Improving ones vocabulary.

[Shadow Man]

I have a fairly broad vocabulary, but am still often faced with unknown words, even in The Daily Mail and certainly adult reading material.

Can the mere mortals on here please provide some words they are proud to know the meaning of, which others, including myself, may need to consult a dictionary for.

As I am due to start a teaching job, I want to learn one new word a day.

A word, that is, I can use in polite society for everyday conversation. Not some chavism or medical term.

Thank you.

[tell-me-more]

Do you use your word Johnlambert?

I like to use my full vocabulary, but I seem to meet with a lot of resistance when I do so I tend to stick to a comfort-zone. (Comfort-zone isn't one I'm proud of.)

I try not to be proud of knowing the meaning of any word. The pride I get from the language I have comes from times when I've used it.

This week has by no means been typical but I've expressed my condolences to a friend whose eldest brother died quite suddenly of Leukaemia whilst seemingly having been in his prime and I've been trying to help a colleague at work improve her English.

I'm proud of the effort I've made, but I'm more embarrassed that I couldn't do better to be honest. It's not as if I've had the hardest of lives, and yet I still haven't mastered my native tongue.

I hope I'm not boring anyone with all that.

[Shadow Man]

Souffl�

However, I can cut and paste yours!!!!

[dot.hawkes]

ob�strep�er�ous /
adjective 1. resisting control or restraint in a difficult manner; unruly.
2. noisy, clamorous, or boisterous: obstreperous children.

[nutgoneflake]

...and I hope you never say Registry Office, when you mean Register Office. That's one of my pet hates, but don't get me started on stuff like that Stewey - I'll be here all night!

(People who get it right though, go up in my estimation instantly xx)

When do you start SM - how many words are you aiming for?

[Shadow Man]

Start in October. Just looking for a few good words to impress the posh kids!!!

[Marijn]

What is the difference between "continually" and "continuously"?

[johnlambert]

Do I use word? oh yes, I live by the maxim that "you never get a second chance to make a good first imperssion" so if I am unsure of any spelling (and if I have the time) I do use word because I wouldn't want anyone logging on for the first time and reading my answers or replies that I was an uneducated oik

[johnlambert]

Oh and don't get me started on double negatives like "I didn't do nothing" by definition if you didn't do nothing then you must have done something



rant over!!

[stewey]

"Impress the posh kids?" How about: (Cor, stone the bleedin crows youse buncha daft numptys. Ifn youse don't ken the meaningfulness of the word, take a butchers in the old Dick and Harry and op to it yer toffy little blighters!)

[tell-me-more]

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand what you're saying there Johnlambert.

I was trying to find out if you used _your_ word. (The one that you supplied in response to the original request from Shadow Man.)

[johnlambert]

oh you mean succor?

yes but not as much as I used to, when I was instructing recruits I used it as in "make sure that when you use any means of electronic communication you only use authaurised codes or you will give succor to the enemy", sorry for the earlier misunderstanding

[bigmamma]

Excuse me Shadow Man but I am wanting to try

souffl�

woopee

[Shadow Man]

Well you wouldn't want to bloody try mine. Flat as a nuns chest, it was!!!!

[stewey]

Notafish.

"It rained continuously for two hours yesterday." Meaning it rained non-stop, all the time for two hours.
"It rained continually all last week". Meaning it rained most of last week, but there were times, intervals between rain falls when it didn't rain.

[bigmamma]

Lol :-)

[Beads]

I quite like the word rumbustious (means unruly).

[sophie_1003]

insubordiantion- answering back

[sophie_1003]

oops, sorry spelling mistake there should read insubordination (think thats right anyway!)

[jno]

johnlambert, I fear you have been... er... suckered into using the American spelling. 'Succour' is British.

[Goodsoulette]

I make a lovely broccoli and stilton souffl�, honestly, it's lush!