Common long words
A C Bowden
07/05/2026 1:36 AM
Common words are usually fairly short, but a few are long, and I wonder why they have not been eroded to something shorter. Some examples are:
characteristic
international
misunderstanding
opportunity
representative
simultaneous
superintendent
sympathetic (why not 'sympathic'?)
university
Note also the expression "lull into a false sense of security", which is surprisingly common in speech, considering its length (11 syllables).
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Something different
A C Bowden
07/04/2026 3:36 PM
As a change from limericks, I offer a nonsense poem:
I saw a griffin and a unicorn
Pick scarlet lemons with a weaver's horn.
They glided through the humming barley field
Where last year's eggs lay dismally congealed,
And left their loaded wagons by a church
While rabbits sang upon a muddy perch.
A peasant girl, who wore an actor's mask,
Came by in haste to carry out her task,
And all the priest's unshaven acolytes,
In formal dress, with gloves and woollen tights,
Marched through a spinney to salute the sun,
Observed by an applauding Spanish nun.
A water-nymph reclined upon a stone,
Coquettishly conversing on her phone,
But near the riverbank two former saints
Rued their disgrace with loud, heartrending plaints,
And starlings on a sweet potato tree
Arranged old tunes in a discordant key.
I had a quarrel with a jeering wren,
And shot it with my loaded cartridge pen.
Besmirched with snow, and dazzled by the fog,
I galloped hither on my trusty dog.
The kings of old would send the geese away,
But such an act might irk the Pope today.
Why pour synthetic custard on our bread
When angels cook with vinegar instead?
As Adam joked to Eve upon their fall:
"That's life, my dear – you cannot win them all".
CONDITIONAL – CONTRIBUTION
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COMS TO CKLOSE - gets to the end of business hours
wofahulicodoc
07/03/2026 8:32 PM
COMSTOCK LODE
PRONUNCIATION: (KUHM/KOM-stahk LOHD)
MEANING: noun: A rich supply or source, especially one that seems inexhaustible.
ETYMOLOGY: After Henry T.P. Comstock (c. 1820-1870), a prospector whose name is attached to the rich silver-and-gold deposit discovered in 1859 near what is now Virginia City, Nevada. Earliest documented use: 1866.
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COM STORK LODE - urging the bird to wrap the babies in blankets before taking them out for delivery
SOM STOCK LODE - you mean some of the cattle mooed?
COM-STiCK LODE - a whole bunch of wands which you could use to talk to other people
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OONA LISA - Mrs Chaplin's middle name is Lisa
wofahulicodoc
07/03/2026 8:20 PM
MONA LISA
PRONUNCIATION: (MOH-nuh LEE-suh/zuh)
MEANING: noun: A woman with an enigmatic smile or expression.
adjective: Enigmatic, mysterious, or inscrutable, especially of a smile or expression.
ETYMOLOGY: After Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (c. 1503-1519). Earliest documented use: 1835.
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MORALISA - what an Itaian ethicist does
'MONA LIST - they have a dossier on me on me and.a lotta other folks
MON ALISSA - Betcha can't guess my girl friend's name!
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CREICHTONISM - afflicted from birth with a underactive thyroid
wofahulicodoc
07/03/2026 8:07 PM
CRICHTONISM
PRONUNCIATION: (KRY-tuh-niz-uhm)
MEANING: noun: Extraordinary accomplishment in many fields.
ETYMOLOGY: After James Crichton (1560-1582), a Scottish scholar, linguist, debater, and man of letters whose reputation for wide-ranging brilliance led to the epithet the Admirable Crichton. Earliest documented use: 1850.
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CRISHTONISM - how Mrs Malaprop refers to Protestantism when she's in her cups
RICHTOWNISM - complaining about them durn upper-class city slickers
SCRICHTONISM - when you're strickien by an intolerable itch
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HIRENT - why you can't afford an apartment
wofahulicodoc
07/03/2026 7:56 PM
HIREN
PRONUNCIATION: (HY-ruhn)
MEANING: noun: A seductive woman.
ETYMOLOGY: After Hiren, a character in the lost play The Turkish Mahomet and Hiren the Fair Greek (1594), attributed to George Peele. The name Hiren is a variant of Irene. Earliest documented use: 1600
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SHIREN - the sound of a drunk emergency vehicle
HUREN - second-largest Great Lake (by surface asrea)
HIBEN - Greetings, Mr Franklin
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Advice to pilots
A C Bowden
06/30/2026 4:42 PM
DECISION – DECREASE
As your altitude starts to decrease,
You may fly near a flock of wild geese.
A lack of decision
Can risk a collision
And cause your untimely decease.
DISCORDANT – DISGRACE
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CARROLLIN' - singin' Christmas songs
wofahulicodoc
06/30/2026 2:44 AM
CARROLLIAN
PRONUNCIATION: (kuh-ROH-lee-uhn)
MEANING: adjective: Fanciful, absurd, logic-twisting, or playfully nonsensical.
ETYMOLOGY: After Lewis Carroll, pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832-1898), author of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Earliest documented use: 1907.
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CARROLLON - a set of silly bells, typically a huge xylophone in a church steeple
CAR-ROLLIN' - a contest where daredevils try to make their automobiles swerve so violently that they turn upside down
COR, ROLL IAN - I guess there's nothin' to do except see if Ian has anythin' worth stealin'
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FOURMOUS - Mickey and his three nephews
wofahulicodoc
06/30/2026 2:28 AM
FORMOUS
PRONUNCIATION: (FOR-muhs)
MEANING: adjective: Beautiful.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin formosus (beautiful, handsome), from forma (form, shape, beauty). Earliest documented use: c. 1450.
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FARMOUS - belonging to Old Macdonald
'NORMOUS - ‘uge
FIORMOUS - flowery
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PENTOUS - fivefold
wofahulicodoc
06/30/2026 2:19 AM
LENTOUS
PRONUNCIATION: (LEN-tuhs)
MEANING: adjective: Sticky; viscous.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin lentus (sticky, viscous, tenacious; also slow). Earliest documented use: 1646.
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LENTOLUS - a very small loan
DENTOUS - toothy
ILE’И’TOUS - a store where you can buy an island and any accessory you want
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TUMORSOME - growing, unexpectedly
wofahulicodoc
06/30/2026 2:07 AM
TIMORSOME
PRONUNCIATION: (TIM-uhr-suhm)
MEANING: adjective: Timid; easily frightened.
ETYMOLOGY: From timorous + -some; timorous is ultimately from Latin timor (fear), from timere (to fear). Earliest documented use: c. 1600.
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TIMORDOME- a football arena in Micronesia in the south Pacific
TIMERDOME - igloo-shaped structure covering of the relay system
TIMORDAME - Bloody Mary is the / Girl I Love
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VINOLENT - to give up wine for the 40 non-Sundays before Easter
wofahulicodoc
06/30/2026 2:01 AM
VINOLENT
PRONUNCIATION: (VAI-nuh-luhnt)
MEANING: adjective: Drunken with wine; given to drinking wine to excess.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin vinolentus (full of or drunk with wine), from vinum (wine) + -ulent (full of). Earliest documented use: 1384.
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VINYLENT - plasticized
VINOCENT - a penny for a dram of wine
VI: NO LET - Clause Six: Sub-leasing is not permitted
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POSIT HURISM- stipulate that Ben Hur had a cadre of devotees
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 2:49 AM
PSITHURISM
PRONUNCIATION: (SITH-yuh-riz-uhm)
MEANING: noun: A rustling or whispering sound, especially of leaves in the wind.
ETYMOLOGY: From Greek psithurizein (to whisper), from psithuros (whispering, slanderous). Earliest documented use: 1848.
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SITH URISM - the masters of the Dark Side of the Force were the power behind the ancient Sumerian city
PSI TOURISM - using teleportation and telekinesis to see the sights more efficiently
P.S., IT HUBRIS, M? - Oh, and by the way, don't you think you're being just a bit too cocky?
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PURLCHRISTUDINOUS - knitting a Yuletide present
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 2:30 AM
PULCHRITUDINOUS
PRONUNCIATION: (puhl-kri-TOOD/TYOOD-uh-nuhs)
MEANING: adjective: Physically beautiful; comely.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin pulchritudo (beauty), from pulcher (beautiful). Earliest documented use: 1706.
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PULCHRISTUDIOUS - like a connoisseur of feminine beauty
MULCHRITUDINOUS - applying a layer of protective material around the base of a plant, to protect against dehydration or other hazards
PUL-CHARIOTUDINOUS - describing the motive power of a two-wheeled Roman racing vehicle
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VICI'd - "I conquered," in pseudo-Latin
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 2:18 AM
VISCID
PRONUNCIATION: (VIS-id)
MEANING: adjective: Sticky; glutinous; slimy.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin viscidus (sticky), from viscum (birdlime, mistletoe). Earliest documented use: 1635.
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MISC ID - miscellaneous form of identification
VIZ., CID - that is to say, the Criminal Investigation Division
VISAID - a brand of corrective lenses
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TEPIDANT - lukewarm
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 2:09 AM
TREPIDANT
PRONUNCIATION: (TREP-i-duhnt)
MEANING: adjective: Timid, apprehensive, or trembling with fear.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin trepidare (to hurry or be alarmed). Earliest documented use: 1891.
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TREPEDANT - three-footed
STREPIDANT - infected with round, gram-Positive microorganisms
TREPIDON'T - declining to tackle even an only-moderately-risky challenge
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TEMULEST - the most temule
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 1:57 AM
TEMULENT
PRONUNCIATION: (TEM-yuh-luhnt)
MEANING: adjective: Drunk; intoxicated.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin temetum (intoxicating drink) + -ulentus (full of). Earliest documented use: 1629.
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TEMULENE - a cyclic hydrcarbon with the empirical formula C6H6CH3
THEMULENT - the ones you temporarily entrusted to the care of someone else
ITEMULENT - singlar of THEMULENT
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SOSOURRATION - Army-issue hard candy made with citric acid
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 1:32 AM
SUSURRATION
PRONUNCIATION: (soo-suh-RAY-shuhn)
MEANING: noun: A soft, low sound, such as a rustling, whispering, or murmuring.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin susurrare (to whisper or hum), from susurrus (a murmur or whisper), of imitative origin. Earliest documented use: before 1425.
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SUS-ORRATION - a discourse given in the southern United States on the cotton- and slave-based economy
SUN/SURFATION - ditto in Florida, Southern California, and Hawaii for the leisure economy
CUSSRRATION - a limited number of imprecations
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CHORIZONE - singing is permitted here
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 1:14 AM
CHORIZONT
PRONUNCIATION: (KOR-i-zont)
MEANING: noun: One who disputes the authorship of a work.
ETYMOLOGY: From Greek khorizo (to separate). Earliest documented use: 1868.
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HORIZONT - parallel to the line between sea and sky
CHORIONT - an organism having a liquid-filled sac in which its embryo floats
THORIZONT - a citizen of Asgard who can trace his roots back to the Thunder God
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ANADAM - early human; husband of Aneve
wofahulicodoc
06/23/2026 12:48 AM
ANADEM
PRONUNCIATION: (AN-uh-dem)
MEANING: noun: A wreath or garland for the head.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin anadema (wreath, headband), from Greek anadema, from anadein (to wreathe, bind up), from ana- (back, up) + dein (to bind). Earliest documented use: 1598.
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CANADEM - a US expatriate who doesn't like the current US administration
ANALEM' - an abbreviated somewhat disdtrted figure-of-eight centered on the equator of a globe, charting the path of the noonday sun over the course of a year
ACADEM - a House of Learning
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