Monday, August 23, 2010

Mrs. Byrnes

The Mrs. Byrnes Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words has been in my family for years. Our copy is sordid, dog-eared, and on some pages, ripped. In this treasure chest of definitions you will find little used gems of the English language. All of the words are real, as each is in at least one major dictionary.

In honor of this wonderful book, I will post a new definition on the right side of the page every day. I dare you to try and use them in conversation. A few examples of preposterous (yet practical) words:

groak v.i. to watch people silently while they're eating, hoping they will ask you to join.

genicon n. a sexual partner imagined by one who is dissatisfied with her actual partner.

henhussy n. a sexist term for a man who does housework.

pilgarlic n. a bald head that looks like peeled garlic.

verbicide n. word-murder; mangling or perverting a word.

unasinous adj. equally stupid

1 comment:

  1. I think the word 'pornocracy' is a very useful, esp. given the government of today! Money for favors? Sounds pretty similar.

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