Complex Numbers

A Fine Selection of Bumfodder

I'm not above making up words if I don't know a good one for the context. Or even just for fun. None of them have caught on, but English has some words that caught on for a while, and then... caught off?

56 Delightfully Unusual Words for Everyday Things  

If your dream is to talk like Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek...

Who? No.

...look no further than Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words, one of the dictionaries Catherine O’Hara used to tweak her iconic character's lines.

Still not interested in the show.

The following terms for everyday things are ones you'll want to add to your lexicon ASAP.

People who grew up with the internet seem to think they had the monopoly on turning words into acronyms. They did not; ASAP predated widespread use of computers. Some sources claim it's about a hundred years old They also didn't invent weed or sex. Just saying.

On the other hand, a bunch of words that people think were acronyms weren't. Those are called backronyms because people love portmanteaux (I, on the other hand, do not). An example of a non-acronym is the ever-useful F word.

Anyway. The article lists too many words for me to copy all of them, and besides, lawyers exist. So I'll just highlight a few.

3. Baragouin

Another word for gibberish that dates back to the early 1600s.

But why bother? Gibberish is easier to spell, pronounce, and remember, and also has the advantage of sounding like what it is.

4. Bumfodder

Why yes, this is a 17th-century word for toilet paper.

Again, easier to say "bumwad," or even "loo roll" if you're of a British bent.

9. Clinchpoop

If you get into a confrontation with a jerk, consider calling them a clinchpoop, which the OED defines as “A term of contempt for one considered wanting in gentlemanly breeding.”

I mean, sure, hit 'em with that word if you want them to hit you with their fists.

13. Eructation

A fancy word for belching...

Everything sounds more proper when using Latin root words. That's one reason we have so many. Defecation. Urination. Flatulence. This one, though, is just showing off.

18. Forjeskit

“Forjesket sair, with weary legs,” Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote in 1785’s “Second Epistle to J. Lapraik.” It was the first use of the word, which means “exhausted from work,” according to Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary.

Still no definitive word on whether Scots is a dialect of or sister language to English, but I'm pretty sure this word belongs in that language. That's not the only Scots word at the link.

24. Join-hand

Another word for cursive handwriting.

Some words went obsolete for a reason.

31. Maquillage

Another word for makeup that dates back to the late 1800s.

And that one's French. Yes, English stole a bunch of words from French, but most of them came from way before the late 1800s.

32. Matutolypea

According to Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary, this term means “getting up on the wrong side of the bed.” Macmillan Dictionary notes that the word “is derived from the Latin name Matuta from Matuta Mater, the Roman Goddess of the dawn, and the Greek word lype meaning 'grief or sorrow.’”

Unnecessary. Cumbersome.

40. Ombibulous

According to Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary, ombibulous describes “someone who drinks everything.” It was coined by H.L. Mencken, who once wrote, “I am ombibulous. I drink every known alcoholic drink and enjoy them all.”

Finally! One I have reason to steal.

47. Scacchic

“of or pertaining to chess,” according to the OED.

As far as I've been able to figure out, the French word for "chess" is the same as the French word for "failure." Unsurprisingly, it seems to be related to this one, which comes from Italian.

51. Tapster

Another word for a bartender.

Hey look, another one I can actually use.

Anyway, like I said, many more at the link. Personally, I think most of these, however unusual, have better words to describe their concepts. But some writers seem to take great delight in vexing their readers with obscure synonyms, so the article might be useful to them.