Hi. I'm after a source of obscure long words for 'Good Old Days' compere type introductions to various music-hall acts. I've tried online thesauri but everything's too modern. Any suggestions for sites, sources?
Interesting! It's definitely throwing up seriously obscure words, though it's going to be a lengthy process to find useful and/or relevant ones.
Anyone have any further suggestions?
Obviously, I don't know which online thesaurus you have tried, but - if you click here - you will find one which offers "pulchritudinous ecdysiast" for "beautiful stripper" (as individual words, of course.)
If you are lucky enough to be introducing such a performer, there you go!
Just type the basic word into the slot and click 'search', then it's just a case of choosing an appropriate sesquipedalianism.
Quizmonster - thanks, but I didn't get very far with that Thesaurus site as so much of the content seemed to be very modern. (But the 1911 Roget site is much less user-friendly). Hey ho, I'll keep trying.
Postdog - thanks for that link - we're now alliterating like ones possessed
Peter Pedant - well, we have a knife-thrower, a glamorous lady singer, a magician who's going to saw a lady in half, an escapologist, a strong-man and a duo of sand-dancers. (A plethora of pulchritudinous performers, but sorry, QM, no strippers!)
I particularly remember the compere on the Good Old Days using the word "deliquescent" to describe an act. It means absorbing so much liquid the original substance dissolves, so they obviously did not always use relevant words! So pick any that sound good - triskaidecaphobic is a particular favourite of mine.
I think they just make words up by adding endings to ordinary words.
An act of death-defying, ambidextrosity and precision using multitudinous perspicacity.
tintinnabulations; unequivocal; salutation;
I also think they used words in the wrong context such as 'tonsorial' and 'toxopholite'
Hmmm ... a cunning plan, guys. "Acts of Astoundingly Deliquescent Perspicacity" it is then! (It's all in the delivery.) My, what a show it's going to be.
Thanks, all
Pythia