A Celebration
of Slothfulness
Ah,
slothfulness.
Lazing
about doing nothing useful.
Nothing
like it.
Some
good folks published an entire dictionary about it in 2011. Sloth - A Dictionary for the Lazy,
is a part of Adams Media’s The Deadly
Dictionaries series. This particular volume defines 154 pages worth of
lazy-related words, interspersed with sloth-related quotations. Here are some
highlights:
aposiopesis – noun – (1570s) the state one is in when one stops speaking
mid-sentence, either due to the inability to finish the thought, or sheer
stubbornness.
fainéant – noun – (1610) a lazy person or slacker. Also an adjective to describe
such a person.
hebetude – noun – (1620s) state of laziness or indolence.
looby – noun – (1377) an awkward, lazy person or lout.
shilly-shally – verb – (1703) to vacillate or be indecisive, to dawdle or waste time.
somniferous – adjective – (1600) having the ability to cause sleepiness.
sponger – noun – (1670s) one who allows others to provide all his/her needs, a
freeloader.
troglodyte – noun – (1550s) though this term was originally used to label
prehistoric cave-dweller, it is now used pejoratively toward an uncouth,
unmannered, or unmotivated individual.
wastrel – noun – (1847) an insulting word used to label a person who is
wasteful or lazy.
weltschmerz – noun – (1875) the state of being world-weary, pessimistic or
apathetic.
Followers, what slothful words do you
appreciate?
This sure is weather for hebetude. I think I'll sign up to be a faineant! Fun words--and a number are totally new to me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Anne,
DeleteThanks so much. I'm feeling a bit hebetudinous myself. In fact, it's my state of loobinosity that inspired this post.
All those times I've stopped speaking mid-sentence...I was experiencing aposiopesis. Who knew! And since I get to choose, I think I will choose sheer stubbornness as the reason. Not my slowly dying brain cells. I've never heard most of these wonderful words. I want to use them in non-hebetudeinous sentences!
ReplyDeleteHey Christine,
DeleteI completely understa....
Aposiopesis-afflicted Unite!