I love this definition of hypocorism from Wikipedia (no reference given): hypocorisms frequently demonstrate (indirectly) a phonological linguistic universal (or tendency) for high-pitched sounds to be used for smaller creatures and objects (here as more “cute” or less imposing names) To the rest of us this means our tendency to take a word, or name, and [...]
Words I Love
You are currently viewing the category archives of Usefulness
Category Archives: Usefulness
Ersatz
The ugly duckling that grew up to be a beautiful word. It’s hard to say, it’s ugly to look at, and anyone who uses it is instantly declared a pretentious cock. And such a useful word for pretentious, ivory tower cocks such as myself! It just floats off the tip of the tongue like a [...]
Sinecure
“Sinecure” comes from the Latin phrase beneficium sine cura which is an archaic designation for a person holding a title within a church, and paid under that title, but without any actual duties. In some governments, sinecures are intentionally filled as patronage or to allow a designate to hold multiple offices while only fulfilling the [...]
