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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 42. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
What are everyone's favorite sounding words? Not words you like because of their meaning, but simply for the way they sound?
Mine are:
Pocketbook
behoove
chimichanga
Posted by kid47 on March 15, 2004, at 15:47:11
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:52:51
In reply to Smorgasbord (nm), posted by kid47 on March 15, 2004, at 15:47:11
Posted by pegasus on March 15, 2004, at 16:23:51
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Posted by EmmyS on March 15, 2004, at 17:19:46
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
I particularly like "Pocketbook" when it is pronounced "pahkabook".
My fav harkens back to 7th grade French class. The word was "la poubelle" - spoken pretty much as written, try to sound really French, pouty, sexy. It means trashcan.
Emmy
Posted by Tootercat on March 15, 2004, at 17:28:50
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words » Miss Honeychurch, posted by EmmyS on March 15, 2004, at 17:19:46
Oh god I love words!
Inconsequential
ocillating
reciprocity
voluptuous
ravenous
perpendicularAnd the more syllables the better for me!
Thanks Missy
Toots
Posted by Dinah on March 15, 2004, at 20:07:37
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Soliloquy
MellifluousBut it made me think of Dan Fogelberg. I always thought he put together words so that they were aesthetically pleasing in sound alone - never mind the music or the melody.
Posted by Dinah on March 15, 2004, at 20:13:56
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words, posted by Tootercat on March 15, 2004, at 17:28:50
Posted by EmmyS on March 15, 2004, at 20:50:11
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Wilfred Funk's list of the most beautiful words in English: ASPHODEL, FAWN, DAWN, CHALICE, ANEMONE, TRANQUIL, HUSH, GOLDEN, HALCYON, CAMELLIA, BOBOLINK, THRUSH, CHIMES, MURMURING, LULLABY, LUMINOUS, DAMASK, CERULEAN, MELODY, MARIGOLD, JONQUIL, ORIOLE, TENDRIL, MYRRH, MIGNONETTE, GOSSAMER, ALYSSEUM, MIST, OLEANDER, AMARYLLIS, ROSEMARY. [Alysseum may be a misspelling of alyssum, but this is how the word appears in Paul Dickson's Words.]
In the same poll, other American writers, poets, and critics responded with these selections: HOME (Lowell Thomas), CHATTANOOGA (Irvin S. Cobb), MELODY (Charles Swain Thomas), NOBILITY (Stephen D. Wise), VERMILLION (Lew Sarett), GRACIOUS (Bess Streeter Aldrich), PAVEMENT (Arnold Bennett), LOVELY (George Balch Nevin), HARBORS OF MEMORY (William McFee), and NEVERMORE (Elias Lieberman). Louis Untermeyer responded, "The most musical words seem to be those containing the letter 'l'. I think, offhand, of such words as VIOLET, LAKE, LAUGHTER, WILLOW, LOVELY, and other such limpid and liquid syllables" [Charles Turner].
According to James Joyce, CUSPIDOR is the most beautiful word in English [Dickson].
In A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (page 86), Annie Dillard writes: "My friend Rosanne Coggeshall, the poet, says that 'sycamore' is the most intrinsically beautiful word in English" [Sarah Gossett].
According to reporter, editor, writer, and author Willard R. Espy, the ten most beautiful words in the English language are GONORRHEA, GOSSAMER, LULLABY, MEANDERING, MELLIFLUOUS, MURMURING, ONOMATOPOEIA, SHENANDOAH, SUMMER AFTERNOON, WISTERIA [The Book of Lists 2 (1980)].
The ten worst-sounding words in English, according to a poll by the National Association of Teachers of Speech in August, 1946: CACOPHONY, CRUNCH, FLATULENT, GRIPE, JAZZ, PHLEGMATIC, PLUMP, PLUTOCRAT, SAP, and TREACHERY.
Posted by deirdrehbrt on March 15, 2004, at 21:08:27
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words more more, posted by EmmyS on March 15, 2004, at 20:50:11
I like tintinnabulous, sigil, slurry, surry and sleep.
Dee.
Posted by octopusprime on March 15, 2004, at 21:37:41
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words more more, posted by deirdrehbrt on March 15, 2004, at 21:08:27
Posted by DaisyM on March 15, 2004, at 21:39:23
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words more more, posted by deirdrehbrt on March 15, 2004, at 21:08:27
I like:
gurgle
giggle
wriggleswaddle
swish (and flick!)
supreme Commander
Posted by Jai Narayan on March 16, 2004, at 7:39:16
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words more more, posted by DaisyM on March 15, 2004, at 21:39:23
stinkstank
thinktank
pinpong
dingdong
snark
bark
slithely
blithely
gire n' gimble
snickersnak
glumping
vandersnatch
uffish
azure
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 16, 2004, at 8:16:59
In reply to Re: Favorite sounding words » Miss Honeychurch, posted by EmmyS on March 15, 2004, at 17:19:46
That's exactly how I LOVE to hear it - POCKABOOK!
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 16, 2004, at 8:19:29
In reply to yummy words, posted by Jai Narayan on March 16, 2004, at 7:39:16
Jai, I've never heard of "stinkstank" is that really a word?!!!
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 16, 2004, at 8:28:14
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Posted by Jai Narayan on March 16, 2004, at 8:43:23
In reply to Re: yummy words » Jai Narayan, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 16, 2004, at 8:19:29
> Jai, I've never heard of "stinkstank" is that really a word?!!!
*I heard it on a percussion song....I love the way it sounds....it may not be a legit word.
Posted by Penny on March 16, 2004, at 9:38:10
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (of course)
facetious
stupefy
bodacious
Posted by All Done on March 16, 2004, at 9:38:56
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2004, at 9:49:05
In reply to I like serendipity and satiate (nm), posted by All Done on March 16, 2004, at 9:38:56
How could I have forgotten serendipidy. I remember now. I always wanted to name two dogs serendipidy and soliloquy.
Posted by Bobby on March 16, 2004, at 9:56:45
In reply to Re: I like serendipity too. :), posted by Dinah on March 16, 2004, at 9:49:05
Posted by All Done on March 16, 2004, at 10:00:41
In reply to Re: I like serendipity too. :), posted by Dinah on March 16, 2004, at 9:49:05
> I always wanted to name two dogs serendipidy and soliloquy.
So how did Harry happen? :)
Posted by Dinah on March 16, 2004, at 10:03:05
In reply to Re: I like serendipity too. :) » Dinah, posted by All Done on March 16, 2004, at 10:00:41
I just took one look at him and said "Harry". Sometimes they name themselves. :)
Posted by Mark H. on March 16, 2004, at 14:05:19
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
... which include "mad cow" disease. Not a pleasant subject, but a wonderful group of words to say out loud. :-)
MH
Posted by EmmyS on March 16, 2004, at 20:42:51
In reply to Favorite sounding words, posted by Miss Honeychurch on March 15, 2004, at 15:30:54
Trollop
Onomatopoeia
Begonia
Dingleberry
Petunia
InnuendoExtra credit will be given if you can put them all in one sentence.
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