Ye olde words
Sep 16th 2009, 4:41 am
#1
Hasta la victoria siempre
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Posts: 806
Ye olde words
From: http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.as...ntid=149732130
An A-Z of ye olde words, included within the first mass-produced dictionary of 1755, which have gone into seclusion, but I think could make a welcome return:
Anatiferous: a barnacle that produces ducks or geese. It was once thought that a particular kind of growth on trees was responsible for the creation of water-based wildfowl. Superstition said that when the barnacle reached a certain size it would drop off, and if it fell into water it would turn into a duck or a goose. (Not really sure how I'd drop that one into conversation...)
Buffleheaded: a man with a large head, or someone who is dull and stupid.
Circumferoneous: to stroll around your neighbourhood from house from house.
Dandiprat: an urchin.
Eftsoons: soon afterwards, or repeatedly.
Fribbler: a verb to describe someone who is vocal in their appreciation of women, but who is also nervous of their consent. For example: "He fribbled his colleague in front of everyone in the office, and then backed off as soon as he noticed she was interested."
Giglet: a wanton, lascivious girl, from the Middle English word 'gigelot'.
Hunkers: your haunches.
Impecunious: penniless.
Jobbernowl: an idiot.
Kakistocracy: a form of government whose rulers are the least competent, least qualified or most unprincipled of all citizens.
Lustrum: a period of five years.
Merrythought: a wishbone.
Nidget: a fool, or coward.
Odontalgick: a toothache.
Parbreak: to throw out, or to vomit.
Queer street: a tricky situation, such as being in debt or bankruptcy. For example: "If this goes on much longer, I'll be in queer street."
Runnion: a mangy or ill-kempt creature (can also be 'ronion' or 'ronyon').
Snudge: a verb, meaning to be idle. For example: "She snudged around the house until teatime."
Trug: a long, shallow basket for carrying flowers or fruit.
Urinator: a diver; one who searches under water.
Vellicate: a medical term for a substance or medicine that has a sharp or acrid effect; or anything that nips or pinches the body (from the Latin 'vellere', meaning to pull, pluck, or twitch).
Warray: a verb, meaning to make war. For example: "This country means to warray upon France".
Xenoglossia: an ability claimed by some mediums and clairvoyants to speak a language with which they are unfamiliar.
Younker: a young gentleman or knight.
Zounds: a mild oath indicating indignation or surprise; derived from the 16th century oath 'God's wounds'.
Zounds! Seems there be some buffleheaded jobbernowls and dandiprats snudging their circumferoneous way around this forum of late!
Not enough of those eftsoon giglets, yet too many I dare say, of those runnions or fribblers sat on their hunkers parbreaking an' vellicating all o'er the place!
An A-Z of ye olde words, included within the first mass-produced dictionary of 1755, which have gone into seclusion, but I think could make a welcome return:
Anatiferous: a barnacle that produces ducks or geese. It was once thought that a particular kind of growth on trees was responsible for the creation of water-based wildfowl. Superstition said that when the barnacle reached a certain size it would drop off, and if it fell into water it would turn into a duck or a goose. (Not really sure how I'd drop that one into conversation...)
Buffleheaded: a man with a large head, or someone who is dull and stupid.
Circumferoneous: to stroll around your neighbourhood from house from house.
Dandiprat: an urchin.
Eftsoons: soon afterwards, or repeatedly.
Fribbler: a verb to describe someone who is vocal in their appreciation of women, but who is also nervous of their consent. For example: "He fribbled his colleague in front of everyone in the office, and then backed off as soon as he noticed she was interested."
Giglet: a wanton, lascivious girl, from the Middle English word 'gigelot'.
Hunkers: your haunches.
Impecunious: penniless.
Jobbernowl: an idiot.
Kakistocracy: a form of government whose rulers are the least competent, least qualified or most unprincipled of all citizens.
Lustrum: a period of five years.
Merrythought: a wishbone.
Nidget: a fool, or coward.
Odontalgick: a toothache.
Parbreak: to throw out, or to vomit.
Queer street: a tricky situation, such as being in debt or bankruptcy. For example: "If this goes on much longer, I'll be in queer street."
Runnion: a mangy or ill-kempt creature (can also be 'ronion' or 'ronyon').
Snudge: a verb, meaning to be idle. For example: "She snudged around the house until teatime."
Trug: a long, shallow basket for carrying flowers or fruit.
Urinator: a diver; one who searches under water.
Vellicate: a medical term for a substance or medicine that has a sharp or acrid effect; or anything that nips or pinches the body (from the Latin 'vellere', meaning to pull, pluck, or twitch).
Warray: a verb, meaning to make war. For example: "This country means to warray upon France".
Xenoglossia: an ability claimed by some mediums and clairvoyants to speak a language with which they are unfamiliar.
Younker: a young gentleman or knight.
Zounds: a mild oath indicating indignation or surprise; derived from the 16th century oath 'God's wounds'.
Zounds! Seems there be some buffleheaded jobbernowls and dandiprats snudging their circumferoneous way around this forum of late!
Not enough of those eftsoon giglets, yet too many I dare say, of those runnions or fribblers sat on their hunkers parbreaking an' vellicating all o'er the place!
Sep 16th 2009, 9:43 am
#2
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Gloucestershire
Posts: 2,201
Re: Ye olde words
It makes you realise just how dull language is now. Personally I always loved the word Guttersnipe (a street urchin or person of a lower social class). What a great word - bring it back I say!
Sep 16th 2009, 9:50 am
#3
Anything,Anytime,Anywhere
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 8,141
Re: Ye olde words
From: http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.as...ntid=149732130
An A-Z of ye olde words, included within the first mass-produced dictionary of 1755, which have gone into seclusion, but I think could make a welcome return:
Anatiferous: a barnacle that produces ducks or geese. It was once thought that a particular kind of growth on trees was responsible for the creation of water-based wildfowl. Superstition said that when the barnacle reached a certain size it would drop off, and if it fell into water it would turn into a duck or a goose. (Not really sure how I'd drop that one into conversation...)
Buffleheaded: a man with a large head, or someone who is dull and stupid.
Circumferoneous: to stroll around your neighbourhood from house from house.
Dandiprat: an urchin.
Eftsoons: soon afterwards, or repeatedly.
Fribbler: a verb to describe someone who is vocal in their appreciation of women, but who is also nervous of their consent. For example: "He fribbled his colleague in front of everyone in the office, and then backed off as soon as he noticed she was interested."
Giglet: a wanton, lascivious girl, from the Middle English word 'gigelot'.
Hunkers: your haunches.
Impecunious: penniless.
Jobbernowl: an idiot.
Kakistocracy: a form of government whose rulers are the least competent, least qualified or most unprincipled of all citizens.
Lustrum: a period of five years.
Merrythought: a wishbone.
Nidget: a fool, or coward.
Odontalgick: a toothache.
Parbreak: to throw out, or to vomit.
Queer street: a tricky situation, such as being in debt or bankruptcy. For example: "If this goes on much longer, I'll be in queer street."
Runnion: a mangy or ill-kempt creature (can also be 'ronion' or 'ronyon').
Snudge: a verb, meaning to be idle. For example: "She snudged around the house until teatime."
Trug: a long, shallow basket for carrying flowers or fruit.
Urinator: a diver; one who searches under water.
Vellicate: a medical term for a substance or medicine that has a sharp or acrid effect; or anything that nips or pinches the body (from the Latin 'vellere', meaning to pull, pluck, or twitch).
Warray: a verb, meaning to make war. For example: "This country means to warray upon France".
Xenoglossia: an ability claimed by some mediums and clairvoyants to speak a language with which they are unfamiliar.
Younker: a young gentleman or knight.
Zounds: a mild oath indicating indignation or surprise; derived from the 16th century oath 'God's wounds'.
Zounds! Seems there be some buffleheaded jobbernowls and dandiprats snudging their circumferoneous way around this forum of late!
Not enough of those eftsoon giglets, yet too many I dare say, of those runnions or fribblers sat on their hunkers parbreaking an' vellicating all o'er the place!
An A-Z of ye olde words, included within the first mass-produced dictionary of 1755, which have gone into seclusion, but I think could make a welcome return:
Anatiferous: a barnacle that produces ducks or geese. It was once thought that a particular kind of growth on trees was responsible for the creation of water-based wildfowl. Superstition said that when the barnacle reached a certain size it would drop off, and if it fell into water it would turn into a duck or a goose. (Not really sure how I'd drop that one into conversation...)
Buffleheaded: a man with a large head, or someone who is dull and stupid.
Circumferoneous: to stroll around your neighbourhood from house from house.
Dandiprat: an urchin.
Eftsoons: soon afterwards, or repeatedly.
Fribbler: a verb to describe someone who is vocal in their appreciation of women, but who is also nervous of their consent. For example: "He fribbled his colleague in front of everyone in the office, and then backed off as soon as he noticed she was interested."
Giglet: a wanton, lascivious girl, from the Middle English word 'gigelot'.
Hunkers: your haunches.
Impecunious: penniless.
Jobbernowl: an idiot.
Kakistocracy: a form of government whose rulers are the least competent, least qualified or most unprincipled of all citizens.
Lustrum: a period of five years.
Merrythought: a wishbone.
Nidget: a fool, or coward.
Odontalgick: a toothache.
Parbreak: to throw out, or to vomit.
Queer street: a tricky situation, such as being in debt or bankruptcy. For example: "If this goes on much longer, I'll be in queer street."
Runnion: a mangy or ill-kempt creature (can also be 'ronion' or 'ronyon').
Snudge: a verb, meaning to be idle. For example: "She snudged around the house until teatime."
Trug: a long, shallow basket for carrying flowers or fruit.
Urinator: a diver; one who searches under water.
Vellicate: a medical term for a substance or medicine that has a sharp or acrid effect; or anything that nips or pinches the body (from the Latin 'vellere', meaning to pull, pluck, or twitch).
Warray: a verb, meaning to make war. For example: "This country means to warray upon France".
Xenoglossia: an ability claimed by some mediums and clairvoyants to speak a language with which they are unfamiliar.
Younker: a young gentleman or knight.
Zounds: a mild oath indicating indignation or surprise; derived from the 16th century oath 'God's wounds'.
Zounds! Seems there be some buffleheaded jobbernowls and dandiprats snudging their circumferoneous way around this forum of late!
Not enough of those eftsoon giglets, yet too many I dare say, of those runnions or fribblers sat on their hunkers parbreaking an' vellicating all o'er the place!
It was interesting to see how English developed over the centuries, in both written and oral forms. I was quite surprised to find that a vast percentage of words we use today originated from India.
Sep 16th 2009, 9:52 am
#4
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Upper North Shore,NSW
Posts: 1,100
Re: Ye olde words
Fantastic words most of them and some of them are still used.My grandma would often talk of `being on Queer Street` ............
Some are used in Shakespears plays.
Some are used in Shakespears plays.
Sep 16th 2009, 9:58 am
#5
Anything,Anytime,Anywhere
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 8,141
Re: Ye olde words
[QUOTE=Wilgar;7937276].My grandma would often talk of `being on Queer Street` ............ [QUOTE]
Your Gran been to Kings Cross in Sydney?
Your Gran been to Kings Cross in Sydney?
Sep 16th 2009, 10:35 am
#6
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Upper North Shore,NSW
Posts: 1,100
Re: Ye olde words
Perish the thought! She would say things like`If I don`t get such & such done I`ll be on Queer Street`! Or ` If you don`t pas your exams you`ll be on Queer Street`!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sep 16th 2009, 10:51 am
#7
Anything,Anytime,Anywhere
Joined: Jan 2004
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 8,141
Re: Ye olde words
Sorry. just logged back on and was going to delete it. In hindsight, it was inappropiate wit. Knew it was old English saying.
Sep 16th 2009, 2:09 pm
#8
Chan eil aon chà nan gu le
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: On the ning nang nong
Posts: 22,437
Re: Ye olde words
Love 'urinator' 
Sep 16th 2009, 4:00 pm
#9
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 6,600
Re: Ye olde words
No 'clunge'.
I'm disappointed.
I'm disappointed.
Sep 16th 2009, 4:04 pm
#13
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 10,784
Re: Ye olde words
Gad zooks! A bastardisation of God's hooks, in reference to the crucifiction.
