Unbelievable we know, but here we are announcing our final Word Love winners for the year.
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We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word.
We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word.
We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word.
We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word. Have you entered your word yet?
We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word. Have you submitted your #wordlove yet?
We're excited to announce this month's winners of our Word Love competition. Thanks to everyone who has submitted their favourite word.
Word Love Winner
“Oleaginous:
It’s a wonderful word to say, onomatopoeic even. It reminds me of a dear friend who used it to describe someone years ago and I always smile when I think about that memory.”
Samantha will receive a Nine Magic Cake Set from Konditor & Cook, London.
Word Love Runners Up
- "Pubsy" — Alexandra Coleman, London Grump
Because it means "having an atmosphere similar to a pub,” which, I think you'll agree, is a most delightful feeling which absolutely warrants a word of its very own. - "Pedant" — Miriam Shell, Three Rooms
I love the fact that it is so unfancy and inflexible and just so sort of blunt — it conjures up for me and the image of a country gent dressed in a tweed jacket in a unheated country house with a gaggle of boisterous dogs obsessively looking into and obsessing over the minor details of something that no one else would even think about reflecting exactly what the word means - this is what i love about it :-) - "Kerfuffle" — Jacqui Pidgen, Frank Hirth
I LOVE the word kerfuffle. It embodies the nonsense that it often describes and is just so fun to say! Long live kerfuffle!
Runners up receive a super cute and handy "Glug" Word Love water bottle.
Winners' words and why they love them will feature throughout the month on Word Love Wednesday.
Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (#wordlove).
Please note that if your word didn't win this month, it's still in the running, and you can enter as many times as you like.
Word love,
Rocksalt Copy Creatives
A lot of the words we use today owe their existence to mistakes and mishearings, such as ‘sweetheart’, which began its life as ‘sweetard’.
Sources say that a person you think is sweet used to be called your ‘sweetard’, like ‘coward’, ‘wizard’ and ‘drunkard’.1,2 The ‘-ard’ means ‘one who is’, so ‘sweetard’ meant ‘one who is sweet’.
But people misheard the second syllable as ‘heart’, which was reinforced by the association between your heart and your loved ones. There began the mutation of the word into ‘sweetheart’.
It’s a tale that some authorities argue is dubious. Some say ‘sweetard’ never existed and that ‘sweetheart’ was formed simply by the fusing of ‘sweet’ and ‘heart’, for a person who makes your heart throb. Whatever the true origin of the word is, I think I might start using it.
“Pass the salt, please, sweetard.”
References
- Bryson, B. (1990). Mother Tongue. London: Penguin Books
- Verma, D. (1998). Enrich your grammar: Word origins. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Ltd.
Thanks to Wordcraft for the sweet inspiration for this post.
About the author
Christopher Berry is a qualified solicitor and aspiring copywriter who interned with us this year. He specialises in writing for business, children's books, science fiction for adults, and poetry. He enjoys creating pictures out of words, has a weakness for time travel, and his favourite word is 'defenestrate'.
Banner image: 90s television series "Goodnight Sweetheart" title card, sourced from LandGirl1980
As with many words in the English language, the word ‘pea’ came about by mistake.
The singular form used to be ‘pease’. This was the Middle English noun. Over time, people started thinking ‘pease’ was the plural form of the word. As a result, the ‘se’ was dropped and ‘pea’ became the new singular. The nursery rhyme, written today, would be:
“Pea porridge hot, pea porridge cold, pea porridge in the pot – nine days old!”
Similarly, other words like ‘sweetheart’ (from ‘sweetard’), ‘shamefaced’ (from ‘shamefast’) and ‘buttonhole’ (from ‘buttonhold’) all owe their existence to mishearings.
If only I were back in school. I would spell all these words the old — correct — way, wait for my work to be scrawled on in red pen, and spark a healthy debate about spelling and grammar rules.
About the author
Christopher Berry is a qualified solicitor and aspiring copywriter who interned with us this year. He specialises in writing for business, children's books, science fiction for adults, and poetry. He enjoys creating pictures out of words, has a weakness for time travel, and his favourite word is 'defenestrate'.
Banner image: Peas by Richard North is licenced under CC BY 2.0
Adj: Causing or likely to cause damage or harm
It doesn’t happen as often now as when I was a voraciously reading teen, but I still get the same kick out of hearing a word I’ve never previously heard — or had need to use — and immediately going in search of its meaning. The last time it happened was in January with “preponderant”.
As I walked my daily commute yesterday, listening to the podcast interview with Australia’s Bob Brown, a transformative figure in Australia’s political and environmental landscape, on Conversations with Richard Fidler, I couldn’t help but smile when I involuntarily repeated Bob Brown after he said the word ‘injurious’. As I walked through Clapham Junction, not particularly bothered about how my fellow commuters felt about my vocal outburst, I knew that I had just welcomed a new word, whatever it meant.
The hunt for the word’s meaning took a little longer than expected because, in my mind, it was spelt ‘endurious’ — something to do with enduring. This may have been influenced by the fact that I am an endurance runner, but the context of Bob’s conversation could also have meant ‘to endure’ rather than ‘to be injured’. Endurious, however, is not a word. Perhaps it should be.
Injurious is an eloquent word for the task it serves, and for someone who is quite apt at falling down, it’s nice to know there’s a word that adds some insight, not insult, to injury.
Share your Word Love
Do words jump out and grab you, or do you have an old faithful that you love to pull out a parties; you know, like 'epanorthosis'?
Share your favourites with us and we'll aim to share it on Word Love Wednesday.
- Submit our super short Word Love form
- use #wordlove in social media
A surprising number of words exist in the Oxford English Dictionary because of typographical errors1, with some sources2,3 citing as many as 350 misheard or misspelt 'ghost words'.
It’s funny how mistakes can bring words into being. For example, ‘shamefaced’ comes from the original ‘shamefast’, which meant ‘shy’ and ‘modest’. People misheard ‘fast’ as ‘faced’, a mishearing reinforced by the association between facial expressions and shyness or embarrassment.
‘Sweetheart’ was born from ‘sweetard’ in the same way. So was ‘pea’, which used to be ‘pease’.
Then there’s words such as ‘dord’. ‘Dord’ first appeared in Webster’s New International Dictionary in 1934 as a noun meaning ‘density’. But today ‘dord’ is regarded as a ‘ghost word’. It came about because one of Webster’s editors sent in a slip of paper marked ‘D or d – density’. This was intended to add ‘density’ to a list of words that could be abbreviated with a capital ‘D’ or a lowercase ‘d’. But it made it onto the ‘words’ pile and the phrase ‘D or d’ was mistaken for a word: ‘Dord’ (aka D-or-d).
It’s not just words that change or come into being because of errors. Grammar changes, too. Did you notice the grammar error in the previous paragraph? If you didn’t, it’s because the error is being increasingly normalised in our speech. The error is there’s, a contraction of ‘there is’, which can technically only be used before a singular subject. For example, you can say: “There is a pigeon.” You can’t say: “There is pigeons everywhere!” Yet, it’s not unnatural to say: “There’s pigeons everywhere!”
References
- OED. (2013). Guide to the Third Edition of the OED. Retrieved from http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/guide-to-the-third-edition-of-the-oed/
- History of English. Language issues - How new words are created. Retrieved from http://www.thehistoryofenglish.com/issues_new.html
- Bryson, B. (1990). Mother Tongue. London: Penguin
About the author
Christopher Berry is a qualified solicitor and aspiring copywriter who interned with us this year. He specialises in writing for business, children's books, science fiction for adults, and poetry. He enjoys creating pictures out of words, has a weakness for time travel, and his favourite word is 'defenestrate'.
At Rocksalt, words are at the heart of everything we do. Whatever the technology, whatever the platform or media, we are passionate about getting the message across clearly and in a way that’s relevant for the audience.
And, thus, the concept of #wordlove was born. In 2014, we highlighted words that we enjoy, that stand out, that make you think, or that just sound nice.
Here, we feature a special Valentine’s Day edition of #wordlove, where we have asked people to share their favourites. First up, the Rocksalt team of writers share their favourite words.
Rocksalt's favourite words
Pootle
You can’t hurry a word like pootle. If you do, it sounds like poodle. Which is no bad thing, as I can imagine going for a pootle with a poodle. To pootle is to travel in a leisurely manner, and that’s why I like this word so much. It’s the antithesis of commuting to work on the Northern line. For me, a pootle is about the freedom to venture out without a deadline or destination in mind. And with time to pootle, who knows what you’ll discover? Especially with a poodle. Just don’t meet a cat along the way. -- Paul
Nourish
Because it's such a nice idea; it's always good to be nourished. Plus it's a fun word to say — I can't think of any other word that sounds like it. Also, if you use it with regards to anything other than food it makes you seem really poetic. -- Rob
Nincompoop
It makes you work to say it. Smile as the hard palate forms an "I" sandwiched between two "N"s, then quickly throw the sound back to the soft palate to make "C". Hum out the "OM", spit out a "POO", and smack your lips to form the last "P". Aerobics for the mouth. I also like its quaint British English harmlessness and satisfying rhythm. -- Cat
Indulgence
The 'ulgence' bit seems to go on forever, like dipping a spoon into a very rich pudding: you get a feel for the very thing it describes.
Rambunctious
It's got that in-your-face onomatopoeia (another great word) that almost bowls you over. I love the juxtaposition of negativity intended by the person doing the describing against the carefree, I don't-care-what-you-think attitude of they who are rambunctious. --Kate
Halcyon
Call me a sentimental fool but I just love the imagery this word evokes - bright blue summer skies, optimism and those moments of uncontrollable laughter as a child when happiness was all-consuming. I still feel a spark of this tremendous optimism whenever I hear the word. --Alison
Our friends' favourite words
| Loved word | Why, oh why, they they love it so | Word lover |
|---|---|---|
| Serendipity | It's fun to say and has a wonderful meaning! | Beck |
| Archipelago | I love the sound, and how it looks. Plus, it makes me think of lovely things, like water and islands, and not being in stinky, rainy London. | Fiona |
| Kerfuffle | I was going to say Serendipity too! I love it. And I love Kerfuffle. I also like Weird. | Avril |
| Smote | "The knight smote the dragon because of his perpetual need to shack up with a princess." | Mitch |
| Lovely | Do you know what? I really love "lovely". It is a word that describes itself. How awesome is that? | Fiona |
| Mellifluous | Just fun to say. | Kari |
| Petrichor | For how it sounds, what it describes and what it evokes. | Kate |
| Superfluous | I like superfluous - more than enough is along my lines of thinking. I like fortuitous, too. | Peta |
| Voluptuous | Throw the word voluptuous into a sentence and you'll get everyone's attention. | Rachael |
| Tricksy | As Gollum said, the hobbits are tricksy. | Verdi |
| Vulnerable | But not vulnerable — I think because just being vulnerable isn't good, but showing or acknowledging vulnerability can provide a position of power. | Lyndell |
| Doovewacka | I love this word. It means have you seen my ? .? (Could be anything). | Wendy |
| Discombobulate | I think it's the 'combob' bit: it's so nice to say! You have to say the bob as Black Adder would... | Hannah |
| Schlepped | Is a great word - I just love the way it sounds. When moving is more difficult than normal - break out the word schlep / schlepping / schlepped | Miri |
| Bollocks | It's simultaneously innocuous and expletive. | Jess |
Music makes words better
When I asked my friends their favourite words, I was surprised to realise how much of an impact music can have on how you feel about a word. I know that music is moving even when you don't know the words (refer to viral video of a baby crying when its mum sings, and four-year-old cries to "Say Something") — it's a sentiment, the feeling, the vibe — but I'd overlooked just how magical it is when a songwriter crafts an otherwise mundane word into the most exotic and eloquent context.
My friend, Mike, said he particularly liked "dithering" especially when used in a song, which reminded of my own favourite lyrical word. Paul Simon gives 'sloped' a new sense in Crazy Love II:
"Fat Charlie, the archangel, sloped into the room. He said, well, I have no opinion about that. I have no opinion about this."
I have an immediate impression of Fat Charlie, one that I find particularly endearing.
Language makes words...different
I can confidently and heartily laugh along when I watch this video making fun of the German language, having spent time learning (and falling in love with) the language when I was 17. Of course, I don't hear German the way non-German speakers hear it. I hear it with a lilt and rhythm that befits any French, Italian, or Spanish speaker. If those are your yard sticks of romantic languages.
Words can make a difference
When a friend sent through a picture of the word courage tattooed on her foot, my first thought was admiring someone's commitment to a word. And then I realised that her commitment must be backed up by a pretty good reason to permanently etch it on her body. We had a chat, and I wasn't wrong: she loves that word.
After having a rough time throughout childhood, she saw a therapist in her 20s -- hoping to rid the physical symptoms manifesting as a result of psychological angst. Throughout the process, the word courage featured with regularity, nurturing a sense of strength and heart, of resilience, that she didn’t know as a child.
Courage became a word that she could use to shake her fear, and inspire her to try different things. It helped her to be courageous in big decisions, such as moving overseas, as well as little decisions. Her tattoo of the word courage is an easy visual cue to remind her how far she has come, and to move her swiftly through feelings of anger, sadness, and depression.
Words inspire action
I was overwhelmed by not just the response to my asking friends’ for their favourites, but also the swiftness with which they responded.
I posed the question on my Facebook page, and it was by far the most responded to post (image, link, or status update) in the last six months, with a response rate nine times the average, second only to news of my engagement with 15 times the average.
It tells me that people have a strong connection to language, and how powerful that is.
Share your Word Love
Do words jump out and grab you, or do you have an old faithful that you love to pull out a parties; you know, like 'epanorthosis'?
Share your favourites with us in the comments or in social media (#wordlove) and we'll aim to share it on Word Love Wednesday.
Adj: Having greater influence, power, or importance; predominant.
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary
The thrill of learning a new word regularly punctuated my childhood and teen years. My mum, then a teacher, now a teacher-librarian, fed me a steady diet of books and I devoured them, buzzing with enthusiasm and excitement at every new addition to my vocabulary. In those days, the buzz was frequent. And on slow days, I was known to make up my own.
Now, I receive a new word daily, delivered to my inbox via A Word A Day. But it takes a fairly magical concoction for this somewhat staid approach to vocabulary building -- devoid of the creativity, context, nuance, and adventure of a robust novel -- to make me stop and take notice. Not since “epanorthosis” in 2009 have I felt compelled to bring a word into my daily chat.
So I was surprised when I recently read a business book, of all things, to have “preponderant” thrust into the spotlight. Late one night, as I delved into Fowler’s 40 Lessons Learnt in 40 Years of Business, I sat bolt upright and said aloud, “what a brilliant word” to an empty room.
Taking a look at Google’s Ngram viewer, I can see why it’s taken so long for me to find “preponderant”. After a heavy use between 1836 - 1860, the word then laid low but slowly climbed its way back to reach a crescendo of use in 1945. Since then, preponderant’s use has been in decline -- ironic, really, given its meaning. That’s something I aim to change.
