what are some good words that we can all integrate into our everyday vocab that will make people respect our smartitude? i've been trying to use "modicum" at least once every couple minutes.

"disconcerting" takes more effort to say than it's generally worth for the subtle state it defines.

Words I use/type more often than I'd like:

-Specification/specified/specifying
-Maintenance
-Contractor
-Shall (never should, will, must, etc... just good ole shall)
-Coordination/coordinate

Not that those'll make you sound any smarter.....

man, you sound like a contracts guy. or an inspector or something?

okay, here's another one i'm working with. "petard". try this out, like, in a club during a loud rock show, be all talking to a frisky redheaded lass and say "damn, you're a real petard, aren'tcha?" cause then it sounds like you called her a retard, and then she gets all bent outta shape, and then you get to say "no, no, petard, PETARD, i'm sayin you're a real firecracker! and you just proved me right, girl!" and then shift into wink and grope mode etc etc. no seriously, i know you're engaged or married or whatever, but just try it out next time there's a hawt redheaded lass at a loud rock show. i suppse it might work on ladies with non-red hair, but then, why bother, right?

and if she brings up the fact that petard is derived from a french word that means to fart, you know you've got yourself a winner. at that point there's nothing you can do but head straight for the donkey punch.

toomanyhelicopters wrote:what are some good words that we can all integrate into our everyday vocab that will make people respect our smartitude? i've been trying to use "modicum" at least once every couple minutes.

I hear the following words daily in my workplace, but they do kinda make the people who use them seem pretentious:

- dichotomy
- orthogonal
- paradigm

What can I say, I work in software and it's full of people who obviously think that sounding like a dick is increasing their chances of promotion.

And by jasper, I'm one of them too!

my current favorites:

beleaguered
much-maligned
malinger
solipsistic
didactic
seminal

a guy at work called something an "asemblage" the other day,
pronouncing it "ah-som-blaj".
i draw the line there.

toomanyhelicopters wrote:man, you sound like a contracts guy. or an inspector or something?

No, as a systems designer I write numerous specifications that go with plan drawings. Things like, "The Contractor shall coordinate all scheduled maintenanace with the Owner per specification."

or

"The Contractor shall coordinate all specified maintenance with the Owner"

or

"Maintenance shall be coordinated by the Contractor as specified"

Sometimes it feels like a differenct language.

Solipsistic is a good one. Describes the mindset of most folks caught in the consumerist/advertising/media trap in this country nowdays. The desriptions "asshole" and "vapid bitch" seem to find more use, though.

try these...

coaxialation
protractivistic
perotivation
mallorastic
exemplitude
remodividual

these i have found useful in most indie rock imbroglios


imbroglio - 1 : a confused mass
2 a : an intricate or complicated situation (as in a drama or novel) b : an acutely painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c : a violently confused or bitterly complicated altercation : EMBROILMENT
applicable to many band situations


vernal - 1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the spring <vernal equinox> <vernal sunshine>
2 : fresh or new like the spring; also : YOUTHFUL
"man, this band sound so.....vernal"


jejune - 1 : lacking nutritive value <jejune diets>
2 : devoid of significance or interest : DULL <jejune lectures>
3 : JUVENILE, PUERILE <jejune reflections on life and art>
"man, this band sound so vernal....yet somewhat jejune"


martinet - 1 : a strict disciplinarian
2 : a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
"man, i mean, Phil Spector. what a runty little martinet that asshole was"


chimera - 1 a capitalized : a fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion's head, a goat's body, and a serpent's tail b : an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts
2 : an illusion or fabrication of the mind; especially : an unrealizable dream <a fancy, a chimera in my brain, troubles me in my prayer -- John Donne>
3 : an individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues of diverse genetic constitution
the gap between how it sounds and my vision is chimeric (man)"[/i][/b]


trope - 1 : a word or expression used in a figurative sense : FIGURE OF SPEECH
see below

warm - sounds great


punchy - sounds better



hope this helps. johnny.

I like 'plinth'.
It's the square stone that statues sit atop.

I also like 'ossify'.
It's a verb meaning to turn into stone.

I think the more you refer to statues in speech, the more people will think you are statuesque. or statueish.

Faiz

cromulent.


-r