some kind award.
I demand a retraction from Joel Farnham - He stole my word!
ReplyDeleteNow I have to find another favorite word. Okay, my next favorite word(s are "please" and/or "thank you"
I'm fond of the word "disingenuous". I like to use it when I'm arguing with liberals, because it always applies to their positions in the form of a double standard or some hypocrisy.
ReplyDeleteOn Writer X's subject of botched words, that reminds of classic Bush-isms like "misunderestimated".
Andrew: Any one of a number of words which end in -ate. I regularly get the giggles 'cause they sound dirty. e.g. "His mom found out he masticates in his bedroom." Or "It's not nice to gesticulate in church!" And then there's "Watching porn inevitably leads young men to matriculate."
ReplyDeleteWriterX: I have to add a word I hear constantly on TV: "vunnerable."
ReplyDeleteLawhawk & Writer X, there is also the ever sickening "ex-scape" or "ex-cetera".
ReplyDeleteWriterX,
ReplyDeleteHow about axed for asked?
Joel, that's like nails on a chalkboard with me.
ReplyDeleteP.S. to Andrew: Is "Dude" gender-neutral?
Ugh... axed.
ReplyDeleteOne I've heard lately is "mines" as in: "Is that your pencil?" "Yes, it's mines."
Writer X, I believe it is. I think "guys" is gender neutral now too, though "guy" is not.
ReplyDeleteWe should axe ScottDS, he's younger and, hence, more hip.
Joel - I hate to be a cretinous jerk (so I'll go ahead and be one anyway,) but is "irregardless" actually a legitimate word? It is actually a kind of double negative, so I think you probably meant "regardless."
ReplyDeleteMy favorite word in the English language is Grace.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad for it from God and if we offered it to one another more often this world would be a much better place.
However, I withhold any grace from people who say broke instead of broken, as in, "my arm is broke". Or from any idiot who says borrow when its lend, as in, "will you borrow me your car?"
My boss always says atypical when she means typical and doesn't even realize she's saying the exact opposite of what she really means.
And I hate when people say expresso instead of espresso.
Okay this is tough. I have two favorite words- coffee, and fishing (thus 'trout).
ReplyDeleteAnd my pet peeves are the incorrect use of there, they're and their. I see it on other blogs continuously, and it drives me nuts.
I think I'll get a cup of coffee now.
Or is it "continually?" And darn, I dropped a comma after "okay!"
ReplyDeleteLogic, see how I did that.
ReplyDeleteTennesseeJed,
ReplyDeleteCheck what WriterX wrote earlier.
It was designed to tease her.
:-)
Cheryl, Grace is a beautiful word.
ReplyDeleteStlDan, forget it man, you're trying to bring order to the "unorderable". ;-)
Goldentrout, Doing a lot of writing, I can understand why people make occasional mistakes. I can proofread something a dozen times and still miss a handful of typos and incorrect word usages. But you're right that too many people don't seem to know the difference, and that bugs me a lot.
Andrew - ha!!! Re: "guys" being gender-neutral, I honestly don't know. I'll go ahead and say yes it is.
ReplyDelete"Mom", it evokes everything that is warm, fuzzy, and smells like comfort and, well you get the picture...I also like "segue", but I'm just a segue kind of gal!
ReplyDeleteLamb.
ReplyDeleteWho could not like lamb.
All good thoughts come to mind: sweet, Spring, hugs.
Ahh.
Lamb, lamb, lamb.
Or mucus.
Suzie, I like lamb, but maybe not in the way you intend. Hmmmm. Meat is murder. . . tasty, tasty murder.
ReplyDeleteDCAlleyKat, seque, cool word!
Scott, don't tell me we can't rely on you for youth culture? If we can't rely on you, then we need to rely on Lawhawk and he talks fondly about being a youth during the Jefferson administration.
I find myself writing "rather" more than necessary, but there's just something I love about it. And I like "funner", which is not technically a word, but I'm determined to use it until they put it in the dictionary. Not to mention that "murderee" should be in there also. It would be so much simpler than saying "murder victim", which doesn't sound classy at all.
ReplyDeleteAndrew: How old do you think I am? It was the Jackson administration. That Andrew was awesome, dude.
ReplyDeleteMonica, I like that. . . murderee. It has a ring to it!
ReplyDeleteMonica, I don't think I've ever used the word "funner," but I'm a big fan of "funnily." I refuse to look it up, because if that's not a real word, I don't want to know about it.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite word is nomenclature
ReplyDeletemy least favorite word is captia..