Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Trippingly Off The Tongue


Some words are just plain fun to say. Ricky Gervais has said many times that his favorites are "ng" words such as flange and whinge. There is something satisfying about words with a strong "g". Effulgent, burgeoning, and pugnacious are fun to say and coincidentally also describe Mr. Gervais. However, an old friend absolutely hated the word fig and compelled all in her presence to refrain from uttering it.
There are people who love words that end with an "eee" sound like serendipity, flucidity, and conviviality, but there's something a little too cutesy about them for me. They sound like they came right out a of a romance novel that sports especially flowery cover art.
Some words just make your face feel nice like moist and boisterous. That "oi" sound puckers up your lips like a kiss. Speaking of kisses, saying prunes makes you look like you're blowing a kiss and mouthing the word colorful to someone looks like you're saying, "I love you!"
And if it's a pleasing pout you're looking for instead of a pucker, try capsule, nodule, or podule.....anything ending in "ule". It seems the "u" sound gives the face a good workout in any form. Ukulele, uvula, and universe do the trick, too.
Plant names are my favorites. I love to get a chance to say sultana and clematis. How wonderful is penstemon? Or digitalis? Syringa and Hydrangea get back to the "ng" sounds, but verbena, verbascum, and veronica are like a little party in your mouth.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My daughter hates the word moist and fusses at me everytime I use it. So of course I use it alot:-)

Tonja said...

What a delightful post! Very interesting. Actually I enjoy saying 'serendipity', and I cn not stand to say 'pus' or 'pimple'! My boys hated the word 'yonder'.

It would be quite interesting to know why we feel the way we do about certain words.

A new word I have found, and am enjoying saying is the word 'perspicacious'. Fun, huh?

Sandi McBride said...

Oh yes, I love words too, love to play with them, mold them...hug them to my mouth and let them trickle down a page...loved this post...
Sandi

Lori said...

what a fun post Holley:) i was once accused of planting lots of penstemon in my flower beds because i just liked to say the word..it is a fun one!!!