Animal Magnetism

trivet commented on the list animal-magnetism

I like this!

scardey cat, waspish? I'm not sure how often fishy is used to describe a person rather than a situation or odor.

February 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Oooh, waspish is good--thanks! I'm trying to stick to one-word adjectives if possible (and it's driving me crazy that I can't come up with another one related to snake!). Fishy has come to mind too, but I agree with you--less a personality trait or description than an odor.

February 21, 2007

uselessness commented on the list animal-magnetism

This is a great list! A few more suggestions...

boarish? goosey? owlish? spidery?

February 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Thanks! I think it's boorish, though--and the root actually refers to a person already. (That's another one that popped into my head immediately, along with fishy!) I like owlish and goosy--but does spidery refer to a person? Hmm...okay, it'll work. :-)

February 21, 2007

uselessness commented on the list animal-magnetism

Dictionary.com says boarish and spidery are both words to describe people. Boarish is a synonym of swinish.

February 21, 2007

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Really? Then by all means, it's on!

February 21, 2007

trivet commented on the list animal-magnetism

elephantine, doe-eyed? I like walrusine, but I'm not sure it is a *real* word...

February 21, 2007

trivet commented on the list animal-magnetism

serpentine? I've only heard it to describe rivers, but good old dictionary.com says: "shrewd, wily, or cunning"... oooh! do you have shrewd?

February 22, 2007

seanahan commented on the list animal-magnetism

the OED says that shrewd is probably from the animal. How about ursine?

February 22, 2007

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Thanks, all! I say we *make* walrusine a word! And I prefer shrewish, although both versions are good ideas.

Funny, I've never heard serpentine used to describe people, but the dictionaries seem to concur. :-)

February 22, 2007

chained_bear commented on the list animal-magnetism

chicken-livered? I guess it's too similar to chickenhearted. You only want adjectives? So jailbird is out? (cue "Mission Impossible" theme)

February 22, 2007

palooka commented on the list animal-magnetism

How about viperish or vulturine? Not to forget pachydermatous.

February 22, 2007

sionnach commented on the list animal-magnetism

simian, bovine, aquiline, saurian, reptilian

February 22, 2007

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Wow, thanks! All these great ideas! Aquiline--excellent. Chicken-livered is good--better than chickenhearted, I think. As for all the "-ine" words (feline, canine, etc.)--granted, some are already here, but this list would be HUGE if I added all of them! (Come to think of it, that's an idea for a similar list....) So I'll try sticking to the ones that really seem to define a human trait or feature, but certainly it's a blurry line. :-)

I do like jailbird, though. It's now on my "general" list.

February 22, 2007

sionnach commented on the list animal-magnetism

I think dovish should be on there if hawkish is. Dictionary.com lists goatish as meaning both goat-like and lecherous. The there's henpecked and its more vulgar feline version. A person could be bitchy, eagle-eyed, beetle-browed, or all three.

They could be dog-tired, goose-pimpled and gullible, grubby, loony, or lousy, raven-haired, or just completely batty.

February 9, 2009

reesetee commented on the list animal-magnetism

Thanks for all the suggestions, sionnach. This is one of those lists that fell by the wayside.... :-)

February 10, 2009

madmouth commented on the list animal-magnetism

porcine has slipped through the cracks somehow...

May 11, 2009

ruzuzu commented on the list animal-magnetism

How about cuckoo and cuckolded?

July 16, 2010