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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
one of the hoary word riddles one hears (too) often as a word maven is, "What are the four words in the English language ending in -dous?" (you must amend this to 'four common words' in order to avoid a pedantic word dump from some surly word mavens.)
just this afternoon I encountered another such, rescued from the Dustbin of Obsolete Words: jeopardous (last found in the wild by Murray in 1661, but used otherwhence since): jeopardous - Fraught with risk or danger; hazardous, risky, perilous, dangerous.
"In such snow he'd have led us into all sorts of thrilling and jeopardous traps..."
- Leif Enger, Peace Like a River (2002)
Enger actually goes on to use the word again:
"Had the man not opted for a late soak my brother's career might've ended on the spot, but wet feet and wood floors make jeopardous allies..." - ibid
I think it's a word that warrants wider use.
-tsuwm
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Joined: Feb 2008
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
Apart from the semi-archaic and now apparently resurrected jeapardous... what are the others?
hazardous you mention, then there would be
horrendous
stupendous
tremendous
...are there really only four plus one?
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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did you not note the "common" qualifier? previously..
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old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
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did you not note the "common" qualifier? previously.. of what? I notice from that list in the link that several of them are in fact myths. I also noticed no 16. "Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable." I wonder if Jackie agrees? 
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Joined: Apr 2000
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Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
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old hand
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old hand
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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formerly known as etaoin...
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old hand
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old hand
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What about a word meaning spotty? Leopardous? Or perhaps describing one who is too prone to wearing dancing hose? Leotardous? 
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addict
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addict
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Disastrous? Calamitous? Both fairly common, I think.
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Joined: Jan 2008
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member
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member
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Posts: 155 |
couldous adj. concerned with possibility or capability: The motivational speaker gave his usual couldous talk.
Forget it; I made it up. Whew, now I don't have to go back and attempt to give the pronunciation.
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