this post was submitted on 01 Oct 2024
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Asklemmy

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Overmorrow refers to the day after tomorrow and I feel like it comes in quite handy for example.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Smaragdin which means "green"

[–] [email protected] 17 points 7 months ago (1 children)
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[–] [email protected] 19 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (9 children)

It's German but 'Rucksackriemenquerverbindungsträger', the thing between the straps of a backpack that you can connect to lighten the load on your shoulders.

I made the word up but I use it pretty often.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

Well .... I knew exactly what you meant, as you know what I mean when I say: "Rucksackriemenquerverbindsungsträgerersatzschnalle" and I think it's beautiful.

Also: "Getriebeschmiernippel"

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 7 months ago (3 children)

Gloam/gloaming

The onset of twilight/becoming gloomy

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

Meant to say in my Nero Wolfe comment - there's a Lemmy community for interesting words at [email protected] - it's not very busy, but still.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 7 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I see you've never been to Canada.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (4 children)

I'm currently reading through all of Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe mysteries, and one fun feature is that he almost always includes one or more very obscure words. It's a nice little thing to look out for.

In the one I'm currently reading it's, "peculate," meaning to embezzle or steal money. Others include:

  • Plerophory - Fullness, especially of conviction or persuasion
  • Apodictically - From apodictic: clearly established or beyond dispute
  • Usufruct - The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another's property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
  • Acarpous - Not producing fruit; sterile; barren
  • Yclept - By the name of
  • Eruction - A belch or burp

I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, "The unfamiliar word," if you want to find more.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (2 children)

I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, "The unfamiliar word," if you want to find more.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I think it's used more often in computer science, but the difference between contiguous and continuous. Continuous means "without end" and contiguous means "without break."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago (3 children)

As in the continuous United States 🦅🦅🦅

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[–] [email protected] 29 points 7 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (13 children)

Not a word, but there's a specific phrase uttered when you casually pass by someone working, stop for a chat, and then genuinely wish them well with their work as you leave.

This phrase does not exist in English:

  • "Break a leg" is close, but more reserved for some grand performance

Nor does it exist in German:

  • "Viel Spass/Glück" (Have fun, Good Luck) is also close, but has an element of sarcasm and/or success through chance.
  • (Edit) "Frohes Schaffen" (Happy 'getting it done') is pretty spot on.

In Turkish, you just say "Kolay Gelsin", meaning "May the work come easy so that you finish sooner".

Its such a useful unjudgemental phrase, easily uttered, that I've seen nowhere else. Maybe other languages have it too.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago

"May the odds be ever in your favor" works in almost any situation!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Would "Have a good one" maybe serve that purpose? It's not exactly the same, but similar sentiment.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

Very true! At the same time, I feel like you would only say that to something that will happen and not something that is currently happening. Is that right?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Yeah, I'd say so. Maybe something like "Take it easy" would fit better.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Twaddle: something insignificant or worthless or another word Nonsense.

Discovered this word while reading the dictionary during silent reading in English and they wouldn’t let me play games.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

There used to be a Scottish football ⚽ player called Kevin Twaddle. Always amused me.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (9 children)

I've got six of them:

  • Tittynope: "A small amount left over; a modicum."
  • Cacography: "bad handwriting or spelling."
  • Epeolatry: "the worship of words."
  • Kakistocracy: "a state or society governed by its least suitable or competent citizens."
  • Oikophilia: "love of home"
  • Tenebrous: "dark; shadowy or obscure"
[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago (2 children)

Feel like tenebrous being on a list of obscure words is tenuous, but maybe I just have esoteric interests.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 7 months ago

That list is going to send me down a rabbit hole looking for the etymology of words

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I'm a master in Cacography!

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago

Oh, I also really like Mammonism: "the greedy pursuit of riches", from the Biblical "Mammon".

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Verantwortungsbewusstsein. Let's get back to our roots.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Is that obsolete or obscure (in German speaking areas)?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago

The concept might be, but the word itself is a compound of the words "verantwortung" and "bewusstsein". They mean responsibility and consciousness respectively, and are both perfectly common and simple words. The whole thing means what you think it does, nothing special.

German doesn't really have those hyper specific super obscure words, they're almost always compound words made up of common words.

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