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Fun English Word Definitions A-Z: Part One
Enjoy this collection of funny English words. Each funny word is defined and used in context.
Abibliophobia – The fear of running out of reading material.
- When I learned about abibliophobia, I suddenly understood Mary Ann’s hoarding of newspapers.
Buttle – To do the work of a butler.
- After he buttled from dawn until midnight, Jeeves fancied a sherry.
Crapulence – Discomfort from eating or drinking too much.
- The city’s restaurant reviewer secretly suffered from chronic crapulence.
Discombobulate – To confuse.
- Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin accommodates discombobulated travelers in its official Recombobulation Area. (This is real. I love Milwaukee.)
Exogamy – Marriage outside one’s tribe or similar social unit.
- Judging from the rampant polydactylism, she doubted exogamy was in vogue among the locals.
Formication – The sense of ants crawling on your skin.
- As she passed the discount clothing rack, Paris suddenly exhibited symptoms of formication. (Because it happened on Rodeo Drive, this was more specifically Califormication.)
Gastromancy – Telling a fortune from the rumblings of the stomach.
- The fortune teller met up with the crapulent food critic for a quick gastromancy session.
Hemidemisemiquaver – A sixty-fourth note.
- A hemidemisemiquaver is half as long as a demisemiquaver or thirty-second note.
Ignicolist –A fire-worshipper
- Investigators believe that Harry Burkhart is an ignicolist who set fires not only in Los Angeles but also in Vancouver.
Jackanapes – A conceited man or saucy, mischievous child
- The colorful etymology of “jackanapes” involves a monkey, an unpopular duke and Naples, Italy.
Kerfuffle – A commotion or agitation
- Traveling internationally always involves some kerfuffle.
Logorrhea – Loquaciousness, talkativeness.
- Trying to skirt the issue, the politician descended into almost comical logorrhea.
Mumpsimus – A person who repeatedly makes an error out of habit, ignorance or obstinacy.
- These quotes are from Archie Bunker, a famous fictitious mumpsimus:
- “Call it a father's intermission, but I smell a rat!”
- “[C]onfirm that the Bunkers is goin' to Florida as pre-deranged.”
- "Goodbye and good ribbons!"
Haha!
That’s all for now. Goodbye & good ribbons to you... but please follow my hub for more great words. Click here for part 2!
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Comments
Voted up and interesting. I'd never heard of crapulence before. But now I know the etymology of the more popular synonym: sh** faced.
I am so entirely discombobulated I am all in a kerfuffle.
Interesting hub. Thank you.
I was about to scream...SHE LEFT OFF N-Z! Sorry, I read the title again. Those were funny. I actually think I suffered Abibliophobia as a teen. I read a lot of Mills & Boon, Harlequin, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. I was always afraid of not having anything to read so before I finished the one I am reading I would go out and purchase another. Maybe it wasn't a phobia as much as an addiction. I still hate not having books or magazines around.