Overmorrow refers to the day after tomorrow and I feel like it comes in quite handy for example.

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I’m currently reading through all of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe mysteries, and one fun feature is that he almost always includes one or more very obscure words. It’s a nice little thing to look out for.

In the one I’m currently reading it’s, “peculate,” meaning to embezzle or steal money. Others include:

  • Plerophory - Fullness, especially of conviction or persuasion
  • Apodictically - From apodictic: clearly established or beyond dispute
  • Usufruct - The right to enjoy the use and advantages of another’s property short of the destruction or waste of its substance
  • Acarpous - Not producing fruit; sterile; barren
  • Yclept - By the name of
  • Eruction - A belch or burp

I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.

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I had a look to see if I could find a full list but sadly not. However most Wikipedia entries for the individual novels include a section called, “The unfamiliar word,” if you want to find more.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

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3 points

Yeah, I was thinking I might. I ly thing is, I haven’t got all the books, nor do I have a website on which to host such a list. However I might still have a go 👍

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If you start it, just put a tag that the list is incomplete and the wiki crowd will finish it.

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2 points
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Eruction - A belch or burp

There could be some wild confusion if a New Zealander were to say “I’ve got a massive eruction building up” 😆

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2 points

It’s curious to see how things merge between languages. In Spain, both usufruct (usufructo) and eruction (eructo) are quite common words.

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1 point

Oh really? That’s cool, thanks for the info. Language is so fascinating 👍

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