Web Watch knows a number of women who find the words “moist” and “panty” to both be very disturbing words… and not necessarily when used together — all one has to do is include the individual word in an everyday sentence (ex: “can you get me a moist napkin to wipe up this spill?”) and you can see them cringe away in disgust.
That’s where Robert Beard can come to their rescue, with two lists of more pleasurable words than those two are:
- The 100 FUNNIEST WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE,
- The 100 MOST BEAUTIFUL WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
10 of the funniest words he picks out to share are:
- Crapulence: Discomfort from eating or drinking too much.
- Fartlek: An athletic training regime.
- Formication: The sense of ants crawling on your skin.
- Gobemouche: A highly gullible person.
- Lickspittle: A servile person, a toady.
- Smellfungus: A perpetual pessimist.
- Snollygoster: A person who can’t be trusted.
- Snool: A servile person.
- Turdiform: Having the form of a lark.
- Wabbit: Exhausted, tired, worn out.
Web Watch is going to try to incorporate at least one of these words a week, just to see if anyone notices.
On the flip side, the most beautiful words are words that can be used to enhance your language (both in speech and writing). Think of his list as a thesaurus of sorts, a way to make your communication more interesting to the audience. 10 of those beautiful words that he shares are:
- Bungalow: A small, cozy cottage.
- Demure: Shy and reserved.
- Dulcet: Sweet, sugary.
- Erstwhile: At one time, for a time.
- Gossamer: The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk
- Halcyon: Happy, sunny, care-free.
- Opulent: Lush, luxuriant.
- Scintilla: A spark or very small thing.
- Tintinnabulation: Tinkling.
- Woebegone: Sorrowful, downcast