
You might not use these strange, often antiquated, words very often. Do you know what they mean? Choose the correct meaning from the three options. Then scroll down for the answers!
Bumfuzzle –
- Nonsense 2. To confuse 3. An excessively talkative person
Callipygia –
- A type of bagpipe 2. Having well-shaped buttocks 3. A deceitful person
Defenestration –
- Spitting while speaking 2. Act of stretching or yawning 3. Act of throwing someone out of a window
Doodle Sack –
- Old word for bagpipe 2. An armpit 3. A situation in chess where every move is a bad one
Erf –
- To gulp down something quickly 2. A lawyer who handles petty cases 3. A plot of land in a town
Gardyloo –
- A public restroom 2. A warning shouted before throwing waste from a window 3. Antique toilet
Jiggery-pokery –
- Nonsense 2. Deceitful behavior 3. A small quantity of something left over
Limerence –
- A short poem that rhymes 2. Infatuation with another person 3. Stomach rumbling
Mumpsimus –
- Whispering or murmuring 2. Shrewd or unprincipled person 3. Stubborn person
Nudiustertian –
- On time 2. Relating to undergarments 3. Relating to the day before yesterday
Oxter –
- The lower back 2. The kneecap 3. The armpit
Pettifogger –
- Someone who speaks about things they don’t understand 2. A shred, unprincipled person 3. A lawyer who handles petty cases
Snollygoster – A dirty, unkempt child 2. A crooked lawyer 3. An unprincipled person
Wamble –
- To stumble and fall 2. A stubborn person 3. Stomach rumbling
Zenzizenzizenzic –
- An alphabet with many letters 2. A word with two zz’s in a row 2. The eighth power of a number
Scroll down for the answers
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Bumfuzzle – To confuse
Callipygia -Having well-shaped buttocks
Defenestration – The act of throwing someone out of a window
Doodle Sack – Old word for a bagpipe
Erf – A plot of land in a town
Gardyloo – A warning shouted before throwing waste from a window
Jiggery-pokery – Deceitful behavior
Limerence – Infatuation with another person
Mumpsimus – A stubborn person
Nudiustertian – Relating to the day before yesterday
Oxter – The armpit
Pettifogger – A lawyer who handles petty cases,
Snollygoster – An unprincipled person
Wamble – Stomach rumbling
Zenzizenzizenzic – The eighth power of a number



I knew 10 of these. When I was in medical school, we used the term ‘steatopygia’ instead of callipygia.
That’s pretty good. I probably didn’t know any of them! I knew some others that were in the list, so they were too easy to use!
Love these archaic gems! “Bumfuzzle” and “callipygia” made me smile, and I never knew “zenzizenzizenzic” referred to the eighth power of a number. I had to guess on a few (mumpsimus tripped me up!). It’s great when writers bring back these long-lost words and explain them. If you’re ever hunting for more forgotten vocabulary, I’m helping curate an archive over at Vennary.com where we explore unusual and suppressed words and their histories.
I am so glad you liked the post! I have looked up Vennary.com and have bookmarked it for future use.