utterly useless words

[dementedman]

'....and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.'

[dannyb]

"Yes I said yes I will yes"

Or perhaps dementedman has never been to Araby.

[dementedman]

Where do these nonexistent words come from? Often I see words people have had accepted and think, huh??? And they just don't exist, except they must, somewhere. But where, and can't someone filter them out?
Or perhaps we should have a James Joyce version, and just let everyone make up their own words.

[Naboka]

Teratogenicists is wide but nage is unacceptable. I type nage every time I see it just to watch it get rejected. What do they say about people who keep doing the same thing over and over, but expect a different outcome?

I am still hoping that it will be added to the WordTwist dictionary. As Moonman Shannon said to Tim McCarver in 1964, "You never know."

We know what they say, but...

Irony is Einstein didn't say it. Probably came from some reforming drunk in AA or a drug addict in the narcotics program.

But who wants to quote a drunk?

Just lacks authority. Much better to attribute it to someone with authority.

So we repeat it over and over as if...

The thing is, what's sane? And what's normal?

Repeating something over and over again and expecting a different result is pretty much normal--thus "sane" behavior. You can see it in how people play this game.

Ever try to make changes in some organization and experience the hollering and crying? People really don't like change.

But, they claim to want better results.

Go figure.

And, if they're NOT achieving the results they expect, it's usually gonna be someone else's fault. We like to blame others or find fault in THEM. Almost always a THEM causing the problem. Certainly not our behaviors.

Must have been going on since man lived in caves. History mentions that tendency now and then. Like the speck in your brother's eye.

But, as the wife says, I talk to much and overexplain everything.

So...

ps: if brevity is the soul of wit, this author needs work on his pithiness.

[dannyb]

Teratogenicists is wide but nage is unacceptable. I type nage every time I see it just to watch it get rejected. What do they say about people who keep doing the same thing over and over, but expect a different outcome?

I am still hoping that it will be added to the WordTwist dictionary. As Moonman Shannon said to Tim McCarver in 1964, "You never know."

[2cute]

Not that these words are useless, just a place to dump them.

First comes teratogenicists. If you stopped a thousand people on the street and asked for the meaning, I'd bet a grand without hesitation that fewer than 5 would know what it means. Probably could get through the entire thousand with not a single one. And, if they did know, bets are they hadn't used it in the last year.

Yet, the game deems it wide usage.

Shaking my head and laughing.

18 points for this 15 letter word.

All I can say is "buyer beware."

Screen Shot 2023-03-10 at 9.20.55 PM.png

Next up is marsupials. Some are pretty damned cute. Though some are certainly strange and ugly. Here's a cute one.

th-2892167946.jpeg

Ran across marsupialization. You see -ialization and you just know something's lurking. Was going to post it because the actual meaning verses what one might think is a bit striking.

And God forbid that anyone posts a picture of what it applies to. Pretty gross. So, please don't.

But, I'd be curious whether as many people know marsupialization as teratogenicists.

I don't know marsupialization other than it has something to do w/those cute animals from Australia. I also don't know what teratogenicists is either. My guess ... A genesist that studies the DNA or RNA of soil?

[Naboka]

Not that these words are useless, just a place to dump them.

First comes teratogenicists. If you stopped a thousand people on the street and asked for the meaning, I'd bet a grand without hesitation that fewer than 5 would know what it means. Probably could get through the entire thousand with not a single one. And, if they did know, bets are they hadn't used it in the last year.

Yet, the game deems it wide usage.

Shaking my head and laughing.

18 points for this 15 letter word.

All I can say is "buyer beware."

Screen Shot 2023-03-10 at 9.20.55 PM.png

Next up is marsupials. Some are pretty damned cute. Though some are certainly strange and ugly. Here's a cute one.

th-2892167946.jpeg

Ran across marsupialization. You see -ialization and you just know something's lurking. Was going to post it because the actual meaning verses what one might think is a bit striking.

And God forbid that anyone posts a picture of what it applies to. Pretty gross. So, please don't.

But, I'd be curious whether as many people know marsupialization as teratogenicists.

[lalatan]

I just found a word through a mis-swipe (swipo?)

I love the word you coined: swipo. That could be useful.

[crazykate]

I just found a word through a mis-swipe (swipo?)
ANIMAT - defined as an artificial animal. I guess it's a portmanteau of animal and automat. But is it really necessary?

[NukeProofCakePops]

Hypersehroalization?
Shamelessly and inaccurately throwing some PIE in there with the Greek for a linguistic tiropita, if you will.

Though on the subject of useless words, I just found "DEMATHEMATISATIONS (34 pts.)" . Though on further research, it seems like it does have use in a specific branch of philosophy--but I doubt the pluralization sees much use, given the part of speech.

[Naboka]

Totally agree that words can be in the dictionary and still be useless or ridiculous. Precisely because, as you said earlier in your post, dictionaries depend on how we use language.
I cited the OED only because you said you had been unable to find "overfluent" in a dictionary. That piqued my curiosity so I went a-searching and shared what I found.

BTW, I share your aversion to diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahuas. :-)

Laugh.

Appreciate your diligence.

Probably wasted since I was just being lazy and "looking up words" is shorthand for seeing what comes up quickly on an internet search.

And "not being able to find" seldom connects to the reality of actually searching for the object.

We tell the kindergarteners, "don't use my brain, use yours. I ain't gonna do your work for you." Amazing how effective that is in creating active problem solvers.

Actually have the OED and lots of other dictionaries. The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia was (and probably stil is) my favorite. But, I've long ago stopped looking at the paper versions.

Nor have I bothered to purchase any digital versions.

299316591.0.x-1193589973.jpeg

That's an internet pic of the Centuries. (See, I'm far too lazy to get off my butt and search through the boxes in storage to take a pic of my own.) Spent hundreds of hours enjoying their company and the ideas they shared.

A cautionary hint: the author is prone to histrionic rampage. Why? Probably because the Muses are bored and enjoy the drama of human hysteria. So, one would benefit from taking little of what he writes with anything approaching seriousness.

Seriousnesses?

[tawantinsuyo]

<snip>
Dictionaries aren't really the authoritarian dictators of language. Dictionaries depend on us and how we use language. On the meanings we've given a word, regardless of what the last edition of Webster said.

Individuals might either coin or use a particular word that manages to be recorded in a dictionary. That it's in the dictionary doesn't stop us from rolling our eyes over how silly, pompous, ridiculous or useless that word is.

There's an endless stream of silly, pompous, ridiculous and useless people who require words to suit their inclinations.

I, personally, can consider a diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahua cringeworthy. Give me a slobbering mutt that loves me and rolls in the dirt.

Words can be in the dictionary. Words can be defined in the dictionary. And still be useless or ridiculous.

<snip>

After recovering from the shock that OED has given valididity to diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahuas...

<snip>

Totally agree that words can be in the dictionary and still be useless or ridiculous. Precisely because, as you said earlier in your post, dictionaries depend on how we use language.
I cited the OED only because you said you had been unable to find "overfluent" in a dictionary. That piqued my curiosity so I went a-searching and shared what I found.

BTW, I share your aversion to diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahuas. :-)

[lalatan]

Unsenses = to not use your senses.

I must admit I've never used this word. If I couldn't smell or see I wouldn't say it was due to my unsenses. Then again, how could I unsense something? I would have to use @ least one of them to experience anything. Hmm ...

Unsenses seems like nonsenses to me. I couldn't resist...

[2cute]

Here's a new one (well to me)

Screen Shot 2023-02-16 at 4.01.54 PM.png

Unsenses = to not use your senses.

I must admit I've never used this word. If I couldn't smell or see I wouldn't say it was due to my unsenses. Then again, how could I unsense something? I would have to use @ least one of them to experience anything. Hmm ...

[Naboka]

stinking_badges-3342606166.jpeg


"Dictionaries?! We ain't got no dictionaires. We don't have to show you no stinking dictionaries."

Ever wonder how many words are added to the language every year?

Or how many words become obsolete?

Or how often the meanings of existing words are subtly or flagrantly changed?

The wife and I watch a lot of Home and Garden TV. People come into houses and complain that it's "so 90's!" A few episodes later the house hunters are swooning over craftsman style homes, or midcetury modern. Apparently, the age of a particular architectural style isn't the issue. Even log cabins have made a comeback.

Grey with luxury vinyl flooring was the rage of house flippers recently, but it's beginning to see a backlash.

Dictionaries aren't really the authoritarian dictators of language. Dictionaries depend on us and how we use language. On the meanings we've given a word, regardless of what the last edition of Webster said.

Individuals might either coin or use a particular word that manages to be recorded in a dictionary. That it's in the dictionary doesn't stop us from rolling our eyes over how silly, pompous, ridiculous or useless that word is.

There's an endless stream of silly, pompous, ridiculous and useless people who require words to suit their inclinations.

I, personally, can consider a diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahua cringeworthy. Give me a slobbering mutt that loves me and rolls in the dirt.

Words can be in the dictionary. Words can be defined in the dictionary. And still be useless or ridiculous.

The wonderful thing about minds is we can change them. Where once we scorned avocado green refrigerators we can suddenly see the charm and install one in the game room.

If bad can be redefined as exceptionally good we really are not slaves to the factory bosses of language.

After recovering from the shock that OED has given valididity to diamond-collared, pink-ribboned chihuahuas...

we can go back to scratching inappropriately

burping, farting and snorting.

And letting the mutt lick our faces.

Nothing like being loved unconditionally.