Useful, Yet Forgotten
I was reading through a series of posts on a hobby forum when I came across the word mollycoddle. It was being used to describe the treatment of a merchant with an apparent penchant for bad service. Another visitor, no doubt a dandiprat, mocked the perfect use of mollycoddle.
This short exchange got me thinking about other great, underappreciated, and nearly abandoned words. Here are a few of my favorites.
Barbigerous : verb – characterized by having a beard
Snollyguster : noun – a person, especially a politician, who is guided by personal advantage rather than by consistent, respectable principles.
Mollycoddle : adjective – treat a person very indulgently or protectively
Jiggery-pokery : noun – dishonest or suspicious activity; trickery
Circumjacent : adjective – surrounding, lying adjacent on all sides
Dandiprat : noun – a young or insignificant person
Fandangle : noun – nonsense, elaborate ornament
Gadzooks : exclamation – an exclamation of surprise or annoyance
Hornswoggle : verb – get the better of (someone) by cheating or deception
Gingerly : adverb – in a careful or cautious manner