Friday 30 March 2012

Jumentous


Just a quick one today: jumentous. Jumentous is a nice-sounding word. If you call somebody jumentous they might even thank you. However, it means resembling horse urine. So your challenge for the weekend, dear reader, is to use the word jumentous and get away with it.

It comes, incidentally, from jument, which means beast of burden.

8 comments:

  1. New Kid on the Block30 March 2012 at 15:29

    Well, articles like this make you realize that urine a great companion!! LoL :-)
    Personally, I find the weekend challenge a triviality. Anyone can mix-up in “La Curva Nord”in Turin,Italy and shout “FORZA JUMENTUS!!” No one will notice the slight difference among such happiness…
    By the way Mark, is it Jumentus (like Juventus / You Ventus) or like Juan Carlos of Spain?
    (I suppose “July” is out of the question).
    Thanks in advance for your answer, and keep up the inspiriting and educational (always salted with your great sense of humor) work.

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  2. It's like July or June or juice.

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  3. New Kid on the Block30 March 2012 at 16:19

    Thanks a lot Mark!
    (so long for my "good" hypothesis...):-)

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  4. isn't "jument" from the french for "mare"? I'm a bit confused by the beast of burden bit... (or did you just fancy a bit of the Stones?)

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  5. I will definately incorporate this word down my local pub at the weekend - the only problem will be which of the beers to ascribe it to...

    Laurie -

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  6. Seems to me that, when this word was introduced into the English language, two people were having an argument. One must have run out of witty remarks or insults so resorted to making up a word- calling the other 'jumentous'. When apprehended by the insulted as to the meaning of the word, the former must have looked around frantically and, seeing a horse urinating, decided it meant 'to resemble horse urine' and that was that... I'm still wondering when 'jumentous' could ever be used practically and not just as an insult.

    -C.B

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  7. "Thy breath, dear New York subway rider, hath a jumentous reek."

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