No audio this week for reasons which will become apparent!
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“Alf, I bet you know the longest word in the English dictionary!”
“Indeed I do, it’s pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, which is forty-five letters long and refers to a type of lung disease. There is however a longer locution (word, phrase, expression, or idiom, especially as used by a particular person, group, etc) comprising one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, eight-hundred and nineteen letters which takes around three hours to pronounce, but it’s not considered dictionary worthy, it is, ahem, methionylthreonylthreony………”.
Some time later
Alfred is a logophile (a lover of words). One of his claims to fame is to have answered all 970 (at the time of writing!) Wordle puzzles correctly!
He’s known for his grandiloquent affectations (extravagent in language, style, and manner) and considers himself to be a deipnosophist (a person skilled in table talk), an opinion we don’t necessarily share. He often cachinnates (laughs loudly or immoderately) when he sees our confused expressions!
At school he was scripturient (having a strong desire to write) but despite his best efforts it came to nothing. He didn’t give up though, and he turned out to be an opsimath (a person who begins to learn late in life).
Alfred has decided to pick up his dictionaries and absquatulate (to make off with something or someone). A certain town in Wales has been tempting him. I can’t help but wonder what the good folk of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch will make of him!
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Thanks to Sadje for hosting What Do You See?
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Image credit; Tom Barrett of Artwork.
Sculpture; a man, made by welding alphabets together by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa.
Excellent post and I wrote about that town you named at the end of)
What a coincidence, Dare I ask if you can pronounce it though?
it is, and no way )
You’ve wowed us with your knowledge of obscure words Keith. Amazing piece. Thanks for joining in.
Thanks, Sadje. A few years ago I did the A-Z Challenge and wrote a months’ worth of stories using forgotten words. I hoped some of the words I collected might come in useful again one day!
You’re welcome! Oh yes, now I remember. 😍
I love how you used the words but still put the meanings so the whole story was meaningful!
Thanks so much!
Whew! Hard to “pronounce ” or even read some of those words in my head. Got some education out of it though. Good one, Keith. 🙂
Thanks, Maria. Imagine what it must be like for his friends when he’s in full flow!!
😆
Love all the words you chose to write about. You made me curious to know what that “3-hour” word meant so I looked it up: the chemical name of ‘titin’; which of course led me even further down the rabbit hole. Thanks, Keith.
I did exactly the same and I’m still none the wiser!
Incredibly entertaining, Keith. I wonder if the residents can pronounce the name of their own town!
I wonder! I have trouble pronouncing mine after a few beers!
Hahaha!! 🍺🍺
Thank you, this was fun!
Hi Keith – I hadn’t realised you’d done that particular A – Z challenge … which year? I’ll have to have a look … in the meantime godwottery is mine – brain off … and I’m off! Too hot … well done … cheers Hilary
Hot, hot, hot! It was back in 2016 Hilary!
https://keithsramblings.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-final-day-of-a-z-challenge-2016.html
H Keith – I see I did comment on it … oh well – the grey cells are waning! I’ll be back to read again – as some of those words will relate more now … cheers H
So you did!
Wow. All the big words! Good one, Keith😉
I’ve forgotten them already!
🤣🤣🤣
All your words are well penned. ❤
Thanks, I had fun with them!
😃
It’s like reading Thai script – there are no spaces between words!
Despite my love of the thesaurus, I was unfamiliar with each uncommon word, but I think I’ve heard of that town!