Favorites in Sound and Meaning:
investigate
sinister
textual
nebulous
complexity
interlacement
clatter
Least Favorites, Because Apparently I Hate the Letter U:
thumb
slurp
munch
flesh
Words my Students Need to Look Up:
novel
fiction
story
poem
drama
thesis
except
accept
metaphor
Typos I Cannot Stop Making:
sotry for story
explainging for explaining
And as a Related Bonus, my Least-Favorite Currently Overused Phrase, Because Please Stop Trying so Hard:
an historic
—
What are your words?
Nice words:
moose
architecture
mastodon
spy
martingale
zoo
calculus
Disliked words:
moratorium
moribund
algebra
bonus
calisthenics
evangelical
Phrases I can’t stand:
“must needs”
“in the sequel”
“we show that”
“the data suggest”
In “Least favorite” did you mean #4 to be “flush”?
J - I am glad moose is on your list. I love moose. Also, I have to say I love “moratorium,” too. I love to declare a moratorium on something ridiculous. For example: “I am really sick of the gym shorts everyone wears to class here. I declare a MORATORIUM on GYM SHORTS!” [Bang fist on table.]
S - No, actually I don’t mind “flush” too much, but “flesh” is just….awful. The worst is when a recipe calls for the “flesh” of the fruit or vegetable. I want to barf just thinking of it.
Also here is a very IMPORTANT ADDENDUM to the LEAST FAVORITE WORDS:
curd
pudding
Least favorite word:
Moist
There is no other awful, really. I do have an aversion to the word special, with many thanks to Rosa Shand for that.
Words I like when spoken:
shiny
crinkle
crackle
Words I like for their appearance:
aether
eon
serendipity
Words I dislike seeing or hearing:
gouge
mush
mildew
fungus
and now I think I can add “curd” to that list.
R - Oh, moist definitely!
S - Mush, too. Ew.
MOIST, MUSHY CURD!!!!
Totally ew.
I like crackle too! Undulate is another good active verb that seems onomatopoeic to me. The word I am obsessed with in my academic writing is infrastructure.