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Great Words That You Probably Don't Use

Serendipity.

The professor I credit most with developing my writing skills even had a room set aside in the school library, "Dr. McKinney's Serendipity Room". Great teacher, and I'd call him a friend, too. Long gone, of course, but he taught me the power of words.
 
I recently wrote a story and went back and forth on whether I should use the word "cacophony." In the end, I decided it was the perfect word to use, so I did.
 
StillStunned said:
Are you sure? It sounds... awful.
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Not at all! Perfect word for the aural chaos it represents. Not quite onomatopoeia, but close! I've used it, and I don't think most readers would have to run to the dictionary to understand its meaning.
 
MrPixel said:
Not at all! Perfect word for the aural chaos it represents. Not quite onomatopoeia, but close! I've used it, and I don't think most readers would have to run to the dictionary to understand its meaning.
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It was a joke. Cacophony: lit. bad sound.
 
I've loved the few times I've seen fantasy authors use 'puissance' as a descriptor/metaphor for magic or sorcery. Conveys an archaic vibe that can sometimes fit for fantasy works. I've resisted the urge to use it myself, especially since it also describes an equestrian sporting event, so I could see the usage throwing people off.

There are also a couple tactical/military terms I've resisted using. Specifically 'enfilade,' which would have been useful to describe a specific battle scene, and also could have been useful as a metaphor in another work. Not really worth the trouble of using given the specifity of the term and the fact that it might take people out.
 
I would like to use the words 'mellifluous murmuration' one day. I saw many murmurations as a youngster and marvelled that these 'rats of the air' could do something so spectacular.
 
I had one of my characters use coquettish (flirt) recently and the response from the remodeler he was conversing with was, “Jack, talk to me in contractor English…what the fuck does that mean?”
 
FifthEstate said:
I had one of my characters use coquettish (flirt) recently and the response from the remodeler he was conversing with was, “Jack, talk to me in contractor English…what the fuck does that mean?”
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I have "coquettish" in the story that I'm working on right now.
 
Mumpsimuses is a word that could be used in the threads: those who insist they are right and blame others, without looking at themselves first. Hypocrites might be the modern equivalent.
 
stickygirl said:
Mumpsimuses is a word that could be used in the threads: those who insist they are right and blame others, without looking at themselves first. Hypocrites might be the modern equivalent.
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Narcissistic could work as well, though it's not strictly accurate.
 
karina_jayde said:
I've loved the few times I've seen fantasy authors use 'puissance' as a descriptor/metaphor for magic or sorcery. Conveys an archaic vibe that can sometimes fit for fantasy works. I've resisted the urge to use it myself, especially since it also describes an equestrian sporting event, so I could see the usage throwing people off.
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I loved it the first time China Mieville used it in The Scar. But then he went and said it every few pages for the rest of the book! I think he liked it a little too much!
 
I always liked the word 'moxie', which, until now, I did not know has its roots in 'Moxie' the soft drink owned by the Coca-Cola Company which is apparently the official beverage of the state of Maine, lol.
 
Speaking purely in a benign, avuncular way, I'd opine that this thread has already plumbed the necessary profundities and that the concatenation of views expressed has brought us to the propinquity of needing to get shot of it...
 
djrip said:
I loved it the first time China Mieville used it in The Scar. But then he went and said it every few pages for the rest of the book! I think he liked it a little too much!
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Mieville likes to show off his vocabulary. But man can that guy build a world.
 
Jackie.Hikaru said:
I always liked the word 'moxie', which, until now, I did not know has its roots in 'Moxie' the soft drink owned by the Coca-Cola Company which is apparently the official beverage of the state of Maine, lol.
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Moxie was the ORIGINAL soft drink, it predates everything... I didn't know until recently that it still existed, so I bought a bottle at highly inflated prices from the Cracker Barrel gift shop. It's good, I like it, but it's hard to find down here.
 
Here's a word I love but I only use it rarely

Proffered

It's a great word, it has connotations of gentle respect... that was until Subway found it and overused the living hell out of it. Now it sounds like something out of the Urban Dictionary to me.
 
Another word I love to use

recalcitrant

It's an adjective but it can be used as a verbal slap in the back of the head when used properly.
 
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