10 lost words from the Collins English Dictionary to build into everyday conversation

With the recent research unveiled by the University of York discovering lost words in historic texts, we decided to root around in the Collins English Dictionary to uncover a selection of unusual linguistic gems that can be used in everyday conversation.

1. Whiffler – ‘a person who vacillates or shifts position frequently in argument

2. Cokes – ‘a fool

3. Impeticos – ‘to put in a pocket

4. Snollygoster – ‘a politician who cares more for personal gain than serving the people

5. Pinchcommons – ‘a person who is frugal with food

6. Attic salt – ‘refined incisive wit

7. Blatherskite – ‘a talkative, foolish person

8. Deipnosophist – ‘a person who is a master of dinner-table conversation

9. Grok – ‘to understand completely and intuitively

10. Widechapped – ‘open-mouthed’

How many of these words have you heard of before? Are there any lost or uncommon words that you think should make a come back to the Collins Dictionary? Let us know in the comments.

By Rachel Quin
Collins Dictionary

Other Articles

15 words & phrases to get the Eurovision party started

Are you ready for Eurovision? An annual celebration of music, culture and questionable fashion choices, the Eurovision Song Contest is a live broadcast international song competition in which members of the European Broadcasting Union – plus Australia! –  compete each year. Since its establishment in 1956,… Read More

The Coronation: God Save King Charles!

As mentioned in my coronation post earlier this week, the coronation ceremony is hallowed by time. Edgar was the earliest English king to be crowned, at Bath Abbey in 973; Robert the Bruce was hastily crowned King of Scots at Scone (rhymes with ‘spoon’) in 1306… Read More

The Coronation: God Save the King!

On 6 May 2023 Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor will be crowned King Charles III in a coronation ceremony dating back, if not to time immemorial, at least ten centuries. Just to be absolutely clear, Charles is of course already King, for the Crown knows no… Read More