The following is a litle gem from the "Superior Person's Book of Words" by Peter Bowler ISBN: 0-87923-556-X. It is a delightful, if short, book.

AN ABECEDARIAN INSULT: "Sir, you are an apogenous, bovaristic, coprolalial, dasypygal, excerebrose, facimorous, gnathonic, hircine, ithyphallic, jumentous, kyphotic, labrose, mephitic, napiform, oligophrenial, papuliferous, quisquilian, rebarbative, saponaceous, thersitical, ungiunous, ventripotent, wlatsome, xylocephalous, yirning zoophyte.

Translation: Sir you are an impotent, conceited, obscene, hairy-buttocked, brainless, wicked, toadying, goatish, indecent, stable-smelling, hunchbacked, thick-lipped, stinking, turnip-shaped, feebleminded, pimply, trashy, repellent, smarmy, foul-mouthed, greasy, gluttonous, loathsome, wooden-headed, whining, extremely low form of animal life.

Unfortunately, in the heat of battle, it usually comes out as: Oh yeah? Same to you!

Dear Rouspeteur:How long would it take you to memorize them well enough to roll it off your tongue trippingly? I suggest coprophagous instead of coprolallial.

for a challenge, now make the translation alphabetical. <grin>

New challenge: how about a conversation (ie, a series of posts) in which each entry is comprised of words (or, predominately of words) beginning with a particular letter, and the successive entry with the next letter of the alphabet.

And, in anticipation of amicable adventure, I advance amusement and act anon.

<now don't leave me hanging >

Abbotsford was the name of the estate of a famous author. Name him.

<now don't leave me hanging >

B baffled me briefly, but I believe better badinage than babel. Bear with me, or take the baton to C.

CI cthought cthat csounded cfamiliar.
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tsuwm
(addict)
Tue Sep 5 16:47:13 2000
Re: clever insults

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Abecedarian insult: "Sir, you are an apogenous, bovaristic, coprolalial, dasypygal, excerebrose, facinorous, gnathonic, hircine, ithyphallic, jumentous, kyphotic, labrose, mephitic, napiform, oligophrenial, papuliferous, quisquilian, rebarbative, saponaceous, thersitical, unguinous, ventripotent, wlatsome, xyloocephalous, yirning, zoophyte!"

[try spell-checking that]
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Brandon
(newbie)
Tue Sep 5 17:21:08 2000
Re: clever insults

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Abecedarian insult: "Sir, you are an apogenous, bovaristic, coprolalial, dasypygal..."

Zounds, your xiphoid words verify ultimate truth, sir. Rather quaint parody of numinous meta - language. Kindred joksters inevitably have gathered flavorful epithets. Don't coddle boisterous abecedarians!
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http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=wordplay&Number=4228

The concept of concatenating a considerable count of c words contiguously thereby creating cogent, coherent, and controversial content could cause consternation, cerebral constipation, and even cardialgia.

Perhaps the "N" word insult "napiform" could even be construed as a compliment. There used to be a phrase "V man" meaning broad shouldered but narrow waisted, which is the same as "napiform". If "neoteny" is "the retention of juvenile characteristics in the adult" would not calling somebody "neotenous" be a dandy insult?

Sir Walter Scott, but what does it have to do with what comes before or after?

Bingley