Comments on: Do You Know These 100 Words?

By: Lyly

Lyly — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:59:00 +0000

I just graduated High School about 4 weeks ago, and I knew just 78 of them.
Many of the words are all but useless in normal conversation and some seem to be highly specific words to which a more common, but equally appropriate, alternative term exists.

By: Kingreaper

Kingreaper — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:11:34 +0000

I didn’t know three of these words (I’m 18, and just finished Sixth Form, so roughly equivelant to a high-school graduate)

abrogate
abstemious
&
jejune

I half-remembered the meanings of abrogate and abstemious, but jejune is a word I have never seen before.

I used to read a lot, but I suspect there is a reason I never encountered “jejune”: Jejune has many many synonyms that would cover almost any use, and don’t force the reader to reach for a dictionary (ie. hollow, shallow, worthless, illusory, empty etc.). Thus, unlike “abstemious” (the closest word to which [abstinent] has a rather major secondary meaning attached) it has no real purpose in anything other than poetry (where absolute precision of meaning, and words that fit rhyme rhythm and tone, are often more important than ease of understanding)

Well, it has two uses, poetry and trying to pretend you’re saying something far deeper than you actually are.

By: Jim Field

Jim Field — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:19:00 +0000

I feel that some of these words are representative of an elitest, snobby subculture.

I propose two additions: quantum & epicentre. They should be included because they are so much misused in the press.

A good craftsman knows how to use his tools properly. Words are part of the scholar’s toolbox.

By: Markzz

Markzz — Sat, 23 Jun 2007 18:16:13 +0000

Kate said, “Wow. I just graduated with an honors BA in English, and don’t know about 25% of those words (maybe less)”
That should be ‘fewer’, not ‘less’.

By: joe

joe — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:52:53 +0000

i knew about 36 of these words and i am only 13 so :P

By: Buffy

Buffy — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:36:03 +0000

I just want to read a short story with all the words in the list used. Anyone up for it?

By: Bart

Bart — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:53:21 +0000

Dutch born and raised, english is my second language, I have a PhD in medicine and occasionally do professional translation work. I knew 96 (not inculcate, abrogate, feckless, en jejune).

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 02:55:07 +0000

I knew 90 of them…

As a recent graduate (20 days ago), I think that’s pretty damn good.

By: John

John — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:38:54 +0000

Why should every high school graduate know these words? Many of them are quite useless outside of very specific circumstances yet many important words are absent.

By: Nada

Nada — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 10:57:11 +0000

I knew 60.
I could guess the root of some correctly.
I am not a native speaker of English, so I don’t think I’m that bad.
But some are focused on scientific subjects or business related words which not all students take.