Job Discussion Forums

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

My favorite is "gossamer", followed by "wisteria".
Of course,I know this is just personal preference,and some people will post and say that technically,no one word is more beautiful than another word.True.
I have seen lists of "most beautiful" words.Sometimes,they contain surprising selections...like "gonorrhea".That poses the question.If a word"sounds"beautiful...should that be enough or should we also take its meaning into account?Again,individual preference.
Do you think,for example, words containing sibilants are intrinsically "more beautiful" than word containing plosives?
Most evocative phrase in the English language(again,in my opinion of course)"Over the hills and far away".

Ugly words?Plenty of them.But most of them would not survive the censors on this board.

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

Nice topic Bnix

I like whisper

(is that onomatopoeia?)

wish, wistful, winsome

I also like melody, musical

sweet, soft

may not be the words as much as the images they conjure up

A phrase I like is hard:

how about :

O Wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

or

Beauty is truth, truth beauty--that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Whew?Did I spell it right?
Yeah,Panama teacher,and as you know that word"pimp" is one to be careful with Smile

Sorry..PT.. I could not resist that one.It IS an ugly word.
A very nice onomatopoeic word(sp)is" sussurrus"(sp?)I believe it means the gentle sound of waves.I might be mistaken on that one.
I also read a theis on the implications of the word "rape'.The title was "An Ugly Word for an Ugly Act."One of the major premises of the thesis was that it was the "p" in the middle of the word that made it "ugly".
Beautiful words.There are probably lots of them...most likely ones that most of us have never heard because they are archaic,obsolete or in very restricted usage...

PanamaTeacher · Joined: 26 Jun 2003 Posts: 278 Location: Panama

For a nice discussion on sound in writing read Poe's essay The Philosophy of Composition (wait let me sip my sherry as a throw another log in the fire--I feel like a snob)

He goes on and on about Quoth the Raven, Nevermore

Poe opines that the long o is the most sonorous vowel in connection with r as the must producible consonant and that this helps close the stanza with force (Examples-- Lenore, door, wh-o-re) Wink

What is wrong with me Bnix, I can't help myself? Smile

zakiah25 · Joined: 09 Feb 2003 Posts: 155 Location: Oman

I always like the sound of "payday" or the day that's the end of the week, if it's Friday (Wednesday is the end of the week here) which sounds much better than Monday. Holiday is also nice. I also like charisma and harmonious.
Manfred's favourite is "Dinner"!

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

H'mmmm.Why Manfred? Any particular reason for that name?Is that dromedary(is he a dromedary or that other type of camel?) housebroken?If not,you must have a BIG litter box.Or of course,there's all that desert out there.A BIG litter box.
By the by,I have heard Zakiah has been nominated for "Maid Marion".
Panama Teacher...here is a good quote for you
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"(or insulted).

Interesting that I have never seen a thread on variants on the 'fallen woman" theme.Now,before I list these.I am not being sexist and I am not casting aspersions on ANYONE!! Smile

:
1.*beep*-bandied about a lot lately on this forum
2.Prostitute.I understand that the difference is that this person charges.(Correct me if I am wrong)
3.floozy
4.chippy(now there is one you do not hear too often)
5.streetwalker
6.callgirl
7.bit of fluff
8.working girl(euphemisitic)
Well,I am sure there are a lot more.Others can post their contributions.Again,this is just a linguistic exercise,and i do not mean to insult anyone.And let's try to keep it clean.A linguistic exercise,remember.
PT,try to blank out your memory.have a drink or something. Smile

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

I was,like,awestruck,dude,especially since that W word has appeared unscathed in many,many previous posts.Oh well. At least the others made it through.

khmerhit · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 2:41 am Post subject:

"summer afternoon" -- these were henry james' favourite words.

Im partial to:
'blonde'
'gin and tonic'
and
'molybdenum' among others.

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Yeah,khmer,I am partial to blondes,too.And the word is not bad either.Gin?Yech!Just my opinion.Molybdenum.Well,that is an interesting choice,especially since most people(including me) do not know how to pronounce it....

guty · Joined: 10 Apr 2003 Posts: 365 Location: on holiday

stevey · Joined: 09 Apr 2003 Posts: 142

my faaaaveee word has to be "melons" - i cant help but giggle inside whenever someone asks if i want to eat "some melons".

(yes, you can call me immature...but i know you all feel the same way i do -admit it.)

Laughing

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Okay,stevieboy,you are immature.You told me to call you that.But I can assure you I do not feel the same way as you do.Anybody who goes into fits over"melons"(in any of the implications)...

xiaoyu · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 6:40 am Post subject:

ok.... wow, feel like i might bring this thread to an intellectual low...

fav words:
"grand"
"jolly"
"f*&$k"
"fun!"
"doze"
"cheese"
"beer"
"gin"
"jose"
"cigs"

fav phrases:
"suck it up!"
"go home!"
"it humped up beneath me, and i knew...." - this is not sexual! it has to do with riding green broke horses!
"double tangeray and tonic, dirty. shaken"
"what did you honestly expect? and candy shop?"
"and then there was the time...."

xiaoyu

bnix · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 645

Another so-called "teacher". Laughing

xiaoyu · Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2003 6:57 am Post subject:

i am going to be nice and assume that you were referring to yet another favorite phrase! Smile

have you ever read what kind of teacher socrates was supposed to be? think i could have gotten on with him really well! Smile

xiaoyu