Wednesday's Wondrous Words

As anyone knows who’s been following us over the years, Belle Copy bemoans the use of unnecessarily long prose in copywriting. It’s just fluff. It’s just applied to make the author feel clever. It certainly won’t convince readers to buy into your offering.

But that’s not to say, we can’t take wonder in these words.

On our instagram page, our most popular posts are often part of our #WednesdaysWondrousWords series. This is where we explore the most absurd, flowery, and often funniest words in the English dictionary (and occasionally in foreign dictionaries too).

So, in tribute to their popularity and pure entertainment, today we’re bringing you our top 10 beauties.

Savour them. Laugh at them. Attempt to pronounce some of them. But whatever you do with your marketing copy, don’t ever use them!

10. CRAMBAZZLED

This word so perfectly depicts its definition - to prematurely age as a result of excessive drinking.

Been there, done that, most definitely got the medal.

9. SHARENT This beautiful blend of the verb ‘share’ and the noun ‘parent’ describes someone who regularly uses social media to communicate detailed information about their child. And we’re not talking parents who like to post photos of their kids every now and then (of which we’re all pretty much guilty). We’re talking about parents who like to broadcast every minute detail of their kids’ lives. Or what some might like to coin as ‘oversharenting’.

8. VERNALAGNIA Now, we appreciate this sounds like something you might want to avoid. But quite simply it means romantic feelings brought on by the advent of spring. So, if you feel ‘sensual’ whenever winter draws to a close, credit it to spring fever and embrace your inner vernalagnia.

7. BACKPFEIFENGESICHT

You gotta credit the Germans for creating a word so painfully missing from the English dictionary. It simply means ‘a face badly in need of a fist’.

6. SNACCIDENT

You know when you go the cupboard to take ONE biscuit. And you inadvertently end up eating the whole packet because...well...how can you not? This is, indeed, known as a 'snaccident'.

5. OSTROBOGULOUS No, we didn’t make it up. This word is used to refer to something slightly risqué, indecent or bizarre. Bit like the word itself.

4. SESQUIPEDALIAN

It quite simply means a longwinded word. How utterly appropriate.

3. KALSARIKANNIT

The Finnish word to describe drinking inside your house, in your underwear, with absolutely no intent on leaving.

Guilty as charged.

2. FLOCCINAUCINIHILIPILIFICATION

This has the honour of being the longest non-technical word in the English dictionary and means the act or habit of considering something unimportant or worthless.

Your mission, if you wish to accept it, is to pronounce it. Good luck with that…

And the winner…

And it’s even longer than floccinaucinihilipilification…

1. HIPPOPOTOMONSTROSEAQUIPPEDALIOPHOBIA

It ironically means a fear of long words.

The word itself is guaranteed to induce fear in pretty much anyone.

Keep tabs on #WednesdaysWondrousWords by following us on insta @bellecopy