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The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.



Sunday 29 November 2015

Sunday Rest: sextuplicate. Word Not To Use Today.

Long words can be lovely and luxurious and fun. They can be diamonds on the tongue, matches struck unexpectedly in the dark, shooting stars in the drear darkness.

On the other hand, however, sometimes long words are the lead shot in the breast of the pheasant, the poo on the pavement, or the traffic hump on the way home.

Such a one is sextuplicate.

The only reason anyone would use the word sextuplicate would be to show off. Or possibly to make a member of the opposite sex feel uncomfortable.

It's both pompous and obvious. And horrid. Using it will make people hate you.

But then, if you're the sort of person who even think of using the word sextuplicate, they probably do already.

Word Not To Use Today: sextuplicate. This word is a 1900s mixture of sextuple and duplicate. 

Worse things happened in the 1900s, I admit, but there was really no need at all to add to them.



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