Words You Would Like To Say In Public - But Don't
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
United States
February 18, 2007 7:24pm CST
Are there any words that you would love to say when you are speaking to someone else but refrain from doing so? You may want to use them for a variety of reasons.
1- they just sound way cool when you say them
2- you love the feel of the way they roll off your tongue
3- they make you feel smart when you say them (directed at
miss creamcheese with all my love and humor because I
know that not only is she smart, she is also a smart
a$$)
But, the kicker is, you are actually afraid to use them
1- because you may not really know how to pronounce them
correctly
2- they are words that really don't fit in day to day
conversation
3- if you say them, you may be using them incorrectly
To many, this may seem like a really trivial discussion, and I certainly hope it does. It's entire purpose is for you to tell me if there are any words that really intimidate you when it comes to pronunciation - or if there are words that feel so good to say, but just don't fit into conversation.
I will start it off.
1- I have NEVER said the name of the city where the Winter Olympics were held several years ago - "Lillihammer" (and that is because some of the tv commentators pronounced it Lillyhammer and others pronounced it Lillahammer. Therefore I had no idea which one was correct, so I could not and have not said it - EVER!2- As a lonely and bored single child living in a rural area until I was 13, in between times when the book-mobile would come I found myself reading the dictionary. Again, please folks, don't be offended, it's not the meaning, it's the way it rolls out off of the tongue - I have always loved to say the word "Euthansia", euthanize does not get it for me, it must be euthanasia; but of course there are not many opportunities for that topic to come up so sometimes when no one is around I will sing songs about it, but it does not have the same meaning, I make many different meanings for it in my songs.
3- "Halogen lantern" is one that I have ALWAYS wanted to say, but since I have no idea at all what it is and don't want to just walk up to someone in the mall and ask them simply so I can say it, I have never had the opportunity to say it at all (other than in the songs that I sing about euthanasia when no one is around)
I have a few more, but don't want to steal anyone else's in case one of them may actually belong to you too. I can't wait to see if anyone else at all has this condition.
*NOTE* I take a medication to control this, but obviously need to speak to my physician about increasing the dose - what do you think~Donna
6 people like this
16 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I try to use big words and when I open my mouth to speak them what comes out isn't how it is meant to be spoke. I call them blonde moments. Have them often. Whatcha gonna do.
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I feel your pain, dear sister, I feel your pain!~Donna
2 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
19 Feb 07
How about reading a Dutchman's writing and trying to figure out the word that has been phonetically written. Legs=Lakes. LOL
3 people like this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
19 Feb 07
When he was writing me love letters I got a lot of laughter out of them. Now don't tell him that! Once I translated what he was actually trying to say, they were nice letters. : )
2 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
This one made me burst out loud in laughter! Is this something that you have to do often Butterfly? ~Donna
3 people like this
@misskatonic (3722)
• United States
19 Feb 07
There are definitely words I will not say because I'm not certain how to pronounce them. And even if I am sure how to pronounce them, some just sound ridiculous in my accent. I have Boston accent, and it isn't the most attractive of accents. Some words just sound very, very funny when I say them. Like coiffed. I pronounce it fine in my mind but once I speak it, it gets mangled. Curse my bastardized accent! Curse it, I say!
I love to say apanthropinizate, but it's not a word that often comes up in conversation. (An apanthropinizate is a misanthrope to the extreme.) The same with schizmarch - a painful, sudden divide. I just love the way the feel when I say them, the way they roll off my tongue. And how they sound....
God, I love words.
3 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thank you! I was so hoping this would prove to be a fun discussion! ~Donna
1 person likes this
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Yes indeed, I have had that problem and it's ongoing. Funny thing is when I do get comfortable with the correct pronounciation, I cringh when it's used wrong but I'm reluctant to correct somebody else because I remember how many times I've said it the wrong way. I sell china and books and some of the names china/pottery company names are real dillies... eg Quimper (camp air), Torquay (Tor key), Sarreguimes (Not sure yet of the spelling here but the pronounciation is sarack e mez) Author's and artist's names can be tricky also. I usually try to trick others into saying them first if I'm not sure. Trouble is , they're not always right either.
I remember the Lillyhammer (That's how I always heard it said) Olympics. I thought that was one of the most beautiful place names I'd ever heard. It was also a beautiful olympics. The opening and closing ceremonies were as lovely as the town and it's name.
2 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Please send link to your business in private message - I love looking over china pieces! You are right about that Olympic year; and it was so difficult to never speak the name ~Donna
1 person likes this
@SpitFire179 (2536)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
Okay well there's this word, it's the name of a town, and for the life of me i always say it soo wrong, and it's totally embarrassing...
It's spelled Waskateneau
I say it almost like it's spelt
Wasgateneau
and it's horrible.... i guess i'm bad at talking haha, but it's pronounced
Wascetna
it's horrible... and i can never remember how to pronounce it... But hey, whatever... it's a laugh and a half, my husband always picks on me for it, but he's like well your saying it kinda like it's spelt, so whatever, right? that's after all the laughter.
Anyhow that's my word, and embarrassing moment in life when i say it....
Yours is a lot like mine haha
3 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thank you, I am laughing quite a bit already and this is just the third response. To think, I hesitated before posting this question!~Donna
1 person likes this
@slickcut (8140)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Lol,I had to read this several times before i really understood just what you meant..I knew a guy once that said words that you don,t use everyday,and it really don,t sound right coming from my mouth and that word is {ravenous} he used it when he was hungry but i could never use that word,sounds silly to me but nontheless its a word,meaning very hungry..There is a lot of words i can't think of right now,but one sticks out in my mind and people use this word,im not really sure if it is a word the word is {conversate} meaning a conversation with someone they say they are {conversating}don,t sound right to me...anyway that all i can think of at the moment...
2 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Slick, I could be wrong, in the many centuries since I have read the dictionary, CONVERSATE is NOT a word - it is one of those "made up" words that people just kind of hear somebody else say and then spread around until someone actually believes they are words - good for you for not using it.
You "converse" with someone. or You are having a "conversation" with someone. ~Donna
If I am wrong, someone is most certainly going to correct me and I will be most happy to conversate my apology to them ~Donna
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
This reminds me of a word that many of my kids' friends use and it's like nails on a chalkboard to me... "presentate". At school, when they have a speech to make, they will say things like, "I'm not ready to presentate" or "Did you already presentate?" AAAACK!!!!!!!!! LOL
2 people like this
@tendaheart2002 (495)
• United States
20 Feb 07
I agree with you on the pronunciation part. I have been affraid to say something for fear of sounding crazy. And honestly there are times when you just want to say something just because of how it feels when you say it.
1 person likes this
@koikoikoi (1246)
• United States
19 Feb 07
I answered this one already, Hahaha. But yeah I'll love to say something for everyone to know. I hate I can't say it, that sucks.
1 person likes this
@suedarr (2382)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
Well I know that I do mispronounce words on occasion, but because I am the damn the torpedos type of gal I'll almost always say them anyway and figure someone will correct me if I'm way off.
The only thing I ever hold back on are curse or swear words, even though I enjoy using them! Sometimes I wish I could just swear all day long .. lol!
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
The first time I dropped the f-bomb I was only 7 and had read it on the bathroom wall at school. I went home and asked my mother what it meant and don't you know that I mispronounced it! She never told me that I said it wrong; just got all hysterical and told me to NEVER say it again!~Donna
1 person likes this
@thinkingoutloud (6127)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
My husband and I drive each other nuts with pronunication - we get a kick out of laughing at each other, actually LOL He is a Kentucky boy and I've lived in Canada all my life... he moved up here just before we got married. In any case, he constantly laughs at us for how we say "Louisville" (because it's not "louey-ville"... it's more of this mumble that he does that kind of sounds like he has hot mashed potatoes in his mouth lol). I tease him mercilessly because tin/ten, pin/pen, pull/pool... well, there are only three words there for him, not six, you know?
2 people like this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Loudthinker - I totally understand - One of my daughters lives in Luahville!
Since you are from Canada you will get the humor of this one. I recently went through many months of physical therapy with a young woman whose husband is from Canada. When she first visited his family she overheard his mother talking with her husband about the weather and telling him it was "bag freezing cold" today. For several months she held that phrase in her head and did not know how to use it until she finally broke down and asked what it meant. LOL.
She did find out that it is kind of regional terminology ~Donna
1 person likes this
@kathy77 (7485)
• Australia
19 Feb 07
Yes, I can relate to this as there are a few things that I would like to say but never do mainly it is because I do not want to look like a fool if I do not pronouce the word correctly and they make fun of me. No I do not think that you need medication I do believe that most people have problems with this and it is just that they do not want to admit to it.
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
What are the words you are afraid to use? Maybe someone of us weirdos can help you? You may be able to help us with some of ours ~Donna
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
19 Feb 07
I'll find a word every now and then and use it for a while (to appear superior) (which I am of course, as well as humble and modest) but then I tire of it until the next one pops up. My very favourite word is chicane. I just love it. But of course I've never had the opportunity to use it. If I ever decide I'll take up motor racing commentary I'll be able to se it often. I especially love the effect of a chicane...they cause excitement!
I also love the word deoxyribonucleic as in acid. Once agin I rarely get to use it but I get to impress people when it comes up during a trivia night.
I had a friend who liked to use the word "extrapolate". It means 'to infer something not known from the main facts, using logic and reasoning'. It was simply not reasonable or logical to ever use that word....and he did....unreasonably and illogically. lol
My very smart, clever, intelligent nephew and I caught up recently and spent a whole day together travelling. He was fond of using the word "penultimate" but he was getting it wrong. He was using it to mean the ultimate when in fact it means second last.
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Okay, I'm laughing out loud again and you reminded me that I really love monosodium glutomate too ~donna
1 person likes this
@XxAngelxX (2830)
• Canada
19 Feb 07
lol, cute discussion. There's very few words that I wouldn't say in public however there is one that comes to mind. I cannot say hypothesis properly unless I speak very slowly and sound out each syllable. If I say it like most people would, I end up lisping and I'm really not sure why as I don't have a lisp with any other words, lol. I do have a friend who cannot say blood pressure (she says brud plessure) nor can she say apple blossom (she says apple blosslum) but this never bothers her. She knows they come out wrong and always laughs about it. I think this is the best attitude to have.
1 person likes this
@kitchenwitchoftupper (2290)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is so much fun! I thought it was time I posted a discussion just for playfulness!~Donna
1 person likes this
@Denmarkguy (1845)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Mostly, I run into this with people's names. I used to work in customer service, and sometimes I'd come across last names I hadn't the SLIGHTEST idea how to pronounce. Names like "Kaszparcek" or "Nguyen" took me quite a while to get used to... and I was always very hesitant to make calls and say "May I speak to Ms. ?X?X??X" knowing full well that I was butchering their name. I realize that isn't exactly "in public," although it certainly was a public-ish situation.
I bet you also encounter what I call "reading words;" complex words you've read many times in books, and know the meaning of... but because you've never heard them spoken, you actually have NO idea how they should be pronounced.
1 person likes this
@shywolf (4514)
• United States
19 Feb 07
Your discussion really caught my interest, because I *love* words so much! I think that my love of reading at an early age instilled a great love of language into me, even though you may see that I don't really use *that* many big words in my posts. I'm just not that brainy, lol, although I'd like to think that I'm not doing that bad ^_~
There aren't too many words that I really want to use and don't, but one that I always want to use even online and don't end up doing most of the time because I worry that other Americans might not get what I mean, is the British phrase 'gutted', which means to be really upset about something. I've rarely heard a word that describes the feeling of hurt as clearly as that word describes it to me. The entire sound of it is just so perfect. But I rarely get the chance to use it. Sometimes I have to literally stop myself from typing it or saying it because it comes to mind so readily, but I usually manage to stop myself before I do it, LOL.
@lecanis (16647)
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
19 Feb 07
Cacophony is one of my favorite words of all time. However, when I actually try to use it, I come off sounding really silly because it's a big word for something that can easily be described with smaller words. It sounds so neat though!
I also like to attempt to sings songs in Japanese, a language I don't know. Obviously a dumb idea, and I make sure not to do so when there are any Japanese people within about a mile of me. =p
1 person likes this
