The Big Word Bluff


Today I was talking with friends and I referred to someone as "androgynous". It felt good when I said it, even though I wasn't 100% certain it really meant "having both male & female traits" (and, no, it wasn't self-referential). The key to pulling it off was showing complete confidence in what it meant (though I didn't have much). Since my friends had heard the word but weren't sure of its meaning, they bought my usage. It has really inspired me to intentionally misuse obscure words and see if I can get away with it. Of course, this is closely related to my dream of blaming a delay in a project on "the Coriolis Effect" in a meeting -- and getting away with it.