General Chat

Do you ever, when reading a book, come across a word that you do no know the meaning of, and then look it up. I finished reading a book the other night and came across a word I did not recognise. The character in the book was going to have a fondue, left by his housekeeper. He was also going to have some 'arugula' with it. This had niggled me, so I thought I would look it up. It is the alternative word for 'rocket' . Phew, you live and learn.
Julia in Derbyshire

Julia I often do that but I tend to have to look up straight away,

my other thing with books is not being able to pronounce a name so calling them something different ( in my mind) all the way through a book.

Uzzie, if I read downstairs, which is not often, possibly not till it is the winter, I write down a pages worth of words, then have a mammoth look-up session. I could not take to bed, where I was reading, my dictionery tome, as there would not be enough room in the bed for me. I cannot bear to not know what a word means. LOL
Julia in Derbyshire

Yes, that does happen to me. Certain authors seem to like dropping obscure words into their books. Will Self, and Iris Murdoch spring to mind.

Obscure words??? Then read Umberto Ecco's Foucalts Pendulum. I had pages and pages of words I did not know, and half couldn't be found in my "big", double volume of the OED. However, if you suffer from insomnia, keep a copy at the side of your bed. Best semantic Ovaltine ever!!
Siouxie3666

Karen, it possibly is American as the book I was reading was set in America, and written by May Higgins Clark.
Another American word I like is Rutabaga, mean the vegtable swede. I have another American book on the go, and already have a list of words.
Julia in Derbyshire

Finnegan's Wake has a good store of obscure words. Unfortunately most of them are not in the dictionary!

When authors divert into a bit of French or other language it bugs me, so only having school French and that sixty years ago I don't know what they are talking about so just guess and get the jist of it.