Hebdomad: is there anywhere a more ungainly camel of a word than this?
There's really no excuse for using this one: only irretrievably pompous people even know the meaning of the word hebdomad.
Owwwwwwwwwww!
(That was the sound of someone shooting himself in the foot. Unfortunately, it was me.)
Ah well, it's too late now. It really wasn't my fault. I was romping quite happily through a dictionary and then I went and fell over this monstrosity.
Still, I hereby vow never to use it, not even in anger.
I think that lets me off.
Word Not To Use Today: hebdomad. This ghastly word means week. It used to mean seven, or a group of seven: Snow White and the Hebdomad Dwarfs, Lucky Hebdomad, that sort of thing.
The Hebdomadal Council rules Oxford University, so I suppose we'll have to allow that one* as it's stonily traditional.
*How many Oxford Professors does it take to change a lightbulb?
Change?
That's an ace joke there at the end. This word is one I've never written in my entire life. Nor do I intend to start now....
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