![]() Ah, slothfulness. Lazing about doing nothing useful. Nothing like it. Some good folks published an entire dictionary about it in 2011. Sloth - A Dictionary for the Lazy, is a part of Adams Media’s The Deadly Dictionaries series. This particular volume defines 154 pages worth of lazy-related words, interspersed with sloth-related quotations. Here are some highlights: aposiopesis – noun – (1570s) the state one is in when one stops speaking mid-sentence, either due to the inability to finish the thought, or sheer stubbornness. fainéant – noun – (1610) a lazy person or slacker. Also an adjective to describe such a person. hebetude – noun – (1620s) state of laziness or indolence. looby – noun – (1377) an awkward, lazy person or lout. shilly-shally – verb – (1703) to vacillate or be indecisive, to dawdle or waste time. somniferous – adjective – (1600) having the ability to cause sleepiness. sponger – noun – (1670s) one who allows others to provide all his/her needs, a freeloader. weltschmerz – noun – (1875) the state of being world-weary, pessimistic or apathetic. Followers, what slothful words do you appreciate? Let me know in the comments section. My thanks go out to this week’s sources the OED, Sloth – A Dictionary for the Lazy, & Etymonline (image from BetterColoring.com).
6 Comments
11/22/2019 08:25:33 am
Dearest Mr. Figler -- always good to hear from you, whether you're experiencing weltschmerz or not.
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Mylisa Larsen
11/22/2019 05:52:50 am
Lassitude and languor would go on my list.
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11/22/2019 08:26:31 am
Ha! Lassitude & Languor -- sounds like a law firm in Snoozeville. Thanks for coming by, Mylisa.
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11/22/2019 01:53:06 pm
"Hebetude" and "looby" are two words I didn't know. I think they deserve to be re-introduced to the language. I'm sure there are just as many loobys lazing around in hebetude as there were in 1377.
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11/22/2019 02:15:08 pm
Hey Miss Allen -- True. How true. I'm particularly fond of hebetude, though looby has its appeal. Thanks for coming by.
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I write for teens, narrate audio books, bake bread, play music, and ponder the wonder of words in a foggy little town on California's central coast.
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