A friend just sent me a link to Save the Words, a website dedicated to increasing usage of words that are in danger of being dropped from dictionaries. My friend thought I'd love this website - cuz I'm a writer and hey, WORDS, right?
Well, I'm not so sure. I'm all for using big words, but the primary purpose of language is communication. If no one knows what a word means, then there's not much of a point in SAVING the word. It's useless.
Besides, new words are being added to the dictionary every year. Words like "bromance," "frenemy," and "matchy-matchy" were all added to the OED last year.
Okay, those words are all DUMB, but still... (Can we all just say "blog" is about the worst sounding word ever invented?)
I mean, look at some of these words the website asks you to save:
foppotee - noun, a simple-minded person.
Like we don't already have ENOUGH ways to call someone an "idiot."
mingent - adj, discharging urine.
Can't we just say "peeing"?
senticous - noun, prickly; thorny.
Or, you know, you can just say "prickly" or "thorny" and save yourself a syllable.
occaecation - noun, the act of blinding.
See also "blinding"
jobler - noun, one who does small jobs.
Umm...
Okay, no, THAT word's cool.
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