1 1 WEIRD WORDS GIVE US A SORE CLAVUS

Dec 3 2002

David Pilditch

BIZARRE and unusual words have been compiled in a new book.

Staff at the Oxford English Dictionary have spent years researching the list of long-forgotten or little-known terms.

The Weird and Wonderful Words dictionary is released today and it proves there is a word for just about everything in the English language.

Many of the words listed are from centuries ago, such as elaqueate - a verb meaning to free from a noose.

While others are the proper terms for new technology, such as octothorpe - a noun for the hash key on a telephone keypad.

The book gives a new lease of life to cliched terms.

Why call your MP a dishonest politician when you could call him a snollygoster?

And why describe someone as being drunk when you could call them temulent?

Most of the words will be of limited use in everyday conversation, but all are ostrobogulous - meaning bizarre, unusual or interesting.

Many have very specific meanings.

A pain in the forehead, which feels like someone driving in a nail, is called a clavus.

Onolatry is the worship of donkeys or asses and angletwitch is a worm used for bait in fishing, while a qualtagh is the first person you meet on leaving the house after a special occasion.

A spokesman for Oxford University Press said: "These are words not found in any normal dictionary and guaranteed to amuse and astonish.

"Weird and Wonderful Words also contains some interesting alternatives to everyday words.

"It's much more satisfying to refer to someone as a batie-bummil rather than just a bungler."

-- Anonymous, December 03, 2002