# Word Search



## Xipoid (Apr 11, 2008)

For the past eternity I have searched for a number of words but to no avail. Perhaps someone here could enlighten me, share some of their own curious word elusion oddities, and whatnot.

1) _____ : (verb) To speak in a snake like manner, sinisterly and/or with ulterior motives, in a conniving, devious way.

It is quite possible there is no real word for the above concept. I would not be surprised as my brain tends to make things up and then try to lie to me about them.




Of course, what word search would be a search if it did not contain the noble quest for:

2) _____ : (verb) to have a pleasant aroma; to smell nice.


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## Misujage (Apr 11, 2008)

O.O....raspy?...thats a word right? I think so....


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## Xipoid (Apr 11, 2008)

Yes, it is.


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## Misujage (Apr 11, 2008)

Oh okay ^-^, just making sure...
Your avatar makes me feel unintelligent T-T


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## Hakumei Ookami (Apr 11, 2008)

1) To "hiss". For example, to hiss as an audience, or to hiss a threat to someone.
2) To "perfume". For example, to perfume oneself is to apply fragrance to oneself.
_Or._ To "reek". It's pragmatically negative, but has been used in positive contexts before.

As for interesting words of which I know, they're all in poetic contexts and wouldn't be used in that way in normal English. For instance, for a house to be "shod" in concrete is to have a patio or driveway without grass.


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## Xipoid (Apr 12, 2008)

Ah yes, one must be metaphorical or quite indirect in order to attempt the second definition (truth is, there is no official word in the English language). Strange how no one would think to define that given how long language has been around. It is not even a really new or complex concept either.


As for the first one, I've always felt it started with an 's', but regardless of how and where I've searched I have had no results.


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## Keaalu (Apr 12, 2008)

Xipoid said:
			
		

> As for the first one, I've always felt it started with an 's', but regardless of how and where I've searched I have had no results.



I would have said "sibilant", but then I'm not sure it has the "ulterior motives" aspect (except in the psychological aspect, where it sounds sinister? I don't know. That's probably the wrong word anyway.)


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## comidacomida (Apr 29, 2008)

Hmmm... this thread is right up my alley.  I love words and their uses.  Perhaps consider these?

1)  alluded (hinting without coming out and saying something)
     implied (akin to the above, speaking with possibly devious intent)
     circuited (ie: speaking in a round-about way... and sounds like it starts with an 's')

2)  (I'd consider this as an adj/noun, unless you can describe it as a verb in a sentence)
     aromatic (not always a positive, but usually considered to be)
     pleasing (scent)
     agreeable (scent)
     bouquet (usually implies a strong smell, but can be a nice one)
     fragrance (usually used in a positive sense)


So, as an example:
        Marcus watched as the girl's vollyball team finished their practice.  His girlfriend, Jessica was one of the lead players and nothing pleased her more than him attending her meets.  After practice, their evening would be simple enough; Marcus planned to bring her out to a movie, and then, if he was lucky, steal a kiss.  Though watching the practice was often boring, Marcus could never help but enjoy the pleasing aromatic tinge of female sweat in the gym.  
        "So..." his friend Steve spoke up for the first time that afternoon.
        "So, what?" Marcus took his eyes off the girls long enough to glance Steve's way.
        "So when are you two gonna... you know..." Steve alluded, giving him a wink.
        "Stuff it, Steve." Marcus responded, straight-arming the taller boy in the shoulder.
        "You're just pissed off because she wants to wait until she gets married before she fools around." Steve circuited.
        Marcus paused, looking at Steve, who had hit the nail right on the head.  It wasn't that Marcus hadn't thought about it on occasion, but Jessica had made it perfectly clear about her parent's views on dating and romance.
        "What can I say?" Steven offered with a grin, "I went out with her before, but I guess you have more patience."
        "Whatever." Marcus replied, scowling as Steven just laughed.  Marcus didn't think anything would get his spirits back up, but, as the girls headed off to the shower, the young man couldn't help but inhale deeply lost in the bouquet that was their mixed scents.  Jessica passed by and gave a two finger wave at him.  Two weeks ago he would have thought the action would have been stupid, but a lot of things changed in that two weeks.  He didn't miss the snicker Steve gave when he returned the finger-wave with one of his own.


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## M. LeRenard (Apr 29, 2008)

> alluded (hinting without coming out and saying something)


Can you really use this this way?  I always thought alluding and allusions implied making a reference to something.  Like, 'the presidential candidate often alludes to his former poverty during his speeches', or something like that.  Not a hint, but a direct reference.
Yes no?


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## Poetigress (Apr 29, 2008)

Allusion is an indirect reference, so it could almost go either way -- it's not something stated straight-out, but it's also more than a hint, I think.

Using "alluded" or "implied" as dialogue tags doesn't make sense to me.  You imply something, or allude _to_ something, so it sounds odd to use them as verbs with no other information, instead of using something like _"I wish things could be like they were last summer," he said, alluding to the months they'd spent at the beach house._  (Even then, it sounds awkward.)  

The word you might be looking for instead of "alluded" is "insinuated."

I admit, though, I'm a big fan of simply using "said," as elaborate dialogue tags get on my nerves.  I can deal with "replied," "asked," "responded," and other basic ones, but to use the example above, I don't know how you "circuit" something in speech.

At any rate, I think it's going to be much easier and more effective to get that kind of info across in the rest of the text and dialogue instead of trying to shoehorn it into a single verb.


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## Xipoid (Apr 29, 2008)

Poetigress said:


> Allusion is an indirect reference, so it could almost go either way -- it's not something stated straight-out, but it's also more than a hint, I think.
> 
> Using "alluded" or "implied" as dialogue tags doesn't make sense to me.  You imply something, or allude _to_ something, so it sounds odd to use them as verbs with no other information, instead of using something like _"I wish things could be like they were last summer," he said, alluding to the months they'd spent at the beach house._  (Even then, it sounds awkward.)
> 
> ...




When you said 'insinuated' it made me think of 'insinuendo'.



Anyway, I do try to keep my "said" usage to a tolerable maximum, but sometimes I always like to say something like "spat" or "sneered" to give dialog a little flavor. Sometimes writing something like


"Words words words." He said <adverb(ial) phrase/(clause)>


becomes a bit repetitive to me. Then again, I'm not really sure who would write every line in a dialog like that. Moderation seems pertinent.


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## Poetigress (Apr 29, 2008)

Keep in mind, though -- although this is getting nitpicking, there are editors who are very anal about these sorts of things -- technically, you can't sneer dialogue.  (You also can't laugh it, smile it, etc.)  While you can speak and also do those things, they're separate actions, so they need to either be after "said," or their own complete sentence.

_Correct:_

"So what?" he said, sneering (or, he said with a sneer).

"I think so."  He smiled.


_Incorrect:_

"So what?" he sneered.

"I think so," he smiled.


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## Xipoid (Apr 29, 2008)

I do not think that with a good conscience I could take my grammar nitpicking that far


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## comidacomida (Apr 30, 2008)

Poetigress is very correct on the statement.  I have certainly had my share of bad-form since I tend to favor such action-based dialogue.  Knowing how to correctly present it is the alternative.

incorrect:
"So what?" he sneered
"I think so." he laughed.

correct:
"So what?" He sneered.
"I think so." He smiled.

Dialogue does not always require a "he said" or "he spoke" or "she whimpered" afterwards... at times, dialogue can be a complete sentence right before an action; the key is to differentiate.

It also depends on publishers... some really don't mind as long as it conveys the intent.  TOR and Del Rey are notorious for having writers who use the dialogue-as-an-action "faux pas" but, as long as it makes a great story, it really doesn't matter.  I generally hold true to that mind-set.


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## thebeast76 (Jul 9, 2008)

1. reptilian, perhaps?
2. Fragrant, aromatic?


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## TakeWalker (Jul 9, 2008)

The first word that comes to my mind for the first definition is "sussurate", but like sibilance, I believe that has more to do with the quality of morphemes than the motives behind a way of talking.


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## Key Key (Aug 24, 2008)

Xipoid said:


> For the past eternity I have searched for a number of words but to no avail. Perhaps someone here could enlighten me, share some of their own curious word elusion oddities, and whatnot.
> 
> 1) _____ : (verb) To speak in a snake like manner, sinisterly and/or with ulterior motives, in a conniving, devious way.
> 
> ...





1) Seductive- devious and yet cunning as the snake
2) ferment- Only gets better with age like fine wine

or good hygiene lol


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