Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Fun with words...................

The previous post contained the word narrishkeit.  A middling student, I don't claim to have the greatest vocabulary, and so, I often consult the desk-side Webster's New World Collegiate Dictionary -which doesn't necessarily have the greatest vocabulary either.  Neither of us knew the word, although the context of the original quote gave hint to the meaning.  Still, the question lingered.  The Great Oracle Google was consulted -hmmm, appears to be Yiddish.  No definition available, although Wordlist.com provided this handy and wondrous list of synonyms:


absurdnessact of follyaimlessnessamphigoryanticness,
babblebabblementbalderdashbibble-babblebizarreness,
bizarrerieblabberblatherblunderbombastbootlessness
claptrapcrazinesscuriousnessdaftnessdeformity,
dottinessdouble-talkdriveldrollerydrollnessdrool
dumb trickeccentricityemptinesserrorfallacy
fantasticality,fantasticalnessfatuityfecklessnessfiddle-
faddlefiddledeedeeflummeryfolderolfollyfoolishness,
freakishness,fruitlessnessfudgefunninessfustianfutility
gabblegalimatiasgammongibbergibberishgibble-
gabble,gobbledygookgrotesquenessgrotesqueriehilarity
hocus-pocushollownesshopelessness,humbughumorous-
ness,illogicalityimpossibilityimpossibleimpossibleness
impotenceimprudenceinanityinconceivabilityincongruity,
indiscretionineffectivenessineffectualityinefficacy
insanityirrationalityjabberjargonlaughabilityludicrous-
ness,malformationmeaninglessnessmonstrosity
monstrousnessmumbo jumbonarrishkeitniaiserieno 
chancenonsense,nonsensicalitynugacitynuttiness
oddityotiosityoutlandishnessoutrageousnessoxymoron
pack of nonsense,palaverparadoxpeculiaritypointless-
nessprateprattlepreposterousnesspricelessness
profitlessnesspurposelessnessquaintnessqueerness
quizzicalnessrantrat racerichnessridiculousness
rigamarolerigmarole,rodomontaderubbishself-
contradictionsenselessnesssillinesssingularity
skimble-skamblesottisestrangeness,stuff and nonsense
stultiloquencestupid thingstupidityteratismthe absurd,
the funny sidethe impossibletrash,trivialitytrumpery
twaddletwattletwiddle-twaddleunimaginability
unproductivenessunprofitability,unprofitableness
unreasonablenessunthinkabilityunwise stepvalueless-
nessvanityvaporingvicious circlewaffling,weirdness
what cannot bewhat cannot happenwhimsicalness
wildnesswitlessnesswittinessworthlessness

1 comment:

  1. Oy! So many definitions - gives me such chaloshes to think about it.

    It's simple boychik - "narrishkeit" is foolishness.

    We'll make you a yiddishekopf yet... :)

    - J.

    ReplyDelete