NationStates Jolt Archive

I say hour. It just looks weird. what say you?

borborygmus.

"Weird" is pretty weird.

Rhythm? It has six letters, none of which are vowels. I suppose if you really want to know, you could analyse the language for words that don't follow any familiar pattern.

Inflammable.

Totally counterproductive word.

Syzygy.

Kudos if you can do that in Scrabble™.

I've heard that before. Does it have something to do with the moon's reflection?

Syzygy.

Kudos if you can do that in Scrabble™.

I've heard that before. Does it have something to do with the moon's reflection?

*read "Hidden Talents"*

Summat to do with alignment of celestial bodies, supposedly.

Inflammable.

Totally counterproductive word.

hey, what is the deal with that word?

Syzygy.

Kudos if you can do that in Scrabble™.
*Uses the two blanks and the 'y'*

Done, now try that Dutch word with 2 'q's in it which I conveniently forgot.:p

Inflammable.

Totally counterproductive word.

The verb is "inflame", thus "inflammable."

Not weird at all... except for an unfortunate association of the "in" part.

hey, what is the deal with that word?

I believe that the point of words is to help humans communicate with one another. It therefore strikes me as deeply weird that we'd have a word which actually makes it MORE confusing and difficult to communicate, particularly when it comes to an important topic like "will this light on fire?"

It therefore strikes me as deeply weird that we'd have a word which actually makes it MORE confusing and difficult to communicate

Only because too many people fail to realize that we don't "flame" things (except on forums), we "inflame" them.

Thus "flammable." But "inflammable" could hardly become its opposite, because "inflame" is the real verb.

I've always thought Awkward the perfect word, it lives upto its own label.

I've heard that before. Does it have something to do with the moon's reflection?

Wiki says:

Astronomy

In astronomy, a syzygy is the alignment of three or more celestial bodies in the same gravitational system along a straight line. The word is usually used in context with the Sun, Earth, and the Moon or a planet, where the latter is in conjunction or opposition. Solar and lunar eclipses occur at times of syzygy, as do transits and occultations. The term is also applied to each instance of New Moon or Full Moon when Sun and Moon are in conjunction or opposition, even though they are not precisely on one line with the Earth.

The word 'syzygy' is often loosely used to describe interesting configurations of planets in general. For example, one such case occurred on March 21, 1884 at around 23:00 UTC, when Mercury transited the Sun as seen from Venus, and Mercury and Venus both simultaneously transited the Sun as seen from Saturn. It is also used to describe situations when all the planets are on the same side of the Sun although they are not necessarily found along a straight line, such as on March 10, 1982.

Only because too many people fail to realize that we don't "flame" things (except on forums), we "inflame" them.

Thus "flammable." But "inflammable" could hardly become its opposite, because "inflame" is the real verb.
Okay, so flammable is the weirdo?

Either way. Weird.

The verb is "inflame", thus "inflammable."

Not weird at all... except for an unfortunate association of the "in" part.

we could switch out the 'in' for an 'en' - it might clear things up in writing at least.

Property... just think about it for a while;)

"So, what super-cool adventure are we goin' on today? Should I get my scuba gear?"
"We're not goin' anywhere, your father's workin' on this thing."
"Scuba! Scuuuba. Scuba-scuba-scuba-scuba-scub-- Say scuba."
"Scuba."
"Scuba! It sounds funny. Scuba!"
"Scuba...yeah, it does."

Cookie for the first person to say where that's from.

bun.

there's just something silly about the word. especially if you say it a few times...

just like how i love the german word "ob"

Pneumonia. Why the hell don't you pronounce the p?


"So, what super-cool adventure are we goin' on today? Should I get my scuba gear?"
"We're not goin' anywhere, your father's workin' on this thing."
"Scuba! Scuuuba. Scuba-scuba-scuba-scuba-scub-- Say scuba."
"Scuba."
"Scuba! It sounds funny. Scuba!"
"Scuba...yeah, it does."

Cookie for the first person to say where that's from.

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like a conversation that My Name Is Earl might have.

Fence.

Earth, it doesn't sound nice at all. It sounds like an alien and dangerous place where an evil all consuming scourge lives.

Only because too many people fail to realize that we don't "flame" things (except on forums), we "inflame" them.
I don't "inflame" things, I set them on fire.

I don't "inflame" things, I set them on fire.

set-fireable?

Inflammable.

Totally counterproductive word.Dr Nick: Inflammable means flammable? :confused:

Niche.. I just don't like it.

set-fireable?
I don't see why everyone is too good to just say, "It burns good. Real good." No one would have to wonder what that meant if they saw it on a caution sticker.

I don't know for sure, but it sounds like a conversation that My Name Is Earl might have.

Good guess, but not the correct answer I'm afraid.

Kinda sounds like encouragement though doesn't it?
You assume that I, or anyone else who has ever set their mattress on fire, need the encouragement. You are wrong.

I don't see why everyone is too good to just say, "It burns good. Real good." No one would have to wonder what that meant if they saw it on a caution sticker.

Kinda sounds like encouragement though doesn't it?

"So, what super-cool adventure are we goin' on today? Should I get my scuba gear?"
"We're not goin' anywhere, your father's workin' on this thing."
"Scuba! Scuuuba. Scuba-scuba-scuba-scuba-scub-- Say scuba."
"Scuba."
"Scuba! It sounds funny. Scuba!"
"Scuba...yeah, it does."

Cookie for the first person to say where that's from.

The Venture Bros.?

I don't see why everyone is too good to just say, "It burns good. Real good." No one would have to wonder what that meant if they saw it on a caution sticker.

Are you kidding? Do you realize how lazy people are? You have to keep it under two words.

The verb is "inflame", thus "inflammable."

Not weird at all... except for an unfortunate association of the "in" part.Well if inflammable is the proper word, then what is its opposite? Ininflammable? Or would that be flammable?

Well if inflammable is the proper word, then what is its opposite? Ininflammable? Or would that be flammable?

Maybe "non-inflammable."

Well if inflammable is the proper word, then what is its opposite? Ininflammable?

Uninflammable.

Think "unintuitive." (No pun intended.)

Edit: Which, now that I think about it, is often replaced by "non-intuitive." So I suppose "non-inflammable" would work.

Uninflammable.

Think "unintuitive." (No pun intended.)The pun may not be intended, but it sure as hell is a good point.

The Venture Bros.?

*Gives cookie*

I believe that the point of words is to help humans communicate with one another. It therefore strikes me as deeply weird that we'd have a word which actually makes it MORE confusing and difficult to communicate, particularly when it comes to an important topic like "will this light on fire?"

The phrase 'light on fire' always seems broken to me... as does 'set on fire', to a lesser extent. "Set fire to..." always seemed more accurate. Ah well.

"Any" is a strange word... it doesnt sound how it looks.

I always thought "melancholy" sounded like a happy word. The sound just doesn't fit the meaning.

I say hour. It just looks weird. what say you?
How about:

Antidisestablishmentarianism

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antidisestablishmentarianism

"Brian, why are you acting so hweird?"
"Hey, there's not even an h in that!"

:D

onomatopoeia. hands down.

I'm going to have to go with slubberdegullion (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/slubberdegullion). Heard it in the seventh grade and fell in love with its oddity.

The weirdest word in "English"?

Hrm..

Glen..gin...shin...sing...sling..

Can't decide.

koosh. puce. fop. foppish. weird.

Brouhaha.

Tintinabulation, persnickety, sesqicentenial, and scrod.

Those would be just some of my choices.

Defenestrate.

Why we need this word is beyond me.

Defenestrate.

Why we need this word is beyond me.

We need it mostly for the totally cool new secondary definition, which is "To remove Windows from a computer"!

Is burninated in the dictionary yet?

Street.

Defenestrate.

Why we need this word is beyond me.
So we can defenestrate people - the coolest kind of mob justice.

Weirdest word? Moistly. For its frankly unnerving ability to sound obscene in any context or tone.

Crease.
Or Bonus.

EDIT: Total time warp.

So we can defenestrate people - the coolest kind of mob justice.

Weirdest word? Moistly. For its frankly unnerving ability to sound obscene in any context or tone.

We'd better get back, 'cause it'll be dark soon, and they moistly come at night... moistly. ...

my thesaurus has been eroded by alcohol, so i cannot contriubte constructively. nor can i spell, ..... fuck it.

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia is rather funny.

As is 'notwithstanding'.

We need it mostly for the totally cool new secondary definition, which is "To remove Windows from a computer"!


Bwhahah very good!

Cleave as it means to split apart and to stick together.

The weirdest words... are the ones that seem totally inappropriate to what they mean.

Example:

dyslexic... why does this word have to be so hard to spell?
lisp... why is this impossible to say with a lisp?
stutter... why is this word full of sibilants and plosives?
zombie... why should this word be impossible to say without lips?

There is not one, but more:

Abacot; Absquatulate; Acronychal; Acrophony; Adipocere; Albertopolis; Alegar and beeregar; Alexipharmic; Analemmatic; Anamorphosis; Anatine; Anfractuosity; Ansible; Anthropodermic; Antimacassar; Apocope; Arenaceous; Astrobleme; Astrobolism; Ataraxy; Atrabilious; Attercop; Austringer; Autohagiography.

Bafflegab; Balderdash; Balductum; Bankrupt; Bant; Baragouin; Barmecide; Bathykolpian; Bellwether; Bezoar; Blackguard; Blackmail; Blatherskite; Blood and thunder; Bloviate; Blurb; Bodacious; Bodger; Bonzer; Boondoggle; Bootless; Borborygmus; Boscage; Boustrophedonic; Bowdlerise; Bridewell; Brimborion; Brobdingnagian; Bromopnea; Brummagem; Bruxer.

Cachinnatory; Cacography; Cadastral; Cadge; Caitiff; Callipygian; Callithumpian; Caltrop; Camelion; Cancrine; Carphology; Cataglottism; Cataract; Catoptromancy; Cenatory; Cento; Charabanc; Cheat-bread; Chiliastic; Chrestomathy; Chuck-farthing; Circumbendibus; Clerihew; Clinquant; Cockaigne; Cockamamie; Codology; Codswallop; Cohobation; Collyrium; Colophonian; Conkerer; Contumely; Coopering; Copacetic; Costard; Costus; Coulrophobia; Coxcomb; Cribellate; Cruciverbalist; Cyborg; Cymbocephalic.

...

Or go to:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/index.htm

Colonel.


Not the wierdest, but quite odd.

There is not one, but more:

Abacot; Absquatulate; Acronychal; Acrophony; Adipocere; Albertopolis; Alegar and beeregar; Alexipharmic; Analemmatic; Anamorphosis; Anatine; Anfractuosity; Ansible; Anthropodermic; Antimacassar; Apocope; Arenaceous; Astrobleme; Astrobolism; Ataraxy; Atrabilious; Attercop; Austringer; Autohagiography.

Bafflegab; Balderdash; Balductum; Bankrupt; Bant; Baragouin; Barmecide; Bathykolpian; Bellwether; Bezoar; Blackguard; Blackmail; Blatherskite; Blood and thunder; Bloviate; Blurb; Bodacious; Bodger; Bonzer; Boondoggle; Bootless; Borborygmus; Boscage; Boustrophedonic; Bowdlerise; Bridewell; Brimborion; Brobdingnagian; Bromopnea; Brummagem; Bruxer.

Cachinnatory; Cacography; Cadastral; Cadge; Caitiff; Callipygian; Callithumpian; Caltrop; Camelion; Cancrine; Carphology; Cataglottism; Cataract; Catoptromancy; Cenatory; Cento; Charabanc; Cheat-bread; Chiliastic; Chrestomathy; Chuck-farthing; Circumbendibus; Clerihew; Clinquant; Cockaigne; Cockamamie; Codology; Codswallop; Cohobation; Collyrium; Colophonian; Conkerer; Contumely; Coopering; Copacetic; Costard; Costus; Coulrophobia; Coxcomb; Cribellate; Cruciverbalist; Cyborg; Cymbocephalic.

...

Or go to:

http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/index.htm


It missed out colonel :(

Antidisestablishmentarianism.

Only legal double negative.

Hmmm, lets see...

Quixotic, Ballhooter, Wombat, Quiddity, Conillon, Salubrious, mysoginistic, fast (has four or 3 different meanings, that have NOTHING to do with each other), Handsome (break it down... its wierd)... oh, there are so many

zombie... why should this word be impossible to say without lips?[/INDENT]

Actually, it's a myth that any significant fraction of zombie society has no lips. This myth probably originates from the remade Dawn of the Dead, where the film's very first zombie (the little girl) has had most of her lips bitten or chewed off (presumably by zombies). Hence most zombies are hypothetically capable of pronouncing the word zombie, although because of their limited cognitive function the best they will approximate it is something like, ZARBAH!

I've always thought duodectillion to be a weird word......I know the topic is the English language, but can I mention one quickly in Welsh? Hyblyg. Pronounced huh-blig.

Epilalia

Actually, it's a myth that any significant fraction of zombie society has no lips. This myth probably originates from the remade Dawn of the Dead, where the film's very first zombie (the little girl) has had most of her lips bitten or chewed off (presumably by zombies). Hence most zombies are hypothetically capable of pronouncing the word zombie, although because of their limited cognitive function the best they will approximate it is something like, ZARBAH!

ZARBAH!

Also, fluke.

"Ruthless"

To my knowledge, there is no word in the english language for a quality of "ruth". Eytomologically, a word ending with the suffix "-less" defines the quality of the absence of the root. But, we have no word "ruth" other than has a name. weird, huh?

To my knowledge, there is no word in the english language for a quality of "ruth".

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ruth

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=ruth

This brings up another question: why is "ruthless" popular, but "ruth" is not?

Cow.

Flabbergasted.

Flibbertigibbet.