Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Words


Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl

A pile of scrabble letters. I tweaked the themes of the last two Top Ten Tuesday posts, but this time I’m sticking to the script! Some of them will have explanations, but it didn’t feel necessary for others.

1. Vorpal

Okay, so this is technically only a word because Lewis Carroll said it was….but many other new words have been invented since then, so I still say it counts.

 

2. Petrichor 

I was so happy to learn there’s an official word for that lovely scent that happens after a rainstorm.

 

3. Gossamer 

 

4. Bucolic

I adore the feeling of this word rolling off of my tongue. Part of my childhood was spent living on a few different farms. There are many pleasant aspects of rural life to be sure, but I chuckle and shake my head at people who romanticize it. I can only hope they’ll spend a lot of time researching what life is really like there in every season of the year before moving.

5. Panacea

 

6. Curmudgeon

This isn’t to say being around grumpy people is relaxing or uplifting….but curmudgeon itself is such a great word.

 

7. Oeuvre 

It refers to the entire body of work of a writer, painter, musician, etc. Pronouncing it is delightful, too.

 

8. Palimpsest

That is to say, a manuscript written over a previous manuscript or manuscripts. It’s such a poetic and thrifty mental image.

 

9. Sequoia 

 

10. Defervescence

There’s nothing like the shaky, exhausted relief that comes when a fever breaks and your temperature (or the temperature of someone you love) finally goes back to normal.

60 Comments

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60 Responses to Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Words

  1. Ooh, defervescence is a great word! Curmudgeon is a fun word too 😃 Great list, Lydia! Thanks for stopping by my post earlier.

  2. Curmudgeon has always been a lovely word to use for those old folks who sit around and complain about the ways the world is deteriorating.

  3. Sequoia and petrichor almost made my list too. Love them both in concept, but for some reason, I find petrichor doesn’t feel as lovely to say as it is to smell. Same with vellichor.

    Hadn’t heard defervescence before and definitely going to find a way to slip that one into conversations now. 🙂

    My list: https://writeonread.com/2022/10/18/favorite-words/

  4. A great list. A whole load of new words for me there!

    Have a great week!

    Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
    My post:
    https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/10/18/top-ten-tuesday-favourite-words/

  5. Ash

    Haha, I haven’t heard of any of these words!

    Ash @ Essentially Ash

  6. Vorpal is in the Collins English Dictionary so I would say that makes it a legit word.

    Saying gossamer always makes me feel fancy.

  7. Petrichor is such a good one! I’ve always loved the scent after it rained and was so thrilled to find out there’s a word for it 🙂

  8. This is such a great list! I love petrichor as well, and only learned defervescense, and it’s such a perfect word!

  9. Bucolic and vorpal are particularly good! Fun to say 😊

  10. These are some fantastic words; I think my favorite from your list is curmudgeon!

    Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

    Pam @ Read! Bake! Create!

  11. Some fun choices here, Lydia, I especially love “Curmudgeon” and “Petrichor”. 😀

  12. I really like the word defervescence. It almost sounds magical.

  13. Seeing the lists of everyone makes me wish I’d been organized enough to curate a list. I tend to like words you never hear and like someone else said, sometimes there are words that are just fun to say. Maybe because we don’t seem to use them anymore. Thanks so much for visiting my website this week, Lydia!

  14. I’d never heard the word “petrichor” before, but I’ve seen it on multiple lists today. I had no idea there was a word for the best smell ever! So cool.

    Happy TTT!

    Susan
    http://www.blogginboutbooks.com

  15. Petrichor –now I know. Thank you!!

  16. Curmudgeon is such a satisfying word to read! I love your list.

  17. Defervescence is completely new to me, and I love it!! Petrichor is one I just recently encountered. I was so happy to learn that this was a word that existed! Great list.

  18. I’m proud to say that I am a curmudgeon. Four of my good blogger friends called ourselves the curmudgeons and met every so often at a local bar.
    Good list

    • Heh, that’s awesome! If you’re ever in Toronto, I’ll go out to a pub with you. I avoid alcohol for medical reasons, but pub food is delicious. 🙂

  19. I didn’t know there was a word for the scent after a rainstorm. I am going to add that into my vocabulary. I almost added curmudgeon to my list. Thanks for sharing such great words and for visiting my blog today.

  20. What a wonderful list of words! I really like Gossamer

  21. So many of these are new to me! What a great list!

  22. These are all such great words! I actually remember learning that all of the words used in the Jabberwock are old Anglo-Saxon words that had fallen out of use or portmanteaus of existing words, although the Internet does credit Lewis Carroll with the invention of “vorpal.”

  23. So many beautiful words. My favourite from yours are curmudgeon and palimpsest.

    Thanks for visiting my TTT this week which is about my favourite names of places, locations that sound like a dream.

  24. This is a great list of words! I love how different they all are.

  25. Poinsettia

    I agree. The word curmudgeon is a fun word. I tend to use it affectionately. Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!

  26. I am loving your choice of words this week.

  27. Curmudgeon — my husband uses this all the time! It’s such a great one. Love your list!

  28. Gossamer is on both of our lists!! Thanks for visiting, as always… I love all the words on your list, and learned two new words today – Oeuvre and Palimpsest.. both are so cool

  29. OH I didn’t know there was a word for the scent after a rainstorm. That is really cool

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