11 words adults just can't spellBy Jonathan Anker
11:34 AM EDT, Fri June 01, 2012
While viewers and contestants of this year's National Spelling Bee fixated on the fine points of spelling 'tchotchke' or the etymology of 'maculature' (it's French, from Latin), perhaps it would be a good time for many of us to lower our sights a little bit and focus on some of the words we use and type every day -- and almost always misspell.
Such as, 'misspell.'
Because while you can reasonably expect to never have to type the word 'preprandial', how many times have you second-guessed yourself while spelling out 'accommodate'? Or 'maintenance'? These are the kind of words we actually need to know -- and the ones that tend to humiliate us on a weekly basis.
So never mind what those 13-year-old future bosses of yours were spelling at the bee. Here are 11 words that many adult screws up, presented for you in standard spelling bee form.
The word is: Occasion
Can you use it in a sentence? Finally, an occasion to address all these words we always stumble on.
Is it o-c-c-a-s-s-i-o-n? // ::buzzer::
The word is: Fiery
Can you use it in a sentence? Tim Duncan is the opposite of fiery.
Is it f-i-r-e-y? // ::ding::
The word is: Embarrassed
Can you use it in a sentence? I was so embarrassed I spelled embarrass wrong, even though it had a red, squiggly line underneath when I typed it in Word.
Is it e-m-b-a-r-a-s-s? // ::horn::
The word is: Restaurant
Can you use it in a sentence? Apparently Mark Zuckerberg didn't tip very well at that restaurant on his Italian honeymoon.
Is it r-e-s-t-a-r-a-u-n-t? // ::gong::
The word is: Vacuum
Can you use it in a sentence? The next time ESPN airs an offbeat competition will be July 4, when human vacuum Joey Chestnut eats 55 hot dogs.
Is it v-a-c-c-u-m? // ::whoopee cushion sound::
The word is: Loose
Can you use it in a sentence? The owner of a gay bar says bachelorette parties are no longer welcome to cut loose there.
Is it l-o-s-e? // ::squish::
The word is: Daiquiri
Can you use it in a sentence? When at the beach this summer, a real man will order a strawberry daiquiri.
Is it d-a-q-u-i-r-i? // ::airhorn::
The word is: Independent
Can you use it in a sentence? There are lots of independent thoughts out there about how to spell this word and pretty much every one them is wrong.
Is it i-n-d-e-p-e-d-a-n-t? // ::wah-wah-waaahh::
The word is: Recommend
Can you use it in a sentence? I'd recommend this article to whoever made that Romney app.
Is it r-e-c-c-o-m-e-n-d? // ::The Price Is Right loser noise::
The word is: Separate
Can you use it in a sentence? The spelling bee should have a separate contest for the most over-the-top reactions.
Is it s-e-p-e-r-a-t-e? // ::Pac-Man dying sound::
The word is: Misspell
Can you use it in a sentence? Misspell has got to be the very worst word to misspell.
Is it m-i-s-p-e-l-l? // No.
A wild hurry, as in I was in a mad rush to get to the bank on time to cash my check , or Why the mad rush? We have lots of time before the concert starts . The use of in a rush for "being in a hurry" dates from the second half of the 1800s, and mad , for "frenzied," serves merely as an intensifier.
"Teflon tape"? It's not what you may think.
Did you know?
• Teflon® isn’t a thing — it’s a brand! A world famous brand that’s owned by DuPont.
• The DuPont™ Teflon® brand identifies products that are made with DuPont raw material(s), like fluoropolymer or industrial coatings. Over time, the tape has been mistakenly referred to as "Teflon tape". We thought it was important to let you know that.
• If somebody offers to sell you “Teflon tape” when you need plumber tape (or thread seal tape), they are wrong, mistaken or — worse — trying to mislead you. To help you make an informed purchase, you should be aware that no plumber tape is authorized by DuPont to be sold as “Teflon tape”.
• DuPont has brought thousands of meaningful innovations to people for more than 200 years, including many Teflon® branded products for consumers. Plumber tape is not one of these innovations.
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named.[citation needed] One who is referred to as eponymous is someone who gives his or her name to something, e.g., Julian, the eponymous owner of the famous restaurant Julian's Castle. Another term for eponym is namegiver.
In contemporary English, the term self-titled is often used to mean eponymous in the case of a work with the same name as the person or persons who created it.[citation needed] An etiological myth can be a "reverse eponym" in the sense that a legendary character is invented in order to explain a term. This is one example of folk etymology.
patsy：
１． scapegoat. red herring. person accused of a something as a cover for a bigger more elaborate crime.
Oswald was a patsy in the Kennedy assassination.
buy patsy mugs & shirtsby s: Oct 19, 2004 share this add a video
２．The guy that always takes the fall! A loser!! The nice guy that finishes last everytime...
Also used when describing a weak minded man who lets his girlfriend/ wife walk all over him.
"Baz is such patsy, he's taken her back again even though she sucked that guys cock!" "yeah man, proper patsy"
1. A fluttering or darting movement; moving rapidly or quickly
2. A derogatory slang word for homosexual males popular in the '50s.
3. A form of transportation invented by Darren Shan in which vampires move their legs very quickly. It's not quite running and not quite flying.
a. The bees were flitting from flower to flower.
b. He acted like a little girl. I swear he's a flit.
c. The air rushed over my ears as Mr. Crepsley flitted to our next location.
Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cats, cattle, guinea pigs, crested geckos and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat. The streaks of color are irregular and usually darker than the base color of the coat, although very dark markings can be seen on a coat that is only slightly lighter.
1. : a fencer's quick return thrust following a parry.
2. : a retaliatory verbal sally : retort.
3. : a retaliatory maneuver or measure.
In fencing, the riposte (French for "retort") is an offensive action with the intent of hitting one's opponent, made by the fencer who has just parried an attack.
war·ble 1 (wôrbl)
v. war·bled, war·bling, war·bles
v.tr.
To sing (a note or song, for example) with trills, runs, or other melodic embellishments.
v.intr.
1. To sing with trills, runs, or quavers.
2. To be sounded in a trilling or quavering manner.
n.
The act or an instance of singing with trills, runs, or quavers.
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[Middle English werbelen, from Old North French werbler, of Germanic origin.]
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war·ble 2 (wôrbl)
n.
1.
a. An abscessed boillike swelling on the back of cattle, deer, and certain other animals, caused by the larva of a warble fly.
b. The warble fly, especially in its larval stage.
2. A hard lump of tissue on a riding horse's back caused by rubbing of the saddle.
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[Probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to obsolete Swedish varbulde.]
the most wonderful friend you could ever have. puts everybody else before herself, and is loyal to the end. she is funny and lovely.
i really miss sare. she was the best friend i ever had.
A person whom assumes that they are above you in any way without cause or reason. This person normally has to find flaws in others to make them feel better. They really enjoy labels are always made up.
Jennifer just bout a D&G bag - She acts a little too hoity toity for me.....
Staying simple. Kendrys Morales has a nice approach with runners on base. He seems to concentrate on making contact and hitting the ball up the middle. The Angels gave him all sorts of opportunities and he came through, going 3-for-5 and driving in four runs. If he's going to bat ahead of Mark Trumbo, it helps to have this kind of production. The key for this offense is depth. Pitchers can't catch their breath.
A person who fulfills multiple minority capacities in any realm. Having two or more of these common features: physical/mental disabilities, being a woman or ethnic minority
In the show 30 Rock, James Spurlock, his nickname is "Toofer" because "with him you get a two-for-one; he's a black guy and a Harvard guy." (Jack Donaghy)
The goose step is a special marching step usually performed on formal military parades and other ceremonies. While marching in parade formation, troops swing their legs in unison high off the ground, while keeping their knees locked.
Originating in Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century, the step was called the Stechschritt (literally, "piercing step") or Stechmarsch. Although "goose step" is a pejorative term in English, it is used officially by the armed forces of the nearly 30 countries that maintain the tradition.
Adjective used to describe when someone's words are exceptionally hurtful, cruel, or insensitive. Applied to a situation/remarks through ownership: your, his, her ; "Your biting tongue," "he has a biting tongue."
Laura Jones
When will liberals finally understand that guns don't kill people. People kill people. Guns got nothing to do with it, k?
Eva Wallace
Speaking as a liberal, I would like to point out that we don't all think that way.
Jennifer Lewis · Culinary/Nutrition Teacher at Arapahoe High School
Explain to me how 72 people could be injured and 12 killed in 2 minutes without the help of guns, such an idiotic response.
Matt Lazko · Commerce, Michigan
Thank you Eva for pointing that out; I am too a liberal and don't think like that either.
1a. To order someone to go away or "get lost." This is a widely used term that has no vulgar connotations.
One friend told another to pound sand when he questioned the veracity of the Old English Dictionary.
1b. Walk away (from the fact that each step requires one to press down the sand beneith one's feet; from Hawaiin slang)
Go pound sand.
2. "The origin of the expression go pound sand is from a longer expression, not to know (have enough sense to) pound sand down a rathole. Filling rat holes with sand is menial work, and telling someone to pound sand down a hole is like telling them to go fly a kite. The expression dates to at least 1912 and is common in the midwestern United States."
3. The term pound sand originally referred to the degrading job of filling rat holes with sand. However, its meaning has evolved, it now refers to a technique used in Vietnamese whore houses. This technique was used when the whores would give a man a hand job and then right before the man would ejaculate the whore would cap the penis, give it one hard pump, and then release it causing the man to ejaculate with such force that the it would hit the ceiling.
Hey, why don't you go pound sand!
(n.) 1. Something apparently impressive or legitimate but actually untrue or insincere; nonsense. 2.
A stock technique for eliciting a desired response from an audience.
(n.) The cum of a ho.
Cindy thought that I was spouting hokum when I told her that I would make her scream. She was wrong; she threw me on the table and rode my throbbing cock until hokum started to leak out from her cunt and her moans became gasping screams of ecstasy.
Ersatz means 'substituting for, and typically inferior in quality to', e.g. 'chicory is ersatz coffee'. It is a German word literally meaning substitute or replacement.
Romney credits her doctor’s aggressive treatment and the therapeutic effects of horseback riding as reasons for the “miraculous” recovery of much of her strength.
A cad is someone who can be quite charming, intelligent, capable of engaging in stimulating conversation, ultimately presenting himself as a gentlemen. A cad, however, is not a gentleman because he systematically cons lovely ladies into falling in love with him and then openly cheats on them. He is completely selfish with only feigned regard for women's feelings. Somewhat like a playboy but instead of being open about his philanderings, a cad usually pretends to care about a woman before coitus, thereby confusing the woman when he drops her like a hot potato. He is dishonest with most people around him (often even himself). Cads also frequently have addiction issues.
Dude 1: Is James Bond a cad?
Dude 2: Nah, at least the Bond Girls don't expect him to stick around and he doesn't pretend to make them feel special.
Marquetry (also spelled as marqueterie) is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures.
Noun: Used to refer to something that is one's duty or responsibility: "the onus is on you to show that you have suffered".
Synonyms: burden - charge - responsibility - weight - liability
1: a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament
2: a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft
— boondoggle \ intransitive verb
— boondoggler \ noun
Examples
Critics say the dam is a complete boondoggle—over budget, behind schedule, and unnecessary.
Origin
coined by Robert H. Link †1957 American scoutmaster
First Known Use: 1929
(Noun) bug out, Slang. to flee in panic; show panic or alarm .Someone or something that is feeling nervouse , paranoied, or inattentive,usually freaking out for no reason, overly dramatic or over exaguarting
(Verb) Someone or something that is doing that act of freaking out , acting upon paranoia.
Originated from the word Bug (noun)any insect or insectlike invertebrate,referring to the way an insect would appear,or act in movement, vibrations, indicating nervousness or Panic.
Man:Hey Whats up ?
Women: What do you mean by that, Are you trying to make fun of me, yes thats what your doing , your so mean , What have i ever done to you ?
Man: Holy shit, What a bug out, Why you Buggin i just said Whats up ? You have to chill, Your sucha a Bug out !!
Women:Sorry
Man: You Buggin!
Caveat Emptor is latin for "let the buyer beware" and is the basic idea that a buyer should closely examine every item and purchase they make as if they are about to be ripped off, making purchasing safer.
I gave my credit card number to some website to purchase something and the owner charged up my card. Well, as they say; Caveat Emptor.
1) A woman (also affectionately called a bitch) who challenges the virility and dominance of a man by utilizing verbal abuse and/or by controlling social situations usually controlled by the men.
2) A woman who is so bitchin' and intelligent that most men fear openning their mouth in her presence, much less making a sexual advance.
"That ball buster of a ho didn't let me have a word in edgewise. She tore my ass up one side, and down the other"
When someone is said to be “flapping their gums” it means that he or she talks a lot about topics he or she doesn't really understand or know about. It also means to say something but not really mean it.
Frank and Joe are always flapping their gums about what it's like to be street hustlers, when they have never even been out of the burbs.
The snipe hunt may be assigned to a target as either part of a process of hazing, in which the object is to initiate the snipe hunter into the group, or as part of a process of ostracism intended to encourage (or force) a person, perceived to be an unwanted interloper, to withdraw from the group's presence.
A practical joke[1] (also known as a prank, gag, jape or shenanigan) is a mischievous trick or joke played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort. Practical jokes differ from confidence tricks or hoaxes in that the victim finds out, or is let in on the joke, rather than being fooled into handing over money or other valuables. Practical jokes or pranks are typically lighthearted, reversible or non-permanent, and aim to make the victim feel foolish or victimized to a certain degree; however practical jokes may also involve cruelty.
The term "practical" refers to the fact that the joke consists of someone doing something physical, instead of a verbal or written joke. For example, the joker who is setting up and performing the practical joke might hang a bucket of water above a doorway and rig the bucket using pulleys so when the door opens the bucket dumps the water. The joker would then wait for the victim to walk through the doorway and be drenched by the bucket of water. Objects can also be used in practical jokes, like fake vomit, chewing gum bugs, exploding cigars, stink bombs, costumes and whoopee cushions. In Western culture, April Fools' Day[2] is a day traditionally dedicated to performing practical jokes. A person who performs a practical joke is called a practical joker.[3]
/ˈbrā/
intransitive verb
: to utter the characteristic loud harsh cry of a donkey; also : to utter a sound like a donkey's
transitive verb
: to utter or play loudly or harshly
Origin of BRAY
Middle English, from Anglo-French braire to cry, bellow, roar, from Vulgar Latin *bragere, of Celtic origin; akin to Old Irish braigid he breaks wind
First Known Use: 14th century
2 bray
transitive verb
1: to crush or grind fine <bray seeds in a mortar>
2: to spread thin <bray printing ink>
Origin of BRAY
Middle English, from Anglo-French braier, breier, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German brehhan to break — more at break
First Known Use: 14th century
1.The period of life in which a person is old and weak: "you could live here and look after me in my dotage".
2.The state of having the intellect impaired, esp. through old age; senility.
Adjective:
1.Expressing feelings of gratitude, pleasure, or approval in an unrestrained or heartfelt manner: "an effusive welcome".
2.(of igneous rock) Poured out when molten and later solidified.
1. Another word for nonsense. Or a polite way of saying something is bullshit.
2. A brand name snack food that consists of popcorn covered with caramel glaze and often has nuts such as pecans and almonds in it.
1. Pat said that aliens’ building the pyramids is poppycock.
2. Tina snuck some poppycock into the movie theater to snack on instead of buying some popcorn.
1.The action of taking legal possession of assets until a debt has been paid or other claims have been met.
2.The action of taking forcible possession of something; confiscation.
1.Holding or constituting a purely formal position or title without any real authority: "the queen is titular head of the Church of England".
2.(of a cleric) Nominally appointed to serve a diocese, abbey, or other foundation no longer in existence, and typically in fact having...
1.Contribute greatly to (a person's credit or honor): "his latest diplomatic effort will redound to his credit".
2.Come back upon; rebound on: "may his sin redound upon his head!".
1. lacking confidence in one's own ability, worth, or fitness; timid; shy.
2. restrained or reserved in manner, conduct, etc.
3. Archaic . distrustful.
/riˈdound/Verb: 1.Contribute greatly to (a person's credit or honor): "his latest diplomatic effort will redound to his credit".
2.Come back upon; rebound on: "may his sin redound upon his head!".
to strip off the skin or surface of : skin. 2. : to criticize harshly : excoriate. 3. : lash 1b <the wind whipped up to gale fury, flaying his face — Richard Kent> ...
facetious
/fəˈsēSHəs/Adjective: Treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant.
Verb:
1.Reduce the force, effect, or value of: "her intolerance was attenuated by an unexpected liberalism".
2.Reduce the amplitude of (a signal, electric current, or other oscillation).
