I can’t draw to save my life. Instead, I take immense pleasure in creating word pictures with my writing. I know I fall into the cliché trap and my metaphors are worthy of an Amnesty International investigation! Be that as it may, I love playing with words and to that end, and to bring this pointless introduction to a welcome end, here are some new, obsolete and obscure words that should save you paragraphs of unnecessary explanation. Now to find out how to get treatment for my resistentialsim!
NB: The average adult recognizes 30,000 to 50,000 words, but only uses 10,000 to 15,000. However, there are actually about 1 million words in the English language!
1. BOANTHROPY – A type of insanity in which a man thinks he is an ox.
2. CHANTEPLEURE – To sing and weep at the same time.
3. DIBBLE – To drink like a duck, lifting up the head after each sip.
4. EOSOPHOBIA – Fear of dawn.
5. EUGERIA – Normal and happy old age.
6. EUNEIROPHRENIA – Peace of mind after a pleasant dream.
7. EYESERVICE – Work done only when the boss is watching.
8. FELLOWFEEL – To crawl into the skin of another person so as to share his feelings, to empathise with.
9. GROAK – To watch people silently while they are eating, hoping they will ask you to join them.
10. GYNOTIKOLOBOMASSOPHILE – One who likes to nibble on a woman’s earlobes.
11. HEBEPHRENIC – A condition of adolescent silliness.
12. IATROGENIC – Illness or disease caused by doctors or by prescribed treatment.
13. LAPLING – Someone who enjoys resting in women’s laps.
14. LIBBERWORT – Food or drink that makes one idle and stupid, food of no nutritional value, `junk food’.
15. MEUPAREUNIA – A sexual act gratifying to only one participant.
16. NEANIMORPHIC – Looking younger than one’s years.
17. ONIOCHALASIA – Buying as a means of mental relaxation.
18. PARNEL – A priest’s mistress.
19. PERISTEROPHOBIA – Fear of pigeons.
20. PILGARLIC – A bald head that looks like a peeled garlic.
21. PREANTEPENULTIMATE – Fourth from last.
22. RESISTENTIALISM – Seemingly spiteful behaviour manifested by inanimate objects.
23. SUPPEDANEUM – A foot support for crucifix victims.
