Cuss words get quirky cousins

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A little bit of quirk in your conversation can give you an edge over others while using insult words. Yes, it’s true if you go by the Chamber’s Dictionary, it is mentioned that observing people’s fancy to use new words, they have tried to revel in “intriguing or quirky words and phrases” that cannot be found in other dictionaries.
Words like ninny-hammer, humgriffin or jobernowl are increasingly being used by youngsters who want to “say it differently”. “Instead of saying stupid, I’d prefer using nincompoop for a fool. I just feel it makes the jab less sharp. And also the idea is to keep learning. If there’s a quest to use newer words (other than slangs), even while abusing or fighting with someone, one always discovers new ways to use a word or phrase,” says filmmaking student Ravinder Yadav, who thinks it is important in his profession to be quirky and well-versed in the latest terminology.
While Ravinder has a definite reason, some like to use difficult and incomprehensible words just for fun. Electrical engineer Prashant Sharan takes pride in using words that he knows the other person wouldn’t understand. He recalls how when a friend was once bragging about his strong vocabulary, Prashant used the word “cacafuego” to describe him. “It was hilarious as he didn’t know the meaning of that word. I think such quirky terms are perfect for these situations. This friend was getting quite boastful about his ‘knowledge’ and it was fun to shatter the myth,” quips Prashant.
Samantha Sehgal, an account manager with a media firm, loves to coin new words during conversations. “Once instead of saying ‘cheap’ to a friend, I mistakenly said peach. Since then, in my friends’ circle, I’ve been using peach instead of cheap. Because everybody knows the story behind it, its usage always triggers a laugh,” she says.
College student Vaibhav Sehgal also likes coining new words. “In my friends’ circle, we never use the common cuss words. Instead, we come up with our own versions that are not derogatory,” he says and adds that some of his friends are always on the lookout for uncommon slangs, like ninnyhammer for silly, and promptly put it to use and include it in their everyday lingo.