Friday, May 1, 2009

Fun With Wurds

In what hopefully was a temporary, Junior High School-type moment, I decided to compile a list of words and phrases that look and/or sound remarkably dirty.

But rest assured, as much fun as each word or phrase is to say (particularly at the top of one's lungs), not one of them is salacious. In fact, each entry is wholly appropriate for consumption by--or merely in the vicinity of--young children, grandparents, in-laws and fundamentalist, religious-types.

However, I realize that my guarantee might not carry much weight with the skeptics in the reading audience. Therefore, I included an easy-to-understand definition next to each word or phrase. And, as an added bonus, I presented the list in alphabetical order--just the thing to facilitate memorization.



  1. annals written, historical records
  2. assoil absolve or acquit
  3. Bangkok city in Thailand
  4. bilabial frication using both lips to make a “raspberry” sound
  5. buttress a projecting structure made of stone
  6. cocksure quite certain and confident
  7. cunning linguist very clever expert on language
  8. mass debate large group discussion
  9. mass debater someone who participates in #8
  10. philatelist stamp collector
  11. proselytize an attempt to convert others
  12. pussyfooting acting in an indirect manner
  13. rectify make better or fix
  14. sects offshoots from the main (religious) group
  15. shitake type of mushroom
  16. titular referring to the title of something
  17. Uranus 7th planet from the sun

(The last-named caused so much in the way of embarrassment at symposiums and presentations, astronomers actually changed its pronunciation.)

18 comments:

Dave said...

Addendum: If I had to pick a personal favorite (I know, you didn't ask), it would be assoil. Any word that has both "ass" and "soil" in it--and isn't dirty--has to be a freak of the English language.

Shawn said...

Would it be fair to say a "cunning linguist" has a sharp tongue?

Dave said...

Shawn: Ouch.

Jeff Tompkins said...

When I was young, I thought the words "seamen" and "kumquat" were funny and dirty, but later, when I learned the definitions, the situation was "rectified."

Dave said...

Jeff: The best part of posting this is sitting back and waiting for all the words I did not think of or forgot. Thanks, you did not disappoint.

MP said...

I will be ladylike and stay out of this one. I am no ignoranus.

Dave said...

MP: Your sense of reserve and modesty never ceases to impress...

Diane said...

Awww... Jeff stole my kumquat suggestion.

My 9-year-old just did a unit on the solar system at school... Uranus will forever be known in our house as Your Butt. Lovely.

Funny stuff, sir :)

Dave said...

Diane: Thanks for the kind words. I had fun writing this post. Couldn't stop tittering as I typed.

Diane said...

Tittering... hee hee.

You take the mornings... I'll take the afternoons... between us, we should get a full day's work done!

brookeamanda said...

Not to be too dirty, but on #4...it was specified which "lips" they were talking about :)

Dave said...

BrookeAmanda: If you can a raspberry sound with lips other than those north of the Macon-Dixon line, you stand to make a lot more money than you do working retail.

ChrisTheAlco said...

Cunny linguist ... Mmm that's what she said. :)

I'll let myself out.
p.s. Just found your blog. Funny!

Dave said...

Chris: The Cunning Linguist entry seemed to resonate the most. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I think it was unintentional. Here's hoping that you let yourself back in here again from time to time.

Lori said...

We adore this blog!

Check out ours when you get a sec at

http://snarknbeans.blogspot.com/

_lori and liza

Dave said...

Adore? That's pretty strong stuff. Most people use "despise", "resent"--and those who are predisposed to gush say, "tolerate--mildly". But thanks all the same. Will come to your place right away.
Dave

Marissa said...

Sometimes I get a "tongue-lashing" for being a cunning linguist.

Dave said...

Marissa: That earns a tally in your column. Drop by any time.