This week’s words from Wordsmith (theme: words to describe people) have been great.
Tuesday, I mentioned “fustilarian” on my Facebook page:
Today’s Word-a-Day is “fustilarian” (n. a fat and slovenly person), and in his notes Anu Garg says: The first recorded use of the word is from Shakespeare’s Henry IV in which Falstaff exclaims, “Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe.”
Which reminded me of the other great curser of our time, Tintin’s Captain Haddock, whose repetoire appears here (and in any number of other places online):http://tintin.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Captain_Haddock’s_Curses
But there’s also Monday’s “mumpsimus,” a view stubbornly held in spite of clear evidence that it’s wrong, or a person who holds such a view (Republican Party: 2012)
Wednesday’s “hobbledehoy,” in which case I learned that, probably jumbling up “hobby horse” and “hoi polloi,” I’d always misused “hobbledehoy” (it means “an awkward young fellow”)
And now, today’s “makebate.”
http://wordsmith.org/
