Do you have a friend like Shashi Tharoor who leaves you feeling like a linguistic underdog with their vast and obscure vocabulary? Well, don't fret! As World English Language Day approaches on April 23rd, Duolingo, the fun and free language learning app, has curated a list of funky and eccentric English words that will leave folks around you awestruck.
Get ready to join the party for World English Language Day, where we honor the birth and "earth" anniversary of the legendary playwright, William Shakespeare, and also celebrate cultural diversity and multilingualism through the use of English. Time to take your language skills to the next level and leave your friends scratching their heads in wonder with some fancy vocabulary. Here’s a list of the 10 most bizarre English words by Duolingo that will make your friends go "What the what?!" Trust us, they won't see it coming!
Persiflage - It's like taking a sassy, snooty shot at someone, but with a pinch of elegance and sophistication. Perfect for those moments when you want to throw shade, but still want to look good doing it
How to use: The two friends engaged in witty persiflage as they sipped their cocktails at the fancy bar.
Quixotic - When your imagination runs wild and you dream up big, bold plans that may be unrealistic. But hey, it's always good to aim for the stars, even if you end up landing on your face!
How to use: Despite the warnings of his friends, he pursued his quixotic dream of starting a business in a highly competitive industry with little capital and no prior experience.
Solipsistic - It's like being the only one at a party but in your head all the time. You're so sure that your thoughts and existence are the only real things, that you forget to appreciate the people and world around you. It's like living in your own little bubble of reality!
How to use: Her solipsistic worldview made it difficult for her to connect with others and understand their perspectives, as she believed that only her own mind and experiences were real.
Sartorial - All about looking sharp and dressing to impress, just like how Shashi Tharoor rocks his dapper suits
How to use: The celebrity's sartorial choices always made headlines, with fashion critics praising her impeccable taste and bold fashion statements.
Bumfuzzle - It's like that feeling you get when you listen to Shashi Tharoor speak - a delightful sense of confusion and perplexity, where you're not quite sure if you're learning something new or if you're just completely bamboozled by his grandiloquence!
How to use: When the new intern was asked to set up the office printer, he became completely bumfuzzled and had to ask for help.
Codswallop - It's a charmingly British term that means utter nonsense or gibberish. It's the perfect word to use when you want to dismiss someone's ridiculous statement, like when Shashi Tharoor uses an avalanche of complex and obscure words that leave you feeling like you need a dictionary just to understand him!
How to use: The expert dismissed the conspiracy theory as utter codswallop and presented evidence to prove it.
Lethologica - The phenomenon where your brain decides to take a coffee break right when you're about to sound like a genius, leaving you scrambling for the right word
How to use: During the interview, he experienced lethologica and struggled to recall the name of the company where he had previously worked.
Hoi polloi - A fancy way of saying "the common people" or "the masses", which makes it sound like we're all part of some fancy club, even though we're just a bunch of regular people
How to use: The luxury brand was not interested in appealing to the hoi polloi, instead, they marketed their products exclusively to the wealthy elite.
Obfuscate - It’s like putting a bunch of big words together in a sentence that sounds impressive but actually means nothing, and Mr. Shashi Tharoor is the master of this art!
How to use: The politician tried to obfuscate the issue by using convoluted language and avoiding direct answers to the reporter's questions.
Inscrutable - When something is so mysterious that even Sherlock Holmes would be scratching his head, like trying to figure out why Shashi loves using such mammoth words all the time
How to use: The detective found the suspect's motives inscrutable, as he gave no clear indication of guilt or innocence during the interrogation.
Did you know that India has the second-largest number of English speakers in the world, right after the US? But wait for it, only a tiny 10% of the population actually speaks it fluently. Crazy, right? With such a pressing need for English learning resources, it's no surprise that English tops the list of languages Indians want to learn on Duolingo.
And the best part? You can join the language learning party too! With over 100 courses in 40+ languages, Duolingo is the perfect tool to help you master new words and phrases, just like the linguistic genius, Mr. Shashi Tharoor. So why not become the talk of the town and impress your friends with your newfound vocabulary?
