Words

I love words. I love reading them, writing them and playing around with them. Most of all I love unusual words. Especially unusual words that mean exactly what they sound like they should mean. If you see what I mean.

I found one such word the other day - 'spatterdash'. I'd never heard of it, yet I wear a pair of spatterdashes every time I go walking in the muddy hills nearby. What are they? They are those things that weird walkers like me wear between their walking boots and their knee joints - like upside-down shorts but without the crotch - obviously, else walkers everywhere would be lying face-down in the mud. According to the dictionary they are 'cloth or other legging to protect stocking etc from mud etc.' In practical terms they are pieces of material that you tie or zip over the top of the lower half of your trousers, which prevents mud splashing up your calves, which, in turn, saves you having to wash your trousers every time you go walking. Which, to my mind at least, is exactly what the word 'spatterdash' conjures up - the mud spatters but is dashed - gorgeous. (Possibly not what the originator of such a word had in mind, but it works for me.)

So, what's your favourite, unusual word, and why?