backstaff
has been listed 2 times with 1 comment
ballpoint
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
bellhop
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
blacklight
has been listed 2 times with 4 comments
breadbox
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
buckram
has been listed 9 times with 1 comment
buckyball
has been listed 7 times with 1 comment
bullfinch
has been listed 2 times with 0 comments
bushtit
has been listed 6 times with 1 comment
butterfly
has been listed 15 times with 4 comments
camelback
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
cartridge
has been listed 5 times with 1 comment
catbird
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
cattail
has been listed 6 times with 3 comments
chickpea
has been listed 8 times with 2 comments
clapboard
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
claptrap
has been listed 26 times with 2 comments
clothespin
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
cornhole
has been listed 1 time with 5 comments
cowbird
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
coxcomb
has been listed 29 times with 1 comment
deadrise
has been listed 3 times with 2 comments
dickhead
has been listed 6 times with 8 comments
dragonfly
has been listed 15 times with 0 comments
eelpout
has been listed 6 times with 6 comments
evensong
has been listed 11 times with 4 comments
eyelash
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
fireweed
has been listed 3 times with 1 comment
foghorn
has been listed 5 times with 0 comments
footloose
has been listed 8 times with 1 comment
godwit
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
grassquit
has been listed 2 times with 0 comments
hamstring
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
hedgehog
has been listed 20 times with 4 comments
hemlock
has been listed 17 times with 1 comment
hoodwink
has been listed 33 times with 0 comments
hornbook
has been listed 3 times with 0 comments
horseshoe
has been listed 9 times with 0 comments
hubcap
has been listed 1 time with 0 comments
inkhorn
has been listed 21 times with 1 comment
keelhaul
has been listed 12 times with 4 comments
killdeer
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
kneecap
has been listed 5 times with 4 comments
lackluster
has been listed 29 times with 2 comments
longshanks
has been listed 4 times with 3 comments
marplot
has been listed 7 times with 2 comments
monkfish
has been listed 5 times with 0 comments
nightjar
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
nosegay
has been listed 18 times with 2 comments
nuthatch
has been listed 12 times with 0 comments
ovenbird
has been listed 2 times with 0 comments
oxbow
has been listed 10 times with 0 comments
panpipe
has been listed 2 times with 0 comments
pantyhose
has been listed 8 times with 13 comments
peahen
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
piebald
has been listed 22 times with 0 comments
piecemeal
has been listed 12 times with 1 comment
pipsqueak
has been listed 10 times with 3 comments
proofread
has been listed 3 times with 4 comments
pussyfoot
has been listed 14 times with 0 comments
rampike
has been listed 3 times with 1 comment
raspberry
has been listed 30 times with 2 comments
ringworm
has been listed 1 time with 0 comments
riprap
has been listed 3 times with 1 comment
riptide
has been listed 7 times with 0 comments
sadsack
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
scofflaw
has been listed 14 times with 0 comments
shindig
has been listed 37 times with 0 comments
shoehorn
has been listed 6 times with 0 comments
sideburns
has been listed 9 times with 4 comments
sidereal
has been listed 50 times with 2 comments
sidewalk
has been listed 2 times with 25 comments
skewbald
has been listed 5 times with 2 comments
skinflint
has been listed 14 times with 2 comments
slapdash
has been listed 29 times with 1 comment
snapdragon
has been listed 24 times with 1 comment
someday
has been listed 4 times with 0 comments
squeezebox
has been listed 8 times with 0 comments
starthroat
has been listed 2 times with 0 comments
stonechat
has been listed 3 times with 5 comments
stopgap
has been listed 10 times with 0 comments
tailspin
has been listed 5 times with 0 comments
upbraid
has been listed 20 times with 0 comments
upbraid
has been listed 20 times with 0 comments
waxwing
has been listed 5 times with 0 comments
/ order added
Point taken! :-D
Yes, I need a hobby. But I'm not the only one.
u? Um...I think you may need a hobby. ;-)
Is it just me, or does every word (compound or not) start to look freakish when isolated from context and stared at intently? To further the effect, say the word aloud over and over again, changing your tone and inflection randomly each time.
Thanks, sionnach. It's not just words that you can't tell the meaning of, it's words that also look freakish. Hence the inclusion of what are undeniably freakish-looking words: monkfish, catbird, and bullfinch. Point taken, though--the second word in the compound does suggest the object in question in those cases.
I'd have a minor quibble about including words like monkfish, catbird, or bullfinch because, no matter how incongruous the pairing, one already knows the class of critters one is dealing with from the second word alone. But that's just me. There are some excellent words on this list - I especially liked shindig and sideburns. Great list!
I agree. These are classics. :-)
How 'bout claptrap?
Great idea for a list!