DUH v. DOH - All You Need to Know

What do you say we have some fun today?

Late one Saturday night, Karen Swim and I were having a little email exchange about Project Confident Friendship. The word duh came up, and it got me wondering about duh versus doh.

Let’s Dissect Duh and Doh

Duh rose to popularity in the 1980’s as one of the four or five words that constituted the Valley Girl vocabulary. At our house back then, both “Duh!” and the rather cryptic expression “No duh!” were heard up to 500 times a day. The American Heritage Dictionary defines duh as follows –

Used to express disdain for something deemed stupid or obvious,…

Words for Nerds - Portmanteau

Today’s Word Nerd quiz is really easy! There’s only going to be two choices for the correct definition. What do you think portmanteau means?

A. A large leather suitcase that opens into two compartments
B. A new word formed by combining elements of two words and their meanings

The correct definition of portmanteau is … both! (I told you it was going to be easy.) Portmanteau words are all around us … words like infomercial, smog, and Reaganomics. Take a look at this excellent list of portmanteau words … a few excerpts –

• Electrocute (electric + execute)
• Pixel (picture + element)
• Telethon (telephone + marathon)
• Chortle (chuckle + snort)
• Emoticon (emotion…

Words for Nerds - Vexillology

Do you have any idea what vexillology means? If you do, you are a championship caliber Word Nerd. I had to look it up. Which of these do you think is the correct definition?

A. The study of why people can be so gosh darn vexing.
B. The science of mixing drinks; bartending.
C. The study of flags.
D. The practice of black magic or devil worship.

Students of ancient history or Latin may recognize that vexillology is rooted in the Latin word, vexillum. In Imperial Rome, a vexillum was a military standard used by military detachments, consisting of a banner suspended from a pole. Even…

Words for Nerds - Glower

Hi there, thought I’d try to kill two birds with one stone by trying a new format for Words for Nerds and playing around with Survey Monkey at the same time. (Please let me know if the survey link doesn’t work - thanks.)

Today’s Word for Nerds is glower. Not too tough a word, but tricky.

The photo may or may not be a clue. Test your vocabulary skills now –

Click Here to take survey

I’ll report back later with the survey results and the correct definition (like you couldn’t look it up yourself!).

Words for Nerds - Abattoir

Abattoir is a word you may have run across, especially if you fancy fiction or crave comics. What do you think abattoir means?

A. Fashionable, having refined taste
B. A chicken coop
C. A slaughterhouse
D. In a confused or delirious state
E. Excessively humid

Hint: the word comes from the French abattre, to beat down. The correct definition of abattoir, of course, is … C, a slaughterhouse.

Words for Nerds - Algid

Algid may have a soft “g”, but it does have a hard definition. What does algid mean?

A. Cold, chilly
B. Extremely high, elevated
C. Infected or overgrown with fungus
D. Smooth, graceful
E. Suffering from multiple allergies

As tempting as all these definitions are, only one is correct. The true meaning of algid is … cold, chilly. The word is used most often to describe weather or a person with cold, clammy hands. It comes from the Latin word algare, which means “to be cold”.

Let’s Digress
I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if Algeria had any connection to the word algid. Seems improbable, considering Algerian weather…

Take the World’s Hardest Vocabulary Test

Over the last few years, Words for Nerds has been a regular feature in my blogs. To qualify as a Word for Nerds, it must meet three criteria –

1. The word must be in current usage, not an archaic term.
2. The word must be usable in general conversation, not a narrow, technical term.
3. The word must be very uncommon, but not totally obscure. (This is the tricky one. The perfect Word for Nerds is one which you kind of recognize, but don’t quite exactly know the meaning of.)

Many of the words on the Words for Nerds list are ones I…

Words for Nerds - Qua

Qua is the shortest Words for Nerds word yet. If you know Latin or are adept at Scrabble, you may know the meaning of this word. If you’re stumped, take a guess …

A. A short, double edged spear
B. In the character or capacity of
C. Approximately, as in an estimate
D. Exceedingly humble or shy
E. Mysterious

By way of a clue, let’s use qua in a couple sentences.

• Joe qua teacher told Joey Jr., “Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.”
• Joe qua parent told Joey Jr,. “GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE STOVE!”

By now you’ve discovered that qua means … acting in the character or capacity…

Words for Nerds - Canard

Canard sounds like the perfect name for a basset hound … or maybe not. What do you think? Would Fido lick your face or take a bite out of your ankle if you started calling him Canard? What does canard mean?

A. A large vat of vegetable oil.
B. To sing merrily.
C. A false, misleading report or rumor.
D. An evil spell cast by witches or demons.
E. A dessert tray used in French restaurants.

Well, your loyal dog will not be happy to learn that the correct definition of canard is … a false and misleading report or rumor. Canard has a very negative connotation,…

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,”…

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