Quizmonster n Clanad - What are your favourite words?

[padanarm]

As two of the most erudite and wise wordsmiths on AB, what are your favourite words?

[fredpuli47]

Didn't anyone here learn of the Defenestration of Prague ? Apparently there were two, some two hundred years apart but it's the second one that we learned about.. In my schooldays it ranked with the Diet of Worms as the most memorably named subject ! LOL

I like steatopygous, which means 'having protuberant buttocks'.It was once the subject of a libel action by an actress so described by a critic. She didn't think that the word fell within the appropriate vocabulary for criticism of matters thespian and she argued that it was not, therefore, protected as fair comment on her performance. She won initially but lost on appeal.

[Quizmonster]

I have long been a gynaesteatopygophile, Fred!

[scotman]

I've always had a liking for phlyarology as people who know me can testify.

[Clanad]

I suspect pedanticism, in its more virulent form and the proffered phylyarology are linked, hip and shoulder, since I've often been diagnosed by those of who appear themselves, to be suffering a certain pachydermatous loquaciously related affliction.

Not to be confused with Pharology, the result of which causes sudden and unexpected travel to the coast of New England States, especially Maine... I humbly submit that I live with a female of the opposite sex who displays symptoms of such, as yet unconfirmed. However, wheels turn and budgets sink ( displaying vivid zeugma) in the rush for photographic evidence of a newly discovered martello...
Speaking of which, the intrepid Q hasn't divulged the details of his latest gustatorial and oenophilic Gallophile galavantings... Always enjoyable...

[Quizmonster]

We hit the coast of Normandy next Friday, C. To a rather quieter welcome than was extended to our fathers 65 years ago, I hope!

[Ankou]

the nice thing about france is that they have taste. you won't find a jar of marmite anywhere. that is most certainly an indication of a civilised country.

[Quizmonster]

For many British people with friends in France for whom they do a little shopping before visiting them, marmite...plus cheddar, custard powder, decent biscuits and so forth...is one of the essentials!

[Ankou]

i'm all for libert�, �galit�, fraternit� and all that malarchy and anyone who tries to take a jar of marmite to france has my full approval. it means there wil be one less jar of the toxic salty beer yeast gunge in blighty.

it is no coincidence that la marmite in fenchland means 'cauldron'. only evil sourcery could incant such a brew.

[Quizmonster]

Well, the on-line French yourdictionary as well as my own French pocket Collins translates marmite as cooking-pot, so there's no need to go all Macbethian on us, Ankou!
The Marmite Controversy has raged on AnswerBank for years and, as regards the two sides, ne'er the twain shall meet. At least you have an ally in Clanad who tried it once!

Each to his own, eh?

My apologies for getting involved in this total heist of your thread, Padanarm.

[CatInTheHat]

fredpuli47, that was odd, as I'd just thought of 'steatopygous' as one of my favourites when I turned the page of the thread and read your post!

I work in a medical records library, so often come across interesting terms. 'Claudication' is a current favourite of mine, and describes painful spasms (usually in the legs), resulting from blocked blood vessels. There's a (rather tedious) rock song called Chemocalifornication and I can't help wondering whether said rockers in later years might suffer from 'chemocaliclaudication'! (Sorry!).
I was also rather impressed when I read of an otorhinolaryngologist. That's the ENT bloke. If you're going to have a medical speciality, go for one with 21 letters.

[CatInTheHat]

jno, I'm intrigued by 'corsned'. Which establishes guilt or innocence - being able or unable to eat the mouldy cheese? Personally, I don't consider cheese fit to eat until it can muscle its own way out of its constraining wrapper. Am I innocent or guilty?

[batmanvs]

Check it out: favoritewords.com I really love their concept. Got to love that.