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Underused but delightful, descriptive words

(229 Posts)
SORES Sat 30-Mar-24 10:27:22

in my humble opinion, of course,
these are words I have heard or read this week,
reminded me of my Grandma, old fashioned
words now but meaningful, it would be a shame
for them to be relegated to ‘archaic’

mirth
vexed/vexing
moreover
somnambulant
lovelorn
forsaken
regard (for someone)
nightgown
windborn

there were so many which captured my imagination,
now of course, wanting to lost them, my brain has
seized and I cannot remember any more

of course some words now are unnecessary, we do not have the article nowadays,
(although my Dad still says Wireless ! )

petticoat
casement
candlewick
globes! (lightbulbs)
eiderdown
counterpane
stretch covers
antimacassers
percolator
spills

any more ?

Patsy70 Sat 30-Mar-24 15:19:44

Corsets
Bloomers
Pinafore
Wireless
Suspenders

Glorianny Sat 30-Mar-24 15:22:17

Galoshes always brings to mind this poem. By the journalist Paul Jennings.

I'm having a rapprochement with galoshes
And some would say this heralds middle age;
Yes, sneering they would say
'Does he always wear pince-nez?
Old jossers wore galoshes when ladies' hats were cloches,
Ha! Woollen combinations are this dodderer's next stage!'
.....
There's nothing manly, I repeat,
In always having cold wet feet;
Galoshlessness is foolishness when sharply slants the sleet -
And I utterly refuse
The expression 'overshoes',
To make galoshes posher I would scorn this feeble ruse.

Rapprochement is a lovely word.
....

M0nica Sat 30-Mar-24 15:23:17

We have a lot of casement windows in oour house, as most people do, and I use a percolator frequently.

I used 'effulgent' on GN this week.

MiniMoon Sat 30-Mar-24 15:36:47

I love the old word afterblismed, it means pregnant. It sounds so much better.
I someone insults you, you've been ibobbed.
Great words, we should bring them back into use.

MissAdventure Sat 30-Mar-24 15:47:38

Brazierres.
Is that the right spelling?
I've an idea I'm writing something to do with horse shoes.
Bras - brazierres.

Grannybags Sat 30-Mar-24 15:55:11

Kate1949

Curmudgeonly

One of my favourites!

vampirequeen Sat 30-Mar-24 16:18:49

Although not an English word, I love Kuchisabishii. As you may guess it's Japanese. It's the word to use when you're not hungry but want to eat anyway. It means 'lonely mouth'. I think it sums up that feeling wonderfully.

Parsley3 Sat 30-Mar-24 16:42:06

The Japanese have some very useful words indeed to describe actions. One of my favourites is tsundoku which is the act of buying yet another book that you intend to read but never get round to. I have quite a few non fiction books on my shelf that result from tsundoku.

BrandyGran Sat 30-Mar-24 17:14:13

We have a book which belonged to my late father in law. Inside is a beautiful label which says in the head teachers writing: Awarded to ————- for extreme diligence. U never hear that word now.

Oreo Sat 30-Mar-24 17:18:35

Collywobbles😄.My Nan used to say that this that and the other gave her the collywobbles, am assuming it’s a real word.

MissAdventure Sat 30-Mar-24 18:24:46

Heebie jeebies

Squiffy Sat 30-Mar-24 18:30:37

Fiddlefaddle

Fiddlesticks

Cantankerous

Crabby

Galumphing

Twittern

Wittering (not the place in Sussex!)

Newatthis Sat 30-Mar-24 18:38:33

Mither (annoy) midden (a place at the back of a terraced Victorian house to keep junk in) , chap (as in man) and chum. Isn’t antimacassar one of those little lacy things you put in an arm if a sofa or chair to keep it clean?

Glorianny Sat 30-Mar-24 18:44:29

Isn't a "midden" the outside toilet? There's a group of rocks at the mouth of the River Tyne called the Black Middens. Lots of ships ran aground there.

MiniMoon Sat 30-Mar-24 18:50:39

Nithered, meaning extremely cold.

Greyduster Sat 30-Mar-24 18:56:52

Sentient
Pusillanimous
Tarradiddle

Skydancer Sat 30-Mar-24 19:00:40

My DH says "A twelvemonth".

Chocolatelovinggran Sat 30-Mar-24 19:19:18

Do you think "mither " is a place specific word? I met it first when I went to university in the North West.

Elegran Sat 30-Mar-24 19:22:39

Glorianny

Isn't a "midden" the outside toilet? There's a group of rocks at the mouth of the River Tyne called the Black Middens. Lots of ships ran aground there.

Midden started off as the pile of animal droppings and bedding on a farm (probably also containing the contents of the chamber-pots as well), but soon described any heap of unsavoury debris and in modern times any untidy collection of junk.

Mollygo Sat 30-Mar-24 19:38:18

Elegran I though a midden was the heap of nasties you describe. In Dutch it’s the word for middle. Translating I don’t want to sit in the middle any more made me laugh.

rubysong Sat 30-Mar-24 19:41:02

My mother was often vexed with me, especially if I was 'worritting' her about something.

PamelaJ1 Sat 30-Mar-24 20:00:38

Marydoll

Another favourite of mine is serendipity.

One of my favourites along with discombobulated and peripatetic.

Parsley3 Sat 30-Mar-24 20:19:23

Growing up in a Glasgow tenement, the midden was where the dustbins were gathered together in the back court.

NotAGran55 Sat 30-Mar-24 21:03:42

I loved my party frock as a child.

Llamas99 Sat 30-Mar-24 22:11:49

I love this subject, always loved words! The older words and expressions fascinate me, Thanks everyone!