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Sunday 2 June 2013

Sunday Rest: Word Not To Use Today: usufruct.

Well, this is a word of two halves. Unfortunately both of them are horrible.

We kick off with usu, which sounds like a frilly skirt worn exclusively for going out to get drunk, and then dive into fruct, which sounds like the reaction of a maiden aunt to the sight of someone wearing a usu.

She saw me in my usu, right, and she was well fruct.

Now, if only usufruct did mean something as interesting as that then it wouldn't be so bad, but the word usufruct is not only nasty and ridiculous, but boring, too.

A usufruct allows one to use a property not one's own, and to make money from it, as long as the property itself isn't diminished.

It's okay, you can wake up, now.

Really.

Because I'm certainly not going to use the word usufruct any more after this.

Word Not To Use Today: usufruct. This word arrived in the 1600s from the Late Latin ūsūfrūctus, from ūsus, use, and frūctus enjoyment.

1 comment:

  1. Me neither! Will make strenuous effort not to use this ever. Have managed not to for nearly 7 decades.

    ReplyDelete

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