English has plenty of strange and wonderful words, from albertopolis to zopissa. Here are 15 crazy and weird words in the English dictionary, what they mean, and how you might use them.
English is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, and it contains countless words that many people find strange or wacky. You may have heard of some of the words below, or wondered about them.
You may look at some of them and think that you will never use them, but there are others that you could. Either way, they are worth knowing. Learning weird and crazy words expands your vocabulary, and it gives you the option to use them one day, or all the time, when you want to have fun with English. The more you know about the language, the more confident you become. And words can be fun: they can make you enjoy learning without feeling as though you are studying at all.
Albertopolis
You will not hear this word much outside Britain, but it is a real one. Albertopolis is a nickname for the area of South Kensington in London that is home to a group of museums and other cultural institutions. It is named after Prince Albert, who helped create it.
Agastopia
This is one word whose meaning you would never guess. Agastopia is so rare that you will find it in lists of unusual words rather than in most dictionaries. Believe it or not, it means admiring a particular part of someone's body, your own or someone else's.
You may also enjoy reading about commonly misused words and how to use them correctly.
Bandoline
Bandoline has to do with hair care, but it is probably a word you won't hear your hairdresser or barber use any time soon. It is a sticky preparation, traditionally made from quince seeds, used to gloss, smooth, or set the hair.
Bumbo
Here's one you may have some fun with at your next party. Bumbo is an old name for an alcoholic drink, usually made with rum or gin, water, and sugar. Sometimes spices such as nutmeg are added for flavor.
Cacophony
The next time someone makes a lot of really annoying noise, you can say they are making a cacophony. A cacophony is a harsh mixture of unpleasant sounds, such as squealing, screeching, or screaming.
Camisado
Camisado is an old word for a military attack carried out at night. It comes from the old Spanish word camisada, from camisa, "shirt". The name is said to come from the shirts that attackers wore over their armor so that they could recognize each other in the dark.
Curmudgeon
Do you have a grumpy or bad-tempered friend? Do you know someone who is difficult, mean, or surly? Then chances are you know a curmudgeon, because that is what you call someone who behaves that way.
Hullabaloo
Here's a fun-sounding word you may want to use soon. A hullabaloo is a commotion, an uproar, or a lot of noise. It is often what you get when two people argue loudly with each other. Do yourself a favor and avoid hullabaloos at all costs.
Jumentous
Here is another word that means something very different from what it looks or sounds like. Jumentous describes a strong animal smell, especially one like that of horse urine. It comes from the Latin jumentum, a beast of burden.
Kerfuffle
Kerfuffle is especially common in British English. It means a commotion, a fuss, or a squabble, most often between people who disagree with each other. So be nice, and avoid a kerfuffle with anyone.
Lollygag
If you know someone who loves to spend their time doing nothing, you know someone who likes to lollygag. To lollygag is to waste time, laze about, and dawdle as much as possible. Such a person is a lollygagger. Telling someone to "stop lollygagging" sounds great, doesn't it?
Mollitious
Mollitious is a rare word for something or someone luxurious or sensuous. It can also describe someone who is self-indulgent.
Tittynope
When you don't eat all of your food and leave a little, what you leave is a tittynope: a small quantity of food left over on a plate. It can also mean the dregs at the bottom of a cup. The next time you're at a restaurant, you can tell your server that you will take your tittynope home with you.
Winklepicker
No, a winklepicker is not a person who picks winkles, the small sea snails. It is a style of shoe or boot that was popular in Britain in the 1950s and 1960s, with a long, sharply pointed toe. The name comes from the pin used to pick winkles out of their shells. Whatever you do, make sure you don't get kicked by someone wearing winklepickers.
Check out how bad grammar can cost you your next date.
Zopissa
Sorry, zopissa has nothing to do with pizza. It is an old medicine made from tar and wax scraped from the sides of ships, soaked in salt water, believe it or not.
Use them with care
Rare words like these are missing from many dictionaries, so a spell checker may mark them as unknown even when you have spelled them correctly. Here is how to train your online spell checker to accept the words you choose. And if you enjoyed this list, try these 20 words you should start using now.