Friday, May 23, 2008

The Most Unusual Word Contest

Enter to Win "A Walk in the Words" T-Shirts and other prizes.

To enter: Please submit your favorite unusual word by clicking on the comment button below.

Please include your name, city where you are located, and an email address where I can reach you.

You may only enter once so make sure your unusual word is really different.

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges including me and devoted Walk in the Words readers Lori and Tanya.

What qualifies as an unusual word? A word that is not well known, a word that sounds unusual, a known word with an unusual meaning. Your word cannot be made up and there must be a citable reference of its usage.

Examples: Not well known word -- pebble pup: A young child interested in studying,
collecting and working with rocks.

Unusual sounding word -- tintinnabulation: The ringing of bells.

Known word with unusual meaning -- yard sale: A wipe out in downhill skiing where skis, poles, hat, etc. end up strewn along the mountainside.

The contest deadline is Sunday, 6/08/08

18 comments:

Laura Payne said...

To help get everyone going -
bloviate
asininity
gewgaw
gimcrack

Anonymous said...

catawampus - meaning askew/crooked or fierce.

W said...

Imbroglio - Meaning a sort of predicament, confusion, or quandary.

-Geoffrey Weed, LODweed@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Irregardless - means the same as regardless.
jimdris@yahoo.com

krose712 said...

Filibuster - the use of irregular or obstructive tactics by a member of a legislative assembly to prevent the adoption of a measure generally favored or to force a decision against the will of the majority.

krose712@att.net

David said...

Hi there, from a fellow eHow-coholic (hey! there's an unusual word for ya).

My entry is a word I just came across today: troncmaster

I'll leave it to you intrepid wordsmiths to find out what it means.

David

P.S. I also like "pwnennia", which is my captcha word verification word.

Anonymous said...

quinquennium - a five year period

GuitarGuy@BlueBottle.com

lisette s. said...

Hi,

These are my entry words
verbigerate, uranus, anemone, discombobulated (which sounds made up)

From an ehow writer or eHow-coholic.
Lisette S.
NY
juliesam3@gmail.com

Kristy said...

Here's one I ran across today:

deglycyrrhizinated - referring to something (usually licorice) from which the glycrrhizin has been removed.

Kristy
NC
kristy@tbadeals.us

Anonymous said...

Sanguivorous - blood feeding

Fun to use as an insult which you can word like a compliment for good, clean fun. ;)

Janet
Irons
ford@netonecom.net

Unknown said...

"Squeehaw" - out of alignment, e.g., if you hang a picture and it's off kilter, it's squeehaw (spelling and origin unknown...lol)

"Googlewhack" - a search for two words that produces only one result

Alice
CA
chrisnalice@yahoo.om

The Round Rambler said...

extrapolate - estimate outside of observed range

DeAnna
NC
desulaha@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

my word is

OCTARCHY

it means "government by eight persons"

Anonymous said...

Hi, my entry is: lacrymatory
meaning: (1)causing the shedding of tears,
(2) a small narrow necked vase,
found in ancient Roman tombs, formerly thought to have been used for the containing of the tears of bereaved friends.

Artistry (H. L. Murphy)
Blackwood, N. J.
murph172@verizon.net

Unknown said...

paraskevidekatriaphobia - The fear of Friday the 13th. OH yeah!

Anonymous said...

Hi Laura,

Here is my unusual word:

Pneumonoultramicrosopicsilico-volcanokoniosis(a lung disease caused by breathing in particles of siliceous volcanic dust.)

In Health,
Richard Chan

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
richard@flex-fitness.com

Anonymous said...

Here's one for ya. Batrachophagus: One who eats frogs.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I am Artistry ( H. L. Murphy)
I submitted a word in your contest, my e-mail system broke down and I can't access my e-mails. Just leaving my mailing address, just in case I am a runner up or something :o).
102 E. Church Street
1st Fl.
Blackwood, N. J. 08012

Thank you.
hlm

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...