2008/07/24

Great Obsolete Words That Should be Resurrected for Use in Modern English

spleck: n. A speck, a spot.

vulpeculated: past ppl. Robbed by a fox.

busk: I. intransitive verb. 1. To prepare onself, get ready. b. spec. To attire or deck oneself; to dress. c. transf. To essay, attempt. 2. To set out, go (chiefly with notion of speed); to hie, hurry, haste. 3. To busk up: to get up, rise. II. transitive verb. 4. To prepare, make, or get ready; to set in order, fit out. (Still in Scottish, sometimes with up.) 5. To dress, attire, accoutre, adorn, dress up; = ‘to dress’ in its widest sense. (Still in Scottish.) b. spec. To dress a fishing-hook. c. fig. 6. To dispatch, hurry, hasten. III. reflexive verb. 7. To prepare or equip (oneself), get ready; now esp. Scottish. to dress, clothe, or deck (oneself). 8. To betake oneself, to hie one.

Addition. Here are some more words we should be using nowadays.

crooken: v. Obs. 1.transitive. To make crooked; fig. to pervert. 2.intransitive. To be or become crooked; to bend.

crowl: v. Obs. intransitive. To rumble or make a sound in the stomach and bowels.

crump: v. Obs. 1.intransitive To draw itself into a curve, curl, curl up. 2.transitive (and reflexive) To bend (a thing) into a curve, crook, curl up. 3.fig.? To ruffle, disturb.

crispisulcant: a. rare Undulating or serpentine. [From the Latin.]



[Source: Oxford English Dictionary Online.]

A Slowly Growing List of Things to Look Forward To When You Have a Child

  • Every day is either Christmas or Halloween or Birthday or Easter
  • Leave those cats alone! They're going to scratch you and it will hurt
  • You cannot lie under circumstances, but nor can you tell the literal truth
  • Geez that kid is sharp
  • Can I have cake? Can I have cake? Can I have cake? Huh? Daddy? Can I have cake?
  • For the last time, stop asking me!
  • Noticing the growth: taller and a bit heavier to carry
  • Children's television shows
  • Food. Wasted food
  • Remembering that you once acted this way yourself
  • Watching where the both of you are going
  • The joy of hearing the word "fuck" being used experimentally, and justifying this experimentation by saying "Well they learn it eventually"
  • TANTRUMS
  • Sitting down together on the living room floor, a mess of blocks & cars & plush Care Bears strewn around you, discussing the complexities of each car's identity, its name, and why it is so humorous
  • Having to take responsibility for someone else for a change
  • More frustration than you're prepared for
  • Wicked cackling
  • Drawings of potato guys
  • Learning about the world all over again
  • Circular Logic
  • Unexpected hugs and words put beautifully together out of context
  • Waking up after 4 hours of sleep, and unexpectedly having to confront shit, in more than one place, including the carpet, a big toe, a butt, a bed, a toilet seat, and underpants