On the weekend, not last weekend but the weekend before, Fancy Dave asked me for my favourite word. It was Saturday morning, just after the Grand Final and my mind was a blank. I think I managed a few words; moot (because it is so small and neat, but surprisingly hard to fit anywhere) and euphemism (because it is good to write, and good to hear). But in the cold light of day these words are merely adequate, close to the top of my list, but surely not number 1.
My favourite word without a doubt - no beg your pardons, no how's ya fathers - would have to be… Scruples. I like the way it sounds. I like the various images it conjures in the mind; I keep picturing scruples to be little rocks that can be bought and sold… or may be even stolen. There was a period at UWA when I inserted scruples into nearly every sentence over a three month period, “nice scruples” i would say, and “you can't buy scruples like that anymore”. They were good days, don't see too many scruples around nowadays.
kev gill says:
killer - here's a corker…. tundra. meaning arctic grasslands or something like that. when combined with the word nordic to form the delightful 'nordic tundra' you have a power packed stick of literary dynamite.
pity you almost never get to use it in everyday conversation.
Jim L. says:
Mine is 'slunt'.