On the Most Miserable Words In the English Language

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NO, seriously, folks. There are some SERIOUSLY nasty words out there. For real! You know...the ones that make you cringe just a bit ev-er-y sin-gle time you hear them spo-ken. It's frightening! I hate them! I really and truly hate them!

What are these words, you ask? Well...I suppose they would be different for everyone. I mean, one man's horrible cringe-inducing word, may just be music in the ears of another.

Another seriously psychotic serial killer, perhaps.

No, really. I mean that. There is NO WAY that any normal, well adjusted person could actually like these words. I can understand not hating them, but liking them is simply not an option. For reals.

Thus we begin with one of the worst.

MOIST

BLECH!!!! It's hard to even TYPE that horrible, yucky, icky, terrible word! Just LOOK at it! No...I mean REALLY LOOK at it. It's ugly. Hideous even.

Understand that I am actually a HUGE FAN of the printed word. My home is filled with stacks and stacks of books, magazines, interesting packaging, fascinating little things that have great fonts, lettering, and interesting print. I love it. HOWEVER...this word simply does NOT count! It's hideous. Plain and simple.

Where does it even COME from? Actually.... let's answer that question:

moist

c.1374, from O.Fr. moiste "damp," from V.L. *muscidus "moldy," also "wet," from L. mucidus "slimy, moldy, musty," from mucus "slime" (see mucus). Alternate etymology is from L. musteus "fresh, green, new," lit. "like new wine," from musteum "new wine" (see must (n.1)). If this wasn't the source, it influenced the form of the other word in O.Fr. Moisture is attested from 1366. (from Online Etymology Dictionary)

Okay. So are you with me now?! Seriously, guys. That is the most disgusting description of a word and it's source I have ever read! "MUSTEUS!!!" WHAT???? Yuck! Pure, unadulterated YUCK!!! Moist is a horrible word.

Actually, I recently found out that I am not alone in this. Apparently 'moist' is one of the most hated words in the English language! HA! Who knew?! I'm either not all that crazy or there are enough equally crazy people out there to negate the insanity and make us all 'normal.'

But this one.... I may be alone on this one.

NUGGET

Ewwwwww!!!! There is just something simply horrifying about this word. Yes, it has a source, but it's not nearly as glamorous as the source for moist. Here you go:

nugget

1852, "lump of gold," probably from southwestern England dialectal nug "lump," of unknown origin. Another theory is that it is a misdivision of an ingot. Transf. sense is from 1859. (From the Online Etymology Dictionary)

Lump. Seriously? That's where this grotesque word is derived? Okay! That settles it. I am TOTALLY right on this one! It's a nasty word and nobody should ever use it again! Especially to describe FOOD!!! (Which, as you know, is it's most common usage thanks to McDonald's.) Do you want a LUMP of meat on your plate?

Yeah. I didn't think so. So WHY do we continue to employ usage of this word? Stop. Just stop. Please.

I could go on for days on these! Seriously! The thing is, there is one more that I have to mention because, if I'm honest it is the SINGLE word in the English language that I am actually offended by.

Mind you, I am not an easily offended person. I don't often use the real exclamatory remarks rather than the ridiculous substitutions like "Freaking, Shoot, and Darn!" (Sorry, Mom.) But. The fact is that, as stated above, I love language! Why on EARTH would we want to limit ourselves when the language is already so limited on it's own? I think that words are useful and to use impostors is quite simply NOT making use of this glorious language! So, I use it. I'm not offended by 'swears,' cusses,' or whatever it is that your grandmother calls them. Nope. Use 'em. I'm fine with that. In fact...I actually ENCOURAGE you to use them. Now...I feel as though they should not be used in excess and they should only be used in proper context, but that's another post. The thing is... there is one of those words ....
....a single 'curse word.'

... just one.

That I must ask you never to use EVER IN YOUR WHOLE LIFE!!!! Why? Because I hate it. Even though I'm not easily offended, I find that this is the single most disgusting word in our language. (Did I say that about Moist already? Hmmm... Well... if you use these two together you will CERTAINLY have the single most disgusting PHRASE in the English language!!! That, my friends, is FOR SURE!!!)

What is that word? Well, you see, it's easy for me to talk about it, but not so easy for me to actually TYPE it! I can't do it.

So, I leave you with this: C**T

There might be the first two letters of my previously mentioned yucky word in the middle. Just say'n.

AAAAAAAACCCKKKK!!!!!! GAH! I HATE HATE HATE that word! With a passion! At least this one gets credit for being horrible in the dictionary, as it is usually immediately followed by the words: "Sometimes considered vulgar."

SOMETIMES??????

ALL THE TIME, folks.... ALL. OF. THE. TIME!

Do you want to know the source? Okay....here it is....edited slightly for the sake of my stomach:

c**t

"female intercrural foramen," or, as some 18c. writers refer to it, "the monosyllable," M.E. c**te "female genitalia," akin to O.N. k**ta, from P.Gmc. *k**ton, of uncertain origin. Some suggest a link with L. cuneus "wedge," others to PIE base *geu- "hollow place," still others to PIE *gwen-, root of queen and Gk. gyne "woman." The form is similar to L. c**nus "female pudenda," which is likewise of disputed origin, perhaps lit. "gash, slit," from PIE *sker- "to cut," or lit. "sheath," from PIE *kut-no-, from base *(s)keu- "to conceal, hide." First known reference in Eng. is said to be c.1230 Oxford or London street name Gropec**tlane, presumably a haunt of prostitutes. Avoided in public speech since 15c.; considered obscene since 17c. Du. cognate de kont means "a bottom, an arse." Du. also has attractive poetic slang ways of expressing this part, such as liefdesgrot, lit. "cave of love," and vleesroos "rose of flesh." Alternate form cunny is attested from c.1720 but is certainly much earlier and forced a change in the pronunciation of coney (q.v.), but it was good for a pun while coney was still the common word for "rabbit": "A pox upon your Christian cockatrices! They cry, like poulterers' wives, 'No money, no coney.' " [Massinger, 1622] (from the Online Etymology Dictionary - replace ** with "un")

Okay. So, I have to admit, that it DOES have a pretty fascinating origin, but STILL! I hate it. I always will. It should be slashed for the tomes of all written word. Yuck. Although....the part about the 'cave of love' is down right hilarious!!! LOL!

So, there you have it. The three WORST words in the English language according to Jingle. Someday, I will have to compose a post about the most WONDERFUL words in the English language. Although...this one is pretty long and it is about only three words! There are lots of fun words out there!!!!

So tell me...what word to YOU simply despise? What word do you LOVE? Tell me about it!

P.S. Don't go to Google Images and type in the word Moist. Just say'n. You've been warned!