Tag Archives: English language

People who Capitalize random Words for no Reason.

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randomcapitalwords

I’ve noticed something a lot of people do on social media: capitalizing random words.   There doesn’t seem to be a reason for these words to be capitalized since they are not proper names, place names, or titles.   The people who write sentences containing randomly capitalized words seem educated and intelligent otherwise, so I wonder if it’s just some new Meme or trend that’s circulating the web.  (See what I did there?)

Many people find the random capitalization annoying, and I can understand why, especially if you’re one of those sticklers for grammar (the politically incorrect term is Grammar Nazis).    I appreciate good grammar, but I don’t consider myself a grammar nazi.    When it comes to these Randomly capitalized Words, I find it amusing, even hilarious. I really don’t know why.   Perhaps it’s the silliness of capitalizing an Unimportant Word that I find so incongruous and therefore funny.   After all, humor always arises from the unexpected.

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Examples I have seen lately:

My weimeraner* dog tried to eat my Cat.

The Russian Mob that has overtaken the white house* needs to be rounded up and sent to Siberia.   (*aside here:  another thing I’ve noticed is people NOT capitalizing words that SHOULD be capitalized, and that seems deliberate too).

My therapist tried to put me on Crazy Pills but I refused and walked out.   (is ‘Crazy Pills’ a new brand name? Should I ask my Doctor if they are right for me?)

My wife just purchased a Shit ton of new Throw Pillows.  What are they good for, except throwing around because they’re always in the way.

I don’t understand why so many people want to act like Sociopaths, like it’s Cool or something?

I have to admit, I’ve been Guilty of capitalizing Random words myself, just because I think it’s Funny and I always wonder if anyone will Notice.

Here’s a thread from the Straight Dope Message Board that delves more deeply into the phenomenon:

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=355786

How do you feel about people capitalizing random words?

Word of the week: Deckle.

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deckle

Deckle is also a word for the actual ridges or edges on the sides of the paper, according to a paper and plastics Twitter account.

Word of the week: mammothrept.

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nellie

I decided to bring back my Word of the Week series. Here’s an obsolete one that’s especially appropriate for Christmas, because according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it literally means “spoiled child.” That’s the kid that will get a bag of coal from Santa!

Origin and Etymology of mammothrept:
Greek mammothreptos child brought up by his grandmother, from mammē mother, grandmother + -o- + threptos, verbal of trephein to bring up, nourish

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mammothrept

Try using that one in a sentence!

Shimmer.

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shimmer

Someone on another site I’ve recently become active on commented about the word “limerence,” explaining that it’s a better word than “infatuation” (which means the same thing) because “limerence” shimmers while “infatuation” sounds more like a disease involving the fat cells.

I agree wholeheartedly, and started thinking about the word shimmer. I think it’s probably one of the most beautiful words in the English language, or maybe any language. It evokes something ethereal, intangible, and almost dreamlike, but also of a delicate and fleeting nature, giving way to wistful nostalgia. In simpler terms, shimmer…shimmers. It sparkles and fades.

shimmer

*****

One of my favorite songs of is Fuel’s post-grunge hit Shimmer. This song may never make anyone’s “Best Music of the Late Twentieth Century” list, but it’s always haunted me and been one of my favorites, and I think the title has something to do with that.

Word of the week: Calumniate.

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calumniate

A big thank you to Linda Lee for suggesting this word.

Word of the week: Doryphore

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Doryphores seem to be everywhere.  I hope I’m not one!

doryphore

Word of the Week: Borborygmus

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Bet you thought I forgot about this week’s word, didn’t you?

Both this week’s and last week’s words were a bit on the TMI side, but there’s something inherently funny about long and pretentious words for base things like bodily functions or parts of the body normally kept away from public view.  So, without further ado, here is this week’s selection:

 

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borborygmus2

 

Word of the week: Callipygian

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I challenge you to try to use this one in conversation!  😉

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callipygean2

Word of the week: Perspicacious

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If you like “hundred dollar words,” then perspicacious definitely fits that category.   I have a better than average working vocabulary, but I have to admit I had to look this one up to learn its definition.

When my therapist used it in our session this week (referring to me!), I felt like a big dummy because I had no idea what it meant.  I asked him for a pen so I could write the word down to remind myself to use it as this week’s featured word.   I was surprised that I actually spelled it correctly.   It’s a good word to use in conversation if you want to sound either really pretentious or really smart perspicacious.

perspicacious

The most obnoxious thing you can say

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idontwannahearit

“There but for the grace of God go I.”

My blood boils every time I hear those words. Now, you may be thinking, why would someone get upset about that? It’s meant to be kind, to assure someone it could have just as easily been you the bad thing happened to. Surely there are much worse things you could say.

See, I don’t hear it that way, even if that’s how it’s meant. What I hear is smarmy, self-righteous judgment. By uttering that phrase, you are in effect saying, “God must like me more than he likes you” (which means I’m better and have higher moral standards than you). It’s like saying, “I’m going to heaven and you’re not, nyah nyah,” only even more obnoxious because it’s less direct than that. Wrong headed or not, that’s the way I hear it, and that’s why I fly into a rage if someone says it to me. So just don’t.