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Old dictionary words

R

rrlund

Well-known Member
Does anybody know any words that used to be in the dictionary that aren't anymore?

We had one here from the early 1900s that had the word "gleet" in it. It meant the clear liquid that forms in a wound before it scabs over.
We still jokingly use the word to mean the liquid that comes out of the mustard or catsup first if you don't shake the squeeze bottle. As in catsup gleet or mustard gleet.
 
Now that you mention it, always used to have a dictionary around when I was little. I'll bet I haven't seen one since I got out of college in the early seventies. Don't even have one around now.
 
Interesting thing is,spell check doesn't recognize some words anymore. It wanted to change gleet. The other day I wanted to spell check Checoslovakia. (still not sure that's right) It wanted to change it to Slovakia.
 
glad we dont use it much anymore,found this on the web:

Definition of GLEET


: a chronic inflammation (as gonorrhea) of a bodily orifice usually accompanied by an abnormal discharge; also: the discharge itself
 
That's close,saying it's a discharge. From what that old dictionary said,it looks like it was the liquid that hardened in to the scab.

Hope nobody's sitting at the keyboard eating. LOL
 
I think it is Czechoslovakia but I am not sure. I bought a 1950 or so edition of the Oxford Universal Dictionary for 37 cents in the clearance room of a used book seller in Syracuse a few years ago and have derived a lot of amusement from it. Some of the words I remember are ogygian(of or pertaining to the mythical King Ogyges; of great or obscure antiquity), Fellifluous (flowing with gall), impaludism (a morbid tendency prevalent in the inhabitants of marshy districts), banausic(proper for mechanics)(not sure what that means but that was the definition) and quaquaversal (tending to go in all directions at once). I have a piece of paper in the front of the dictionary where I have written down dozens of interesting words that I found so that I can look them up again in case I forget them.
Zach
 
Those are some good ones! I'm going to have to try to remember quaquaversal. I like that one a lot!
 
I just gone done reading a Civil War book and one of the insults tossed around was "cuffee". Looked it up but not in dictionary.
 
I still have my old dictionary from the 50's when I was in grade school. Sttil use it as I reply to these topics (maby not as often as I should} otherwise youall might think I was speaking in a language of my own. Hehe. I wish more people would pay more attention to their communication and writing skills. As much as I consult my dictionary and proof read my questions and replies I know I still make mistakes (fat fingers?) and for that I apologize. Armand
 
Quaquaversal:going indifferent directions. That sure fits me. Now I know the fancy world that best describs me but I still can't pronounce it!! Armand
 
No,but we can sure have fun spelling it and using it on here for those who don't see this post. ROFLMAO
 
If you want to make it even longer and more impressive the dictionary definition also includes quaquaversality, the quality of going in all directions at once. It is not as hard to pronounce as it looks, it is just qua twice and the versality or versal, which is the same as universal. It will get you some odd looks if used in conversation.
Zach
 
Naw,that's tridirectional,three directions. Qua,or quad is 4 ain't it? I don't know if Bontrager ever got that one past the R&D phase.
 
My take is that the launguage has changed over the years. Often thought that if we went back 3-500 years we would barely be able to understand even out great great> grandparents.
 
Hold on, according to John in la, its not qua twice. Its kwey kwah.
I still can't "ask" people questions. My kids say I "axe" them questions. Don't know why I can't pronounce it correctly.
 
There's a little three minute or so show on the radio on Sunday mornings with a linguist from University of Michigan. She says either is actually correct,they just have different origins.
Same thing with Espresso or Expresso. Says espresso is the Spanish version,expresso is of English origin.
 
I must be really mixed up because I'm mostly German heritage. Go figger. I mean figure. LOL
I have a brother named Chad. My Gramps always called him Shad.
 
Ya,same with Swedish I guess. One of Thoger's son's name is Nels,pronounced Nils.
Another one is Stephen,pronounces Staphen.
 
(quoted from post at 11:29:55 02/24/13) qua·qua·ver·sal
[kwey-kwuh-vur-suhl] Show IPA

adjective
(of a geological formation) sloping downward from the center in all directions.


No wonder I have never heard of that word. We call that a hill.
Click to expand...

Interesting...

I found another definition:

In astronomy: dipping towards a centre in all directions


Here is another old word: Troglodyte
 
Didn't you see that experimental one? It had a 360* swivel seat with a steering wheel,fastened to it, similar to the cab on that new fandangled tator digger.
Loren
 
Missed that. I'll bet the pictures of that one are even harder to come by than the old TriDi.
 
And around here we have Thorsons, Nelsons, Nilsons, Stephensons and Larsons.
Would you consider them to be Nors or of Vicking descent? Oh, and lots of Petersons. Not sure if Peterson is Norweigen or Svedish.
My son goes to college with a kid with the given name Thor.
 
Nebraska Kirk sez "Here is another old word: Troglodyte"

If you figure out what that word means, let me know. I think that's what MikeWA called me the other day, and I don't know whether to be mad at him or not.

Paul
 
That reminds me - in the Mississippi bottoms, not far from me, there's a lot of old German farmers. They call one another Shermans, instead of Germans.
 
I can still remember when gay meant you were happy, queer meant odd or unusual and entertainers didn't have to use the f word 3 times in every sentence to be funny. Find some old Bob and Ray recordings or watch Red Skelton or Carol Burnett.

Times have changed, and not for the better.
 
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