Obscure Canwest Canspell Words

dumpthemonarchy

House Member
Jan 18, 2005
4,235
14
38
Vancouver
www.cynicsunlimited.com
So, I'm reading in the Sun newspaper the word of the day for the Canwest Canspell spelling bee they have across Canada. The word today is "resile", means to draw back, spring back, retract, recede. On google.ca it gets 127,000 hits. This is an obscure word.

Here's an idea, use short words that are more common. To add a challenge, ask the spellers what the word means. There are words like cog, cub, wag, coy, gel, gig, abet, acid, clog, craw that all get well over 1 million hits on google.

Why students memorize essentially useless words for these spelling bees seems like a waste to me.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
So, I'm reading in the Sun newspaper the word of the day for the Canwest Canspell spelling bee they have across Canada. The word today is "resile", means to draw back, spring back, retract, recede. On google.ca it gets 127,000 hits. This is an obscure word.

Here's an idea, use short words that are more common. To add a challenge, ask the spellers what the word means. There are words like cog, cub, wag, coy, gel, gig, abet, acid, clog, craw that all get well over 1 million hits on google.

Why students memorize essentially useless words for these spelling bees seems like a waste to me.

Talking of obscure words, I came across one just the other day, 'berm'.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
lol
Gadzooks, what an odd thread! :D
BTW, berms are used in construction, mining, etc.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
Talking of obscure words, I came across one just the other day, 'berm'.

Not at all, S.J. although the word is one that is common to select professions, doctors, dentists, chefs would probably never have an occasion to use the word, but it is very common with in engineering, road construction, or possibly stream rehabillitation- it is merely an earth wall and quite often used for noise attenuation.
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
5,875
43
48
Vancouver, BC
I was once torn apart on another forum for using the word ‘prorogue’ (because apparently using the only word that exists for what it means is pompass and arrogant), I wonder if it’s on their list.
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
lol
Gadzooks, what an odd thread! :D
BTW, berms are used in construction, mining, etc.

This could be interesting, Anna and might enhance your vocabulary. Much more interesting than Obama, Harper and the skulduggery going on in Ottawa and Washington. All this white collar crime gets rather monotonous after awhile. :lol:
 

JLM

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 27, 2008
75,301
547
113
Vernon, B.C.
I was once torn apart on another forum for using the word ‘prorogue’ (because apparently using the only word that exists for what it means is pompass and arrogant), I wonder if it’s on their list.

For pomposity I find it's words like "utilize" that takes the cake, a seven letter word meaning exactly and no more than the three letter word, I use every day.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
This could be interesting, Anna and might enhance your vocabulary. Much more interesting than Obama, Harper and the skulduggery going on in Ottawa and Washington. All this white collar crime gets rather monotonous after awhile. :lol:
lol I have too many words in my wheelbarrow as it is. I know that's a fact because sometimes I can't find the word I am looking for. It fell out back on the path somewhere and then I have to go find it. Languages are so inconvenient. It'd be much better if all we needed to do is tote the alphabet around and make up words on the spot. Then all we'd need is a universal translator to be able to communicate amongst ourselves.
 

AnnaG

Hall of Fame Member
Jul 5, 2009
17,507
117
63
What about someone who can use ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’ correctly in context? :lol:
Gawd. That's an old word. :D Well, if Canada ever does the communist thing and refuses to recognize the various established religions, I am sure that there will be a few objections. lol
 

aman12

New Member
Feb 22, 2009
48
0
6
Hay River,NT
Interesting that Canwest did not let our school register because we were in the NWT. they claim to be national but the north does not count.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
Not at all, S.J. although the word is one that is common to select professions, doctors, dentists, chefs would probably never have an occasion to use the word, but it is very common with in engineering, road construction, or possibly stream rehabillitation- it is merely an earth wall and quite often used for noise attenuation.

Quite so, JLM. Many of the trade words are known mostly to the people involved in the trade, and are obscure for the rest of the public. Berm is such an obscure word.

Indeed, there are many obscure words in sciences. One of my favorites is polytetrafluoroethylene. It is commonly known as Teflon.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
I was once torn apart on another forum for using the word ‘prorogue’ (because apparently using the only word that exists for what it means is pompass and arrogant), I wonder if it’s on their list.

Again, that is not an obscure word, anybody who follows politics to any extent should be familiar with it (or with ‘sine die’). And you were called pompass and arrogant for using it? Well, wear it as a compliment, a badge of honour, I do.
 

DurkaDurka

Internet Lawyer
Mar 15, 2006
10,385
129
63
Toronto
Again, that is not an obscure word, anybody who follows politics to any extent should be familiar with it (or with ‘sine die’). And you were called pompass and arrogant for using it? Well, wear it as a compliment, a badge of honour, I do.

It is somewhat of an obscure word though, I don't think I have ever heard someone actually use that word in conversation other then a newscaster.

Most people would come off as a pompous douche bag if they used that word on even a semi-regular basis.
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
I was once torn apart on another forum for using the word ‘prorogue’ (because apparently using the only word that exists for what it means is pompass and arrogant), I wonder if it’s on their list.


I remember on Canada.com forum I once used the word ‘internecine’ (it means mutually destructive). One poster actually thanked me for using it. He didn’t know the word, he had to look it up in the dictionary and he was happy to learn a new word.

Another time I used the word ‘shellacking’. A poster wondered how I ever managed to learn the word, according to him, it was a very obscure word. But nobody has called me arrogant for using a less known word (not that it would make any difference to me if anybody did).
 

SirJosephPorter

Time Out
Nov 7, 2008
11,956
56
48
Ontario
It is somewhat of an obscure word though, I don't think I have ever heard someone actually use that word in conversation other then a newscaster.

Most people would come off as a pompous douche bag if they used that word on even a semi-regular basis.

Then I suppose you have never heard of 'sine die' either?