Wordsmiths Weigh In On Which Obscure Words They Wish Were Used More

“Overmorrow/ereyesterday just easier to say than the day after/before tomorrow/yesterday. l still use these terms in Dutch (overmorgen/eergisteren).”

“I wonder why the English stopped.”

-cantbakemistake

“Quibble: a slight objection or criticism of a trivial matter.”

-FintheFig

“Clement, which means mild and is most often used as an adjective to describe weather. We use ‘inclement weather’ all the time, so why not ’clement weather?’”

-atreeofnight

“Perambulate ~ Walking for pleasure”

-KnotKarma

”I use this and my girlfriend rolls her eyes.“

“I take the cat on his morning perambulations.”

-Emergency-Hope-1088

​“Boondoggle. Something that is a waste of time, but has the appearance of being practical.”

-aloha_skye

“Boondoggle is super common in American politics. I don't know if it's used elsewhere. Politically, it's often used to describe an expensive project that is presented as being for the public good but is actually a favor to a particular donor or a way to filter government funds to the contractor that builds it.”

-TheRevEO​

“Gobsmacked, I thinks it's more common in the Commonwealth but not in America.”

-soline

“‘Common in the commonwealth’ tickled me a tad.”

-OverunityMachine

“Defenestration—the act of throwing something or someone out of a window.”

-TimeTraveler3056

“If I could throw in an Old English word I wish we used?”

“Bōchord or maybe bochord : library, collection of books, essentially book +‎ hoard.”

-KarmaKitty4-3

“Aglet. That's what the end of a shoelace is called but I never hear it being used.”

-orangeheatt

“Swell. It has such a endearing charm to it.”
"’Mmm this chicken is swell!’”
"’I had a swell time with you last night’"

-fallencabanel

These words may have fallen out of fashion in much of the world, but there’s no reason we can’t bring them back. ​