Words for Nerds - Frowzy
If someone called you frowzy, what would you do? Knowing what frowzy means will help you frame the appropriate response. So what do you think frowzy means?
A. Slovenly or ill-smelling.
B. Absent minded.
C. Mean spirited, covetous.
D. Lighthearted and friendly.
E. Focused or single-minded.
Believe it or not, the correct definition of fowzy is … slovenly or ill-smelling, and may be used with reference to a person or thing. Frowzy will make your conversation more diplomatic and effective, because it sounds so much nicer than the quality it describes. For example, it’s far better to broach the subject with, “Your wardrobe is a tad frowzy,” than to say, “You dress like a slob.”
The old saying, “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me,” is not at all true. Whether or not they should, words can and do hurt people all the time. That is why we should always have this gentle option for an unpleasant ideas in our vocabulary tool belt.
Thank you for visiting Word Sell, Inc. My blog features lively discussion on marketing, writing, and business blogging.
Neat inclusion of “tad” there too
Never heard of frowzy before. If I use it I’m just going to have to hope it’s with someone who doesn’t read your blog!
Joanna