Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Ten Fascinating Obsolete Words



Sillily: In a silly manner; foolishly.
- Rev. John Boag's Imperial Lexicon, c. 1850

Groak: To silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them –www.ObsoleteWord.Blogspot.com

Stiricide: n 1656 -1656 falling of icicles from a house

Jirble: To pour out (a liquid) with an unsteady hand: as, he jirbles out a dram —www.Wordnik.com

Vocabulation: The use or choice of words.
- William Craigie's New English Dictionary, 1928

Curglaff: The shock felt in swimming when one first plunges into the cold water — John Jamieson’s Etymological Scottish Dictionary, 1808

Uglyography: n 804 -1834 bad handwriting; poor spelling
Your uglyography conceals the cogency and brilliance of your ideas.

Englishable: That which may be rendered into English — John Ogilvie’s “Comprehensive English Dictionary”, 1865

Unthew: A bad habit or custom; a vice [c. 900-1400];unthewed, ill-mannered, unruly, wanton [1200- late 1300s], unthewful, unmannerly, unseemly [c. 1050-early 1300s]. - William Craigie's New English Dictionary, 1926

Resistentialism: The seemingly spiteful behavior shown by inanimate objects —www.ObsoleteWord.Blogspot.com


Helen Woodall
helen.woodall@gmail.com

Helen is available to line edit and/ or content edit fiction and non-fiction. Rates on application.


2 comments:

anny cook said...

What an excellent list!

Helen Woodall: Freelance Editing said...

I'm sure you'll have fun playing with them
Helen