Having just finished those twenty words for Jane Eyre, my Linguist senses started to tingle. One thing I've always loved about older books is the vast vacab they have. Usually. I always learn something new.
From the same language that used such words as "lugubrious" (mournful, dismal, gloomy), "anathematized" (To denounce; curse), salubrious" (wholesome; conducive or favorable to health), and "spoony" (foolish; silly), we also get a wonderful array today, such as "swot" (to study intensely for exams), "snog" (a long kiss, often used by teenagers), "gobsmacked" (to be surprised), and "moose" (unpleasant, boring; an ugly person).
I love slang. And swear words. One of the first things I go to when learning a new language is just that. There have been some hilarious ones--one of my faves was along the lines of "in the resturant", which was used in a language without its own native swears as a substitute for the "F" word. Blimey.
Do you have any fun slang to share?
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