Saturday 14 January 2012

SOS

I invite you to join me in a campaign to Save Our Synonyms.

It has come to my attention that many wonderful old words are dying out of our language. Please do help to keep them alive. Your help could save a fascinating word from a sad and lonely demise, and no donations or subscriptions are asked. You can help simply by using old-fashioned words, thus bringing them back into the English language (speakers of other languages are invited to do their bit for their own native tongue, but I may be unable to supply you with suggestions).

To assist you in this noble cause, I shall post blog updates entitled 'SOS: Word of the Day', whenever I come across a particularly interesting example. If you yourself know of any worthy recipients of these attentions, please do mention them in the comments.

Without further ado, our very first word of the day:
wamblecropt
wamblecropt: adj, afflicted with queasiness. From wamble, a rolling or uneasiness of the stomach.

I am indebted to Mark Forsyth, whose excellent book, The Etymologicon, and blog brought this word and a number of others to my attention.

So next time you eat a little too much or read too long in the passenger seat of a car, why not say you're feeling a little wamblecropt.

2 comments :

  1. I have to admit you have some unique words I like using. Lollygag is one of those that comes readily to mind.

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    1. Hi! Thanks for commenting. I actually had to look lollygag up - heard it before, but couldn't quite remember what it meant.
      I love old-fashioned words: they just seem so much more expressive and poetic. Not a great many people seem to bother about the sound of words these days.

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