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Weird and Wonderful Words
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
303 posts | 1 read | 7 to read
Lists the meaning of hundreds of bizarre and unusual words and includes a guide to coining new words.
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peanutnine
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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My partner sent me this Instagram reel this morning. This word is so me and it's fun to say. According to urban dictionary it can also mean "to cuddle with, rub faces and noses with, and generally make a fuss over your pets" - which I also love to do. So snerdle is about to make a come back in my vocabulary ???
#WeirdWordWednesday #WeirdWords @CBee

CBee Ohhhhh I could be a professional snerdler 😂 12mo
5feet.of.fury Awww so cute. I could go for either definition right about now. 12mo
dabbe I think most of us love to snerdle our pets, right? Love to say it out loud! 💜🖤🧡 12mo
Megabooks Great word! 12mo
35 likes4 comments
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wanderinglynn
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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#weirdwordwednesday Saw this in an Etsy store.

Schnapsidee: German - An idea so ridiculous you must have been drunk when you thought it up.

Although I have to ask @julesG if this is an actual German word. Curious minds want to know.

AkashaVampie haha i love that word!!! I dont drink anymore but yeah awesome word. 1y
slategreyskies I‘m curious as to whether or not it‘s a real word as well. 1y
swynn It's in LEO (the online German-English language tool) so... https://dict.leo.org/german-english/schnapsidee 1y
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wanderinglynn @swynn good enough for me! 👍🏻😀 @slategreyskies 1y
CBee Hubby is German so I‘m going to see if he‘s heard of this word! Thanks for posting 💚 1y
julesG It is a real German word and the explanation is correct too. I'm offering another wonderful German word: when the result in a game of dice is made up of repeat digits it's called a "Schnapszahl" and the person who has to shout a round of Schnaps. @CBee @swynn @slategreyskies @AkashaVampie 1y
CBee @julesG very cool! 1y
swynn @julesG Love it! 1y
wanderinglynn Thanks @julesG 😀 One of these days, I‘m going to start learning German! I love all the fun words. 1y
61 likes10 comments
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Deblovestoread
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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This word came up in one of my books this last week. I had never seen it before and wondered if it might be Vulcan as I‘ve been watching The Big Bang Theory…I was only off by a little bit as it is Martian 😂

#WeirdWordsWednesday

@CBee

CBee Oh wow! I‘ve seen it before and never knew what it meant 😊 2y
vivastory I haven't read Heinlein's book but I had heard that it introduced a new neologism. According to this article, Heinlein also invented waterbeds (?!)
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/64993/15-things-you-might-not-know-about-str...
2y
Deblovestoread @vivastory Thanks for the interesting article, Scott. I haven‘t read it either but intend to one day 2y
44 likes3 comments
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wanderinglynn
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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#weirdword

One of those words that just sounds weird to me.

dabbe This word always makes me feel like I'm swearing, especially if I emphasize the “EFF“ part. 🤣 2y
CBee @dabbe 🤭🤭🤭 2y
CBee Good one, @wanderinglynn! 2y
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wanderinglynn @dabbe 😆😆😆 2y
marleed What came to mind for me when reading this word and definition was my ineffable grandmother who survived all three her children. 2y
wanderinglynn @marleed ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
61 likes6 comments
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wanderinglynn
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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Supercilious is a #weirdword that when repeated multiple times, loses its meaning.

This phenomenon is called semantic satiation. It happens because our brains translate words into ideas. And so when a word is repeated, the brain just focuses on the sound of the word and not the meaning, which is why it can start to sound like gibberish.

How cool is that?

rockpools Very cool! 2y
71 likes1 comment
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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Pickpick

I've read several collections of obscure words, and this is certainly one of the best. Not only are the words fascinating, but the authors also include a list of related websites, as well as a how-to guide for creating new words. (I also like that I got it for $1 at a thrift store).

Readers who enjoy this book might also enjoy "There's A Word For It" by Charles Harrington Elster.

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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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Texreader These posts are so fun to read. I may have to get this book 2y
keithmalek @Texreader I love it! I've read several collections of obscure words, and this might very well be the best one I've read so far! 2y
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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Suet624 Weird 2y
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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Suet624 I love this word. 2y
4 likes1 comment
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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keithmalek
Weird and Wonderful Words | Roz Chast, Erin McKean
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I don't know why the authors got lazy here, but here are the definitions:

Ornithopter: A machine designed to achieve flight by flapping its wings.

Oogonium: The female sex organ of certain algae and fungi.

Drogulus: Something that exists but whose existence cannot be verified because it is completely intangible. Plural, droguli.