Do You Have a Favorite Word?
language July 6th, 2011
I love the word kerfuffle (noun. A commotion or fuss.)
I wish I could work it into everyday language, but there are never enough commotions or fusses going on, which I suppose is a good thing.
The word makes me happy. Probably because it sounds like the equally fun-sounding word kiffle, a pastry rolled paper thin and stuffed with assorted fillings, then baked.
I don’t like kiffles because they’re too dry and hard. Maybe I’ve just had bad kiffles. Anyway, I prefer a softer sort of cookie, like Toll House.
Incidentally, I recently visited an official Nestle Toll House Ice Cream Shop, where I bought their chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and I was deeply disappointed.
The cookie dough was soft, broke apart too easily and practically dissolved into my ice cream. The hell? It’s supposed to be harder and, frankly, could have used more chips.
I mean, they make the stuff. It’s their product and they couldn’t even get it right.
Where was I?
Oh, yeah.
Favorite words.
I like kerfuffle.
What do you like? Extra points if you use it in a sentence. I’ll post grades on the bulletin board outside the principal’s office later in the week.
Stumble it!
July 6th, 2011 at 6:29 pm
My favorite word is an expletive, and functions as noun, verb, and adjective. You can make a complete sentence out of it, as a funny little .wav file taught me in the 90′s. “Eff Effing Effers”. It’s the most versatile and useful word I’ve got.
WHICH IS A SAD COMMENTARY ON MODERN SOCIETY!!!
July 6th, 2011 at 6:55 pm
I’m with Rufus, the F word is my hands down, all time favorite for general comprehensiveness. It truly is the perfect word. Examples:
Are you f’ing kidding me?
I can’t f’ing stand it.
That was f’ing awesome.
I could go on and on. And I frequently do.
For words that can be used in mixed company, I love “churlish”. It always gets a reaction.
“I didn’t want to go to the movies with Sam, but I hated to be churlish.”
“Barb was so sweet to invite me to stay over, saying no would just seem so churlish.”
Good word, huh? And it’s effectiveness is exponentially ramped up by combining it with the F-word. Perfect together. Unless you are talking to your grandma. Then it using it would start QUITE the kerfuffle!!
Marie´s last [type] ..Heartbreaking, But Justice Worked
July 6th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Kerfuffle is good…Pickle berry is another I have others but they are adult content only …:)
robert bourne´s last [type] ..A Little Jack Daniels.. A Little Music
July 6th, 2011 at 7:25 pm
Tintinnabulation is one of my favorites…but I’ve always loved onomatopoeic words.
“The tintinnabulation of the church bells at Christmas time always puts me in a Holiday mood”
I like curmudgeon too. “Uncle Bart is such a curmudgeon”
Huggermugger…used in Hamlet “in huggermugger all interred” (means haste if I recall correctly…as in a hasty sloppy job)
I absolutely adore multi-syllabic words…I like the way they feel in my mouth when they roll around on my tongue and the way they sound in your ears. The right words have a kind of power to them…that’s why it makes me sad that language seems to be simplifying and abbreviating. It’s like we’re limiting the music.
July 6th, 2011 at 9:17 pm
Serendipitous for the sound, the meaning, and the essence!
Jenna @ Simply Bon Vivant´s last [type] ..You Can Quote Me On That
July 6th, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Penultimate …no particular reason. Quixotic – someone used that to describe me, it’s fun to say. Paucity – been crazy about that word since I was a kid. Onomatopoeia – now who doesn’t love saying that word? It’s meaning is even more fun – bada boom!
Grace´s last [type] ..As for the Beach Boys – because I’m in a pissy mood
July 6th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
Tufted Titmouse.
(Two words. But they go together so well!)
Rima´s last [type] ..This One Time? At Lithuanian Camp?
July 6th, 2011 at 11:50 pm
Squeehawed, love the sound, love the image.
Whenever I try to hang a picture, it always ends up squeehawed.
My family also used the word “collywobble” meaning stomach ache, but I don’t know if it’s a real word.
July 7th, 2011 at 4:55 am
I’m a big fan of words with an internal “Q,” like “obsequious.”
Cromely´s last [type] ..Movie Review 19: Mr. Popper’s Penguins
July 7th, 2011 at 6:08 am
Hi, everyone! I’m LOVING your favorite words! Keep ‘em comin’! I think I might have to award prizes here. So many good ones.
Of course, my failure to award prizes to everyone may cause a kerfuffle and that wouldn’t be good.
July 7th, 2011 at 7:02 am
Well, if we are picking words that we use the most, I’m going to go with Rufus. Unfortunately, the eff word is my go-to word when life is not so swell. While I am not proud of my choice (or lack of) of words, I blame it on years in the traffic industry and a mom who could cuss with the best of ‘em.
For lovely sound, I’m going with dirigible. I just like how that word sounds for some reason–although most folks don’t have a reason to use that word much in every day language.
“My favorite dirigible was the Hindenburg” (Gees, that is a lame sentence, but then you get the definition–sort of)
lin´s last [type] ..I-Love-Hobbes-Thursday: and Mary Oliver poems
July 7th, 2011 at 7:15 am
My favorite word has to be the f word…I use it in MANY sentences throughout the day, especially while at work.
On the other hand though, the word I hate the most is ‘snack’. I don’t know why I hate that word, I just do.
Cashier´s last [type] ..Preparing for Night Shift
July 7th, 2011 at 7:25 am
Mine is Serendipity
I love learning new words (or anything for that matter) serendipitously.
BTW, both our words are in a Merriam-Webster Top 10 list:
http://bit.ly/qeBzQF
tina´s last [type] ..Tech Tip Tuesday: Learning Languages
July 7th, 2011 at 7:27 am
and of course there is also supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, which is so much fun to sing
tina´s last [type] ..Tech Tip Tuesday: Learning Languages
July 7th, 2011 at 7:57 am
My favorite is bejeebers. As in “that spider scared the bejeebers out of me”. Not sure where it came from. Might be an old family word.
Pat´s last [type] ..Holidays and Yard Sales
July 7th, 2011 at 8:11 am
I’ve been jealous of British terms lately. I have resolved to start using the word, “peckish,” as in hungry. Such as, “I could eat, I’m feeling a bit peckish.”
Granted, I never got out of the 80′s terminology of calling people dudes and chicks (as in, “Did you see that dude?” not as in “Hey Dude!”). And my husband hung around with an Australian long enough that the term “mate” is ingrained in his vocabulary.
Michelle´s last [type] ..Bitching
July 7th, 2011 at 8:19 am
Love your word!!! Mine is Clodpate meaning a blockhead or a dolt. I use it frequently. Example: That man at the grocery store sure was a clodpate because he was blocking the aisle, talking on his cell phone and being generally oblivious to everyone and everything around him!!!
July 7th, 2011 at 8:22 am
I’m afraid I have an overabundance of favorite words. I could pontificate for hours, expounding my superfluous vocabulary vociferously. Most people I know find it irksome, especially when it creeps into their own vocabulary and contaminates it. As, for example, my favorite–irksome–has done, especially to my family.
Use it in a sentence? Heck, I use it hourly. I have children. It’s a given.
Stephanie Barr´s last [type] ..Telling a Picture’s Story
July 7th, 2011 at 9:03 am
Superfluous. It has such a mellifluous sound.
Abby is superfluous in the herd.
Pricilla – Famous SpokesGoat´s last [type] ..Clash of the Titans
July 7th, 2011 at 9:05 am
The publicist’s is obstreperous. Which means being difficult. She is always telling her nephew he is being obstreperous.
Pricilla you are being very obstreperous by butting Abby when you think she is superfluous in the herd.
Pricilla – Famous SpokesGoat´s last [type] ..Clash of the Titans
July 7th, 2011 at 9:12 am
I love this topic. My favorite word is accoutrements…a fancy sounding name that just means “stuff.” Of pretty much any kind. After that,it’s the F word. I’d have put that first–it’s the main staple of my vocabulary–but accoutrements won by a hair.
July 7th, 2011 at 9:37 am
I like most words spoken by Ann Curry on “The Today Show.” Her voice is nice and low. I could listen to her read the dictionary.
Fred Miller´s last [type] ..Godzilla vs. The General Lee
July 7th, 2011 at 10:33 am
Tranklements. It is a Yorkshire word, of which there are many I love. “Her house is full of tranklements” Meaning she has lots of little trinkets and ornaments. I expect I could come up with a few British words, but my mind always goes blank when I try to think.
Babs (beetle)´s last [type] ..Who got a card from the Queen?
July 7th, 2011 at 10:53 am
My daughter-in-law is from Coalinga. If that doesn’t sound like a vaginal disease, I don’t know what does!
A word I love is galoot. My dog is a galoot-a-rutus. Okay, you didn’t say it had to be a real word, now did you!
Linda Medrano´s last [type] ..Doing It Right
July 7th, 2011 at 11:52 am
Endoplasmic reticulum has always been my favorite word(s). Just rolls off the tongue and makes you sound so educated. Don’t ask me what it means, I just think it sounds cool. (But I do know it has something to do with biology and cells and stuff.)
“The endoplasmic reticulum and golgi bodies help our cells to function properly.” (Golgi bodies is cool too.)
Kim, Rambling Family Manager´s last [type] ..When Life Rains…
July 7th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Oh snap!
I’ve never heard the word kerfuffle – and I love it!!
“What do you like? Extra points if you use it in a sentence.”
my word is: “Unfortunate.”
Scenario: A woman with a noticeably EXTRA large nose, and a limp, walks into the restaurant – and while others are gasping, mocking, and making rude comments, I will say:
“Stop, people. Sadly, she’s unfortunate looking.”
meleah rebeccah´s last [type] ..A Very Special Visit From: My Dear Friend & Fellow Blogger, Nicky!
July 7th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
Kerfuffle is an awesome word and so underused in the U.S.
One of my favorite words is rutabaga. I just blurt it out whenever possible whether it’s appropriate or not.
Margaret (Nanny Goats)´s last [type] ..Where Can I Git Me Some Free Birthday Food at Restaurants?
July 7th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Interesting! Can’t believe you got to go to the Nestle ice cream house! Shame the cookie dough stuff wasn’t as awesome as you expected it to be.
Nice word! Fun post. I like.. hmm…. the word DUNTZ! Like… “nice job, ya duntz.” We all have moments where our thinking is.. sub-par to say the least. Those are duntz moments.
July 7th, 2011 at 2:36 pm
I love ‘Shenanigans’. It’s such a light-hearted, mischievous word! I think it would be the perfect name for an Irish Wolfhound. Finnegan’s shenanigans caused quite the kerfuffle on the village green.
Susan Montgomery´s last [type] ..More 4th photos!
July 7th, 2011 at 3:09 pm
scrawnchwise. i just like the sound of it.
“The car was parked scrawnchwise across two spots.”
also antepenultimate – the next to next to last.
“Then I thought of what my mother had said with her antepenultimate breath” from “Have Some Madeira, My Dear”.
Ladybuggz´s last [type] ..Miscellania
July 7th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I love your words!!!! Now, I command y’all to use them at every opportunity, and take a cue from Margaret. Use them whether they’re appropriate or not. Stand up and use your words!
July 7th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
I like the word “awry.” If something goes wrong, it doesn’t sound as bad to say things just went awry.
Daisy the Curly Cat´s last [type] ..Catnip Maniac
July 8th, 2011 at 6:26 am
“Doh,” not dough, although I could use more of it, literally. That’s one word I could literally do without. On the news, in conversations, folks use literally far too liberally. Must be the liberal media’s fault.
Lauren´s last [type] ..Black And True And Weird All Over.
July 8th, 2011 at 7:33 am
I love the word “tuchas”. I frequently tell my boys to get off their lazy tuchas’s and do some work.
My other favourite are some words my Jewish grandfather used, like “Oy Vey”.
July 8th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Here’s one my Mom used a lot, and I like it too. It zooms right in on size/proportion.
“Scrid”
Example from Urban Dictionary: A tiny portion of food, usually referring to a small slice of pie or cake.
“Would you like the chocolate or the banana cream?”
“Oh, I’ll just have a scrid of each.”
Linda´s last [type] ..A Day at the Zoo
July 8th, 2011 at 2:35 pm
I like the word pickle. I enjoy pickles, yes.
But I prefer it when it’s used as a predicament.
“You don’t have your paddle for the canoe race? Looks like you’re in a bit of a pickle!”
I did not like it the day the cop told me I was in a bit of a pickle because I had not turned when I was in a turning lane and then handed me a ticket.
But on most days, I enjoy the word pickle.
There is also piccallili which I really have no idea how to spell. It’s some sort of relish. I don’t know that I like the actual food but I love the sound of the word.
sparkling74´s last [type] ..Feel Good Friday- A Week In Pictures
July 8th, 2011 at 3:17 pm
Great minds definitely think alike:
http://www.knuckleheadhumor.com/2011/06/word-wackiness.html
My faves are “festooned,” “fisticuffs,” and “douchebag.” As in . . .
Johnny and Phil, after calling each other all sorts of names like “shit-brained douchebag” and “good for nothing swamp sucker,” engaged in a spirited display of fisticuffs at which point their dorm room became festooned with their blood, mucus, and spittle.
Chris@Knucklehead!´s last [type] ..Doody Duty
July 8th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
I too like the word kerfuffle, though I rarely use it.
I have a lot of favorite words but I’ll limit my list to just a few:
•Catywompus: crooked and disorderly – “He parked his car all catywompus.”
•Nernies: A word to describe the pointy nipples caused by cold (or sexual excitement) – “It’s freezing in here! I’ve got some serious nernies.”
•Mental Midget: a non-cuss term to describe a fu**ing idiot – “You mental-midget! You almost crashed right into me!” It’s particularly useful when your kids are in the car and you want to cuss someone out without actually using any bad words in front of them.
•Spargel; pronounced “Shpargle”: German for asparagus” – Yay, we’re havin’ shpargle tonight.”
Gotta say, fisticuffs is a great word too.
July 8th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Kati,
Would you say your dining room is festooned with spargel?
Ooh! Another great word: Plethora. See, my sentence above, about the festooned and spargel, reminded me of that wonderful scene in “The Three Amigos.”
Jefe: I have put many beautiful pinatas in the storeroom, each of them filled with little surprises.
El Guapo: Many pinatas?
Jefe: Oh yes, many!
El Guapo: Would you say I have a plethora of pinatas?
Jefe: A what?
El Guapo: A *plethora*.
Jefe: Oh yes, you have a plethora.
El Guapo: Jefe, what is a plethora?
Jefe: Why, El Guapo?
El Guapo: Well, you told me I have a plethora. And I just would like to know if you know what a plethora is. I would not like to think that a person would tell someone he has a plethora, and then find out that that person has *no idea* what it means to have a plethora.
Jefe: Forgive me, El Guapo. I know that I, Jefe, do not have your superior intellect and education. But could it be that once again, you are angry at something else, and are looking to take it out on me?
Great stuff.
Chris@Knucklehead!´s last [type] ..Doody Duty
July 8th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Chris (or should I call you knucklehead?),
Ooh, more great words. First, no, I don’t generally festoon my dining room with food. However, festoon is a lovely word.
As for plethora, I think I use it every day. Ok, maybe not every day, but a lot, because it’s a much better word than “boatload” (or as the kids today say: buttload.)
July 8th, 2011 at 8:16 pm
Boatload, buttload . . . I prefer the contraction sh’load.
July 9th, 2011 at 8:40 am
I’m a bit partial to “brouhaha,” as in “Nobody could agree on whether to call the ruckus a ‘brouhaha’ or a ‘kerfuffle.’ A rumpus ensued, and the police were called.”
July 9th, 2011 at 5:11 pm
One favourite word, for all time?
I have new ones, regularly. No conscious choice is involved. Something pops into my head, and won’t leave for a long time. Succulent, prurient, are two of the words I can think of, now. I didn’t invite them in. They just showed up. But only ever one at a time.
July 10th, 2011 at 2:30 am
Cuddle. Simple but it reminds me of my loved ones!:)
Lisa´s last [type] ..New List of Classic Books Added
July 10th, 2011 at 5:48 am
I love the word “pancake”. I can feel a good taste in my mouth each time i hear it. It reminds me of my childhood.
John´s last [type] ..Apple Cake
July 11th, 2011 at 1:22 am
I’m quite fond of cattywampus, and kerfuffle is quite nice. I’ve always been a fan of musical sounding combinations like “iambic pentameter” and “formica dinette” and “pot-smoking toxicologist” (it’s a long story). But if I had to pick one single word… I’d have to go with “glitch.” Evidently it has its origins in German and Yiddish, meaning to slide, slip or skid, and is currently used to mean error (computer glitch, etc) but where I remember first coming across it is in Mad Magazine, as a kid. One of the illustrators used it as the sound that you make when you step in dog poop. Glitch!
Impetua´s last [type] ..Shexy!
July 11th, 2011 at 8:32 am
Scandalous. It seems to sum everything up. =D
July 11th, 2011 at 12:01 pm
I, also, like plethora. Actually I like a plethora of words.
In Spanish my favorite word is biblioteca. Donde es la bibioteca?
I like tchotchke and shalom. For some people tchotchkes bring them shalom. I can’t think of more of my favorite words right now. I love the way some people’s names roll off my tongue like ice skater, Elvis Stojko. So fun to say. I believe that is how I pick my favorite words. The way they roll off the tongue.
June´s last [type] ..Eavesdropping on Myself
July 11th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
My favorite word is pulchritudinous which means beautiful. The word itself doesn’t look beautiful.hehe but great meaning though.
Example: You are so pulchritudinous.
July 11th, 2011 at 5:55 pm
As of late my favorite is “Fiddledeedee”. When I get angry it comes out instead of the other F word. Six year olds make you say strange things! lol
DJ´s last [type] ..Grandma’s Pool
July 11th, 2011 at 9:54 pm
Parasol. Has been a magic word for me (for some unknown reason) since I was six or seven. My wife says I should keep this quiet.
Terry´s last [type] ..Coffee Buzz
July 12th, 2011 at 7:55 am
Drat, June. You infected me with plethora. Can’t get it out of my mind. There is something very pleasing in its pronunciation.
However, I’d like to think about something else, now…
Lisa von Lempke´s last [type] ..Dear Helen,
July 12th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
I learned a new favorite word this week – HABOOB! It is the name for a particular type of sandstorm. We had one here in Phoenix last week. The weather man said he got tons of complaints from people who thought he was making it up.
Rey Albor´s last [type] ..Do Some Whiten Their Teeth Too Much?
July 12th, 2011 at 8:43 pm
Well, my latest word is fail, which is so bland… but what makes it funny is any time I drop something or do something stupid I mumble fail… so it became a habit.. so picture me in public, and someone drops their keys as they are walking by and I say in monotone, “fail.” Yup, done it several times without thinking… so embarrassing! My favorite words have always been Notacanthidae and Plethora. My plethora of notacanthidae all jumped out of the bowl which was a fail and caused quite the kerfuffle.
Katherine´s last [type] ..Grandmother Puts Grandchildren Up On Ebay
July 13th, 2011 at 9:38 am
The door and the window were in juxtaposition to one another.
Carla´s last [type] ..Hike
July 14th, 2011 at 7:07 pm
I’ve always loved the word persnickety. I was so pleased when the Sargento cheese company started using it in their TV commercials. “Persnickety people, exceptional cheese!”
Surfie´s last [type] ..Your Friendly Neighborhood Copperhead
July 16th, 2011 at 10:47 pm
My favorite word is pulchritudinous which means beautiful
July 16th, 2011 at 11:42 pm
it sounds like there could have been quite a kerfuffle over that cookie dough debacle. you seem to be quite loquacious about the matter.
i like the word debacle. and loquacious.
Ali´s last [type] ..True Confession(s): Lazy Summer Edition
July 17th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
I had to look this up to spell it right, but my fav word is “onomatopoeia” – words that sound like what they are. I also like onomatopoeiac words like POP, SIZZLE, WHAM. Batman words
.
Stephena´s last [type] ..The Smooth Skin Diet
July 25th, 2011 at 9:57 am
My favorite word used to be kerfuffle, especially since is such an obscure word. So I put it in my blog name. Since then, I seem to hear the word all the time… I guess the world is full of kerfuffles these days. I may have to drown my sorrows in kiffles – or at least try to find some while I’m out looking for a new word..
July 30th, 2011 at 9:42 am
My favorite word i mostly use is “hi”.bcoz we commonly use this word but what makes it special is that when we meet a person we say a word that is nothing but “hi” and both the person feel happy.That makes it special..
nice post..felt happy for this post.keep blogging..:-)
July 30th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
I love this post!!! Once upon a time I kept a list of words I loved in my writer’s notebook….then came kids and life and well – bye bye notebook!!! Among my faves? Squalor. Love it. Such a beautiful word for filth! And Strudel. Just say it to yourself a few times in a row. Strudel! Strudel! How can you not be happy???
What about words you HATE!?!? I have a few of those too, but that’s another post, right?
August 3rd, 2011 at 11:59 am
We use kerfuffle all the time. My daughter likes the word clusterf**k. As in trying to get across the hill to hill bridge in the morning or evening is a clusterf**k.
Also “behoove” “encroach” are popular in our house.
August 8th, 2011 at 10:28 am
Lol kerfuffle reminds me of my childhood when I used to play a game called “Club Penguin”. I remember walking around with my pet “Puffle” ^^.
.
I like the word “glitch” but I like to change it into “glytch”. Just looks cooler
August 10th, 2011 at 8:25 am
There so many words that I like but this word is my most favorite word. It is the word “love”. I think so many people love this word because all people have this kind of feeling.
Ron´s last [type] ..Various Ways to Avoid Man Boobs
August 21st, 2011 at 9:41 am
Found this after reading your take-down of Raymour & Flanigan. Great job!
I have two words that I love and wish I could use in every-day circumstances.
I just like how they sound: callipygian & diaphanous…so euphonious.
My candidate for WORST word in English (combining spelling, meaning and visual imagery) = PHLEGM giving us phlegmatic.
September 5th, 2011 at 7:15 am
Reciprocity – I like the way it sounds plus I like its meaning – a mutual exchange – a give and take – a yin and yang – mi casa su casa – I could go on and on. Great post Kathy ! Keep it up !!!
October 19th, 2011 at 1:44 pm
I like the word “Rage”, because I workout hard thats why I chose this as a nickname, I also like using it while talking.