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Linguistic Perps

A list of 27 words by uselessness.

About

These words mean business. I dare you to pick a fight with these words. Or make fun of their shoes. The only way these words could possibly get any tougher would be for James Earl Jones to say them. Maybe Samuel L. Jackson. Avery Brooks might work in a pinch, as long as the words are said with ferocity. The speaker's blackness improves the delivery exponentially. Add some flying spittle to complete the effect, if you're man enough.

Comments

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  • trivet commented on the list linguistic-perps

    I don't find placid very formidable...

    April 9, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list linguistic-perps

    You have to say it right. Nice and plosive. Say it loud. Say it like you mean it. Launch some saliva. See?

    April 9, 2007

  • trivet commented on the list linguistic-perps

    It rhymes with flaccid. There is no oomph and a decided lack of spittle when trivets utter this word. Does remind me of an Ogden Nash poem:

    The ant has made himself illustrious

    Through constant industry industrious.

    So what?

    Would you be calm and placid

    If you were full of formic acid?

    April 10, 2007

  • seanahan commented on the list linguistic-perps

    I like that poem Trivet.

    April 10, 2007

  • abraxaszugzwang commented on the list linguistic-perps

    Agreed. placid is weeeeeeak. In fact, I daresay anything that calls Ogden Nash to mind is hardly menacing . . . . though full of formic acid is pretty cool.

    April 10, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list linguistic-perps

    I meekly cave to the pressure. Though I have yet to hear any alternatives from the peanut gallery.

    April 10, 2007

  • trivet commented on the list linguistic-perps

    I've always been leery of smackdown... Also brogue, rumble, streptococcus?

    April 10, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list linguistic-perps

    Nice ones! And streptococcus, eh... Sounds like somebody's been watching Jim Carrey. Though it's not nearly as tough as it could be when it comes from him. ;-)

    April 10, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list linguistic-perps

    Gravel, pulp, bastard, pummel, onslaught! And let's not forget bombard!

    *hitches up pants by the belt and swaggers away*

    April 10, 2007

  • trivet commented on the list linguistic-perps

    I avoid Jim Carrey whenever possible, me - how 'bout vendetta and stiletto?

    April 10, 2007

  • uselessness commented on the list linguistic-perps

    Thanks for those, though I'll omit slang and profanity from the list, because those are just too obvious. :-)

    I just assumed you were submitting streptococcus because that was the punchline to one of Jim Carrey's movie jokes (from Fun with Dick and Jane), said in a fairly threatening manner. I've never heard the word anywhere else, actually, but I ought to know better than to jump to conclusions.

    April 10, 2007

  • reesetee commented on the list linguistic-perps

    Golly--I DID use profanity! Sadly, I didn't even notice...too focused on the saliva launching, I suppose. ;-)

    April 10, 2007

  • widdershins commented on the list linguistic-perps

    For me, rickshaw will never be a perp word, because I can't help thinking of the cute little yellow bubbles that hare around the streets of India (what would be called tuk tuks in Thailand).

    January 3, 2008