How's your vocabulary?
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Professor Yaffle
Butterbeans and Breadcrumbs
Did anyone else find that in amongst words that they thought were very uncommon, there were also some words which were in common everyday use? For example in the mid 40s, I noticed the words "fettle" and "peckish" which I probably use everyday and my 4 year old son knows the meanings of. Maybe they are obscure words elsewhere, but just happen to have survived in my dialect?
Edit: and "gammon" for goodness sake!!
Edit: and "gammon" for goodness sake!!
Last edited:
Jeff Corey
New York Skeptic
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"Fine fettle" is not used much anymore around here and "peckish" I learned from the Monty Python "Undertaker sketch".
"Gammon" is the act of attaching the rope that holds the bowsprit in place, right?
According to the site FAQ, the level of words is determined by how many players actually get the word correct over time.
It seems likely that some words are rated higher because there's a particularly deceptive choice leading to more wrong answers, not because the word itself is more obscure. For instance "parlay" appears at very high level, I think because the choices include "increase" (their correct answer) and "chat". Those thinking of "parley" meaning "negotiate" will likely choose the latter incorrect answer.
For rarer words that I actually know (as opposed to the larger set that I can figure out the correct answer for from the choices), I can often remember specificially where or in what context I know the word from. A surprising number are from amusing sources such as role playing games (obscure mythical creatures, magical devices, weapons and armor), Patrick O'Brien novels (nautical terms -- see "gammon," above), titles of old stories and poems (especially their titles), and Gene Wolfe novels. "Philippic" I got from the title of a Simon and Garfunkel song, and had never seen since in any other context.
Respectfully,
Myriad
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Are you sure it wasn't the Cheese Shop sketch? (It's used in both sketches IIRC, but in the Cheese Shop sketch John Cleese explains/defines it, in the following lines.)
Respectfully,
Myriad
"Gammon" is the act of attaching the rope that holds the bowsprit in place, right?
According to the site FAQ, the level of words is determined by how many players actually get the word correct over time.
It seems likely that some words are rated higher because there's a particularly deceptive choice leading to more wrong answers, not because the word itself is more obscure. For instance "parlay" appears at very high level, I think because the choices include "increase" (their correct answer) and "chat". Those thinking of "parley" meaning "negotiate" will likely choose the latter incorrect answer.
For rarer words that I actually know (as opposed to the larger set that I can figure out the correct answer for from the choices), I can often remember specificially where or in what context I know the word from. A surprising number are from amusing sources such as role playing games (obscure mythical creatures, magical devices, weapons and armor), Patrick O'Brien novels (nautical terms -- see "gammon," above), titles of old stories and poems (especially their titles), and Gene Wolfe novels. "Philippic" I got from the title of a Simon and Garfunkel song, and had never seen since in any other context.
Respectfully,
Myriad
Interestingly, I got gammon as ham correct (see Miss Jane Marple for why I knew it).
"Gammon" is the act of attaching the rope that holds the bowsprit in place, right?
According to the site FAQ, the level of words is determined by how many players actually get the word correct over time.
It seems likely that some words are rated higher because there's a particularly deceptive choice leading to more wrong answers, not because the word itself is more obscure. For instance "parlay" appears at very high level, I think because the choices include "increase" (their correct answer) and "chat". Those thinking of "parley" meaning "negotiate" will likely choose the latter incorrect answer.
For rarer words that I actually know (as opposed to the larger set that I can figure out the correct answer for from the choices), I can often remember specificially where or in what context I know the word from. A surprising number are from amusing sources such as role playing games (obscure mythical creatures, magical devices, weapons and armor), Patrick O'Brien novels (nautical terms -- see "gammon," above), titles of old stories and poems (especially their titles), and Gene Wolfe novels. "Philippic" I got from the title of a Simon and Garfunkel song, and had never seen since in any other context.
Respectfully,
Myriad
Interestingly, I got gammon as ham correct (see Miss Jane Marple for why I knew it).
Check wiki also.
Professor Yaffle
Butterbeans and Breadcrumbs
And there's me thinking everyone called it gammon. You learn something new every day!
Jeff Corey
New York Skeptic
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- Aug 2, 2001
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- 13,714
It was the Undertaker sketch that I saw first and it was quite clear from the context.
As for gammon, isn't that a win in backgammon?
Double normal loss.
madurobob
Philosopher
I've played a few times and hover around 42. But, I think there is a strong cultural bias. I grew up in the US South and I see very few words commonly used in polite southern society. "Sibilance" indeed!
where is "Blacktop" and "Catsup" and "Druthers" and "Feedlot" and....?
This dang public school education is not serving me as well as I'd expected.
where is "Blacktop" and "Catsup" and "Druthers" and "Feedlot" and....?
This dang public school education is not serving me as well as I'd expected.
Orthoptera
Scholar
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2006
- Messages
- 118
I thought the same thing... Patrick O'Brian novels seemed to be the source for many of the more archaic terms, and there was a surprising number of medieval armory references. Thus I stayed pretty consistently in the 48 range: Thanks, PO'B!
Elind
Philosopher
"Gammon" is the act of attaching the rope that holds the bowsprit in place, right?
According to the site FAQ, the level of words is determined by how many players actually get the word correct over time.
It seems likely that some words are rated higher because there's a particularly deceptive choice leading to more wrong answers, not because the word itself is more obscure. For instance "parlay" appears at very high level, I think because the choices include "increase" (their correct answer) and "chat". Those thinking of "parley" meaning "negotiate" will likely choose the latter incorrect answer.
For rarer words that I actually know (as opposed to the larger set that I can figure out the correct answer for from the choices), I can often remember specificially where or in what context I know the word from. A surprising number are from amusing sources such as role playing games (obscure mythical creatures, magical devices, weapons and armor), Patrick O'Brien novels (nautical terms -- see "gammon," above), titles of old stories and poems (especially their titles), and Gene Wolfe novels. "Philippic" I got from the title of a Simon and Garfunkel song, and had never seen since in any other context.
Respectfully,
Myriad
Wow. Rainman memory you have.