Pretentious (or "SAT words") you use in conversation

Data imo

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Once we’ve finished operationalizing our machine-learned insights we’ll enjoy how it accentuates our bottom line!

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Obligatory (means, I have to type it): “Those are perfectly cromulent words.”

I once used ‘flagon’ and my friends, both have law degrees, thought I made the word up. :frowning:

I like penultimate. Anthropomorphize. Peripatetic (thank you Calvin and Hobbes). Perambulate.

I try to find the right word. No two words mean exactly the same thing; why have two words, it’s inefficient. I try to use precise words when I can. Not all the time, but a lot of the time.

Honestly, if I haven’t seen a word used in spoken English at my age, I’m seeing the word as obsolete and no longer relevant.

Depends on who you hang around with, or what types of programs you watch, I guess.

Not a “college” word so to speak, but I like using pristine. A lot of people think it means neat and clean. While it really means untouched in it’s natural state or unspoilt.

Near us is a closed down golf course. It’s now overgrown. I mentioned to someone one time that it’s getting back to a pristine condition. My acquaintance said : “I’d say the opposite. it’s all overgrown and shit.”

Ironically it basically describes itself.

I love this one and have used it in spoken and written English. I was confused when I first encountered it in a book somewhere in high school and then realized “ohhhhh, that’s what it is.”

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as opposed to succinct

I have had to explain the words circuitous and penultimate before … to (different) actuaries. I didn’t realize either was particularly obscure, but :woman_shrugging:

My ex-husband thought that “peruse” meant the opposite of what it actually means. I was really confused for a few minutes until I realized what the problem was.

Perhaps banal is a little trite.

You know who uses the word “penultimate” a TON? Cycling commentators. Watching the Tour de France or other televised bike races it seems like they’re always talking about the penultimate climb… which is the especially tricky one. Because the riders have to save something for the final climb, but if they have the legs it’s often where they can “attack” other riders by upping the pace and then if the other rider runs out of steam on the final climb and you don’t… you beat them.

Anyway, it seems like every mountain stage they’re talking about the penultimate climb.

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Used to need to know this word for the CAS exam that covered the annual statement

I’ve heard it in swimming too. Penultimate lap. Outside of sports context I don’t think I’ve heard it in the wild.

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Don’t know 1-3. Didn’t think 4-5 were all that obscure. 6-7 I know but can see they are a little more obscure.

Additionally in the TDF, the penultimate stage is the last chance for any change in the GC (the overall lead) because the last stage is just riders drinking champagne, doing balancing acts where the whole team takes their hands off their handlebars and puts arms around each others shoulders, riding leisurely past Parisian landmarks and then a quick little sprint at the end on the Champs d’Elysee.

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Although, PSA, it is important to know your audience.

I once worked closely with an immigrant who sometimes struggled with simpler words like “document” and I can’t blame them for it, being ESL. Smart person, poor English. When they were on an email I tried to restrict it to simpler English even if it took more words. No need to give them stress or have them confused.

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How about these antepenultibellum shoes?

Ambivalent is a word a lot of people use, but few use correctly. The word was even discussed in that one movie with Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder.

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I went through a (bad) writing phase in high school and early college where I tried to replace as many normal words as possible with words from a thesaurus. Completely pretentious and superfluous, but I learned some good words, most I still don’t use.