Saturday, July 2, 2011

Fun, and not so fun, with words

In response to the singular comment on my last post, I've added to this one I started a couple of weeks ago when I saw the name Throckmorton somewhere. Admit it: it's a cool-sounding word, whoever that guy is.

Words of which I like the sound:
Culpable
Comfortable (you have to pronounce all the syllables.)
Clavicle
Throckmorton
Pulchritude
Fecund
Blandishment
Garrulous

Now, why do people have to make up stupid words?  And why does the Oxford English Dictionary insist upon letting goofy pop stars and semi-literate chatterboxes make up their own words to add?  Just because a lot of people say a string of phonemes DOES NOT MAKE IT A WORD.

Some strings of phonemes that are not words, I don't care what Revised Editions of dictionaries say:
conversate
orientate
irregardless
voisterous

and the one I find particularly offensive, just because of the intentional idiocy behind it:
bootylicious.

Not a word. Not even a sensible collection of sounds to smash together. The other ones at least grow out of honest mistakes.  I don't want to think about the implications of transliteration to some other language.
That woman is "Tasting like the hindquarters"? 
"As flavorful as posterior"? How is this a good thing? 


What must other languages think of you, Oxford English?  You should be ashamed of yourself. You've been downgraded to Third Grade Reader Glossary.  How do you like that?

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