Isn't the difference between recognition and use vast? I know what both your word and Elaine's mean, but I wouldn't use them in conversation. While writing fiction I find it hard to step beyond my 800 word functional English vocabulary. I have to consciously edit and add colourful words.
I guess that's the difference between a prole and a poet--the poet can use the vocabulary without thinking. It's what amazes me with James Joyce, that the words are so obviously being carefully picked and yet he writes
I actually recognized "dassn't" from Huckleberry Finn. I've actually used it a time or two, but when I was trying to talk colorfully rather than be understood.
I once had a young cousin (~13) chew me out for using big words he said he couldn't understand.:)
-- J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers
hmmm...my WOTD was (Score:2)
Word of the Day for Tuesday May 14, 2002:
inchoate \in-KOH-it\, adjective:
1. In an initial or early stage; just begun.
2. Imperfectly formed or formulated.
I'll raise you another SAT word (Score:1)
deracinate: To pluck up by the roots; to extirpate.
US drug policy has failed to deracinate or even stem the flow of narcotics into North America.
Re:I'll raise you another SAT word (Score:2)
I guess that's the difference between a prole and a poet--the poet can use the vocabulary without thinking. It's what amazes me with James Joyce, that the words are so obviously being carefully picked and yet he writes
Re:I'll raise you another SAT word (Score:2)
I actually recognized "dassn't" from Huckleberry Finn. I've actually used it a time or two, but when I was trying to talk colorfully rather than be understood.
I once had a young cousin (~13) chew me out for using big words he said he couldn't understand. :)
J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers