Annoying words

[realisticspeakers]

derisive vituperation

Been there. Done that.

[LikeManyWaters]

currently disgusted with:

Complimentarily

[JT68]

Hither and Thither.

Run across these two a lot in these works. May have been the writing style for the time, in vogue, blah blah blah....here and there are much less tongue twisty

Try saying this a few times fast:

Hither and Thither they thronged.

Had that in a chapter, went bananas getting it.

Ill not go into the run-on sentences...OI!!

[ColleenMc]

indefatigable and indefatigably....argh!

Colleen

[JayKitty76]

indefatigable and indefatigably....argh!

Colleen

I can't even say that in my mind It's something about these old books, they use really rich vocabulary that sadly has dropped out of modern use. I love the eloquence of like 19th century language, though, there's this beautiful flow to it (like Charles Dickens and Louisa May Alcott) that modern writers don't often have...

[Bookworm360]

indefatigable and indefatigably....argh!

Colleen

I can't even say that in my mind It's something about these old books, they use really rich vocabulary that sadly has dropped out of modern use. I love the eloquence of like 19th century language, though, there's this beautiful flow to it (like Charles Dickens and Louisa May Alcott) that modern writers don't often have...

You should talk to me! Old books are pretty much all I read, so my vocabulary is likewise antiquated. And I have the sneaking suspicion that some people have no idea what I’m saying... probably a common LibriVoxer problem.

[mightyfelix]

I have that problem, too. Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself how people say the thing I'm trying to say nowadays. Sometimes I forget to ask myself that, and then I use words that don't mean quite what they used to in ways they're no longer used. And then people give me weird looks.

[SonOfTheExiles]

'Often' gets me every time! Don't quite know what to do with the t.

Can’t believe no-one’s posted this G&S dialogue extract yet...

General. (aside) Hah! an idea! (aloud) And do you mean to say that you would deliberately rob me of these, the sole remaining props of my old age, and leave me to go through the remainder of my life unfriended, unprotected, and alone?

King. Well, yes, that’s the idea.

General. Tell me, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

Pirates. (disgusted) Oh, dash it all!

King. Here we are again!

General. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

King. Often!

General. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one?

King. I say, often.

Pirates. (disgusted) Often, often, often. (Turning away)

General. I don’t think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say “orphan”. As I understand you, you are merely repeating the word “orphan” to show that you understand me.

King. I didn’t repeat the word often.

General. Pardon me, you did indeed.

King. I only repeated it once.

General. True, but you repeated it.

King. But not often.

General. Stop! I think I see where we are getting confused. When you said “orphan”, did you mean “orphan” – a person who has lost his parents, or “often”, frequently?

King. Ah! I beg pardon – I see what you mean – frequently.

General. Ah! you said "often", frequently.

King. No, only once.

General. (irritated) Exactly – you said “often”, frequently, only once.


Cheers,
Chris

P.S. I put it to the Australians on the forums that Jon English was the best Pirate King ever.

[lymiewithpurpose]

'Often' gets me every time! Don't quite know what to do with the t.

Can’t believe no-one’s posted this G&S dialogue extract yet...

General. (aside) Hah! an idea! (aloud) And do you mean to say that you would deliberately rob me of these, the sole remaining props of my old age, and leave me to go through the remainder of my life unfriended, unprotected, and alone?

King. Well, yes, that’s the idea.

General. Tell me, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

Pirates. (disgusted) Oh, dash it all!

King. Here we are again!

General. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

King. Often!

General. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one?

King. I say, often.

Pirates. (disgusted) Often, often, often. (Turning away)

General. I don’t think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say “orphan”. As I understand you, you are merely repeating the word “orphan” to show that you understand me.

King. I didn’t repeat the word often.

General. Pardon me, you did indeed.

King. I only repeated it once.

General. True, but you repeated it.

King. But not often.

General. Stop! I think I see where we are getting confused. When you said “orphan”, did you mean “orphan” – a person who has lost his parents, or “often”, frequently?

King. Ah! I beg pardon – I see what you mean – frequently.

General. Ah! you said "often", frequently.

King. No, only once.

General. (irritated) Exactly – you said “often”, frequently, only once.


Cheers,
Chris

P.S. I put it to the Australians on the forums that Jon English was the best Pirate King ever.

I forgot about this. Yes, this is a great one.

[JayKitty76]

Sometimes I forget to ask myself that, and then I use words that don't mean quite what they used to in ways they're no longer used. And then people give me weird looks.

Oh my goodness I do this all the time Sometimes I have to Google a word to make sure it's "okay" to use....When I was younger I used the word "gay" a lot, meaning happy, but without realizing its modern context

[Scarbo]

'Often' gets me every time! Don't quite know what to do with the t.

Can’t believe no-one’s posted this G&S dialogue extract yet...

General. (aside) Hah! an idea! (aloud) And do you mean to say that you would deliberately rob me of these, the sole remaining props of my old age, and leave me to go through the remainder of my life unfriended, unprotected, and alone?

King. Well, yes, that’s the idea.

General. Tell me, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

Pirates. (disgusted) Oh, dash it all!

King. Here we are again!

General. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan?

King. Often!

General. Yes, orphan. Have you ever known what it is to be one?

King. I say, often.

Pirates. (disgusted) Often, often, often. (Turning away)

General. I don’t think we quite understand one another. I ask you, have you ever known what it is to be an orphan, and you say “orphan”. As I understand you, you are merely repeating the word “orphan” to show that you understand me.

King. I didn’t repeat the word often.

General. Pardon me, you did indeed.

King. I only repeated it once.

General. True, but you repeated it.

King. But not often.

General. Stop! I think I see where we are getting confused. When you said “orphan”, did you mean “orphan” – a person who has lost his parents, or “often”, frequently?

King. Ah! I beg pardon – I see what you mean – frequently.

General. Ah! you said "often", frequently.

King. No, only once.

General. (irritated) Exactly – you said “often”, frequently, only once.


Cheers,
Chris

P.S. I put it to the Australians on the forums that Jon English was the best Pirate King ever.

I love that scene! I remember that when I was in a G&S revue in high school, the guy playing the Pirate King would say "oftten," and the choir director had to instruct him to say "offen" (and not to use a rhotic R in "orphan") so that the joke would work.

[SonOfTheExiles]

Sometimes when the lines in an old hymn don't rhyme, if you observe the hymnwriter's surname and make the appropriate British regional accent adjustment, suddenly they do.

Chris

[Monaxi]

My first solo required me to learn nearly every form of "calumny" and "superfluous."

Still tricky for me: "wickednesses", "corporealousness" and "dignity." And, of course, "peculiarly."

[realisticspeakers]

And, of course, "peculiarly."

eww

[ColleenMc]

Differentiating audibly between "tortuous" and "torturous" is, well, the second one.

Colleen