10 More Whatchamacallits And Their Real Names Nearly two years
ago we published a list of ten things that we either don’t think
have a name, or don’t use the correct name for. Today we are
looking at another 10 English words that describe things we are
all aware of, but don’t have a word for. Let’s see if anyone can
use all ten in a sentence. Use: “Nothing beats the petrichor in
the morning as the dew fades.” Petrichor is the name of the
smell of rain on dry earth. The word comes from the Greek words
“petros” which means rock, and “ichor” which means the fluid
that runs through the veins of the gods. The smell derives from
an oil exuded by certain plants during dry periods, whereupon it
is adsorbed (another word you probably didn’t know – definition)
by clay-based soils and rocks. During rain, the oil is released
into the air along with another compound, geosmin, producing the
distinctive scent. Use: “After the bitch-fight, her head was
full of elflocks.” An elflock is a lock of hair which has become
tangled.