Friday, December 24, 2010

Words!

Jerry Coyne is asking about beautiful words. Here’s a list of 70 (or thereabouts - I hate counting). ...Of the moment. I’m mercurial.

anemone
aquifer
bacilli*
balm
bazaar
calamitous
caravan
conjurer
dancehall
deft
eucalyptus
faraway
froth
glazier
gravelly
gypsum
harbor
hooch
impostor
inkwell
intrigue
jowl
kiosk
languid
lemony
mahogany
mariner
mineral
mystic
nebula
oblivion
oyster
pamphleteer
parabola
perfunctorily
preposterous
quahog
quixotic
ramshackle
regret
revel
saffron
satellite
scallop
schooner
scurrilous
serene
snout
souk
sultry
swagger
swizzlestick**
taffy
tambourine
tawdry
thalassic
tisane
tonic
trinket
tropic
tryst
ubiquity
vagabond
vainglorious
vaudeville
vexatious
wanton
whelk
zinc

* The list of lovely biological terms is endless (Delphinidae? Mellifluous!).
** I declare this to be a single word.

1 comment:

  1. 'mercurial' itself would be on my list.

    Also:

    adverse
    affectation
    atavistic
    brogue
    congregation
    daredevil
    demagogue
    incipient
    lurid
    phantasm
    prohibitive
    prurient
    sensual
    slalom
    supercilious

    ReplyDelete