Tasty Words: Nouns
by Alan Carl Nicoll
Copyright (c) 2018 by Alan Carl Nicoll
All Rights Reserved
I can’t explain what “tasty words” are or say what they’re good for, if anything. These are words that I found “tasty,” in meaning, sound, or printed appearance. Take a look, and think about how this list might be useful to you. Sometimes I find it interesting, for a while, to simply and casually read the list. So far, nothing productive has come of this, but I think it might stimulate poems if I give it a chance.
Here’s a link to a five-column PDF version (which omits this introduction) for convenient printing and viewing.
A few of these words may be non-standard, coinages, or normally part of a phrase. There’s not much slang, alas, which reflects the dictionary I used to compile this list. I’d appreciate being informed of errors in spelling, etc. I notice that some adjectives have crept in… More lists to follow. The PDF doesn’t include this introduction.
ablutions abscess accordion acolyte adenoids adobe afterglow alcopop (Br.) ambergris anaconda antimacassar Antipodes aphid aplomb appendage assegai backbiting back slapping back-stabbing balderdash ballcock ballyhoo bandicoot barbican barnacle bassoon battleaxe beanpole beatnik bebop bedfellow bedlam beefcake Beelzebub behemoth belch bellyflop bevy biddy bigwig bilge bimbo birdie black mass blarney blasphemy blather bleeding heart blip blitz blockhead blood brother bloomers blotch blowhole bludgeon bluebottle bluestocking blunderbuss boathook boat people bobble head Bohemian Bolshevik bolt-hole bombast bonbon bongo bonhomie bonsai boo-boo boodle bookworm boomerang boon companion booties borscht bosh bouzouki boy toy Brahman brainchild bravado brasserie bravura breadcrumb breaststroke breathalyzer bric-a-brac brickbat brimstone brinkmanship brio brogue brolly (Br.) bromide bronco brouhaha bruiser brush-off bubonic plague buckaroo buck teeth budgie buffoon bugbear buggery bulldozer bullock bummer bung bungalow bunion bunkum burble burlesque bush baby busybody buzzword cackle caboodle cadenza cahoots cakewalk calamity calypso canapé cancan cannelloni capon cappuccino caravanserai carcass carpetbagger cartwheel castanets catamite catcall caterpillar catfight catnap cat's paw catwalk cavalcade cedilla chagrin changeling chatterbox cheapskate cheesecake cheroot cherub chicanery chicken feed chignon chilblain chintz chinwag (Br.) chipmunk chippy chit-chat chocoholic chops chutzpah citadel city slicker claptrap claque clay pigeon cliffhanger clincher clodhopper cobweb codger colossus comeuppance conker (Br.) coot couch potato cowlick creepy-crawly crocodile tears crone crony crow's feet crud crux cubbyhole cud cudgel cummerbund Cupid's bow curmudgeon curtain-raiser dabbler dauber daylight robbery (Br.) dead duck decoy déjà vu delicatessen demi-monde derring-do dervish desperado destiny devil's advocate dewlap dharma diarist dicky bow didgeridoo diehard dilettante dimple dimwit dingo diorama disco dirndl dirty look ditto ditty diva dog days do-gooder doily doldrums dollop donkey work doodads doppelgänger dork dotage dotard double-dealing double entendre doublespeak doublethink dowager doyen draggletail dregs dribs and drabs drivel drizzle drool droppings drudge duffer dullard dumbwaiter dumpling dunce cap dweeb earmark earshot earwig effigy egghead ego trip elbow grease elbow room enfant terrible enigma eyeful eyesore Fabian factotum falsetto family tree farrago fat cat festoon fetlock fiasco fibber figment filibuster filigree finger puppet fisheye flapdoodle flashpoint flautist fleshpots flibbertigibbet floozy flotsam flummery flunky fob footsie Frankenstein freckle freebooter free kick Freemason frenzy friar fricassée frippery frogspawn frump fungus funk furor fusspot fuzz gadabout gadfly gaffe gaggle gall galligaskins gallimaufry gamecock gamine gamin gargoyle gasbag gatecrasher geek gerbil Gestapo gewgaw giblets gizmo glitch glitterati glitz glottal stop gobbledegook golliwog goo goody-goody gooseberry gorgon grandee greasy spoon gremlin gringo hacienda hackles hacksaw haggis hammer toe hand-me-down hank happy hour hatchet job hatchet man heart-throb hedgehog hee-haw hellhole henge heresy hermit-crab hexagram hiccup hidden agenda hint hippy hitchhiker hoi polloi honcho hoodie hooligan hoopla horsey hotbed hodgepodge hotfoot hot pants hovel hubbub huckster hugger-mugger humbug hurdy-gurdy idiocy ilk inkling innards insole instep jackal jackdaw jailbait jailbird jamboree jammies jape jellyfish jerky jet lag jetsam jiggery-pokery jingle jinx jockstrap jodhpurs jowls joystick jukebox julep junk food junk mail kamikaze kazoo kerfuffle killjoy kitsch knickers knothole knuckles kudu kumquat lackey laggard landlubber lap dance lapdog lass layabout leapfrog leitmotif lemming lickspittle lingo loggerheads lumpens lunatic fringe mad cow magneto magpie maidenhead maisonette malarkey manatee mange maneater manhole man-of-war mantra marbles marionette marrowbone martyr marzipan massacre maw maypole meatballs melancholy menthol method acting milksop minx missy moccasin monkey business monkey wrench montage moose moppet morass mote mother-of-pearl motif moue mountebank mouthpiece mucilage mucus mudflap muff mugshot mulch mumbo-jumbo murk mustachios mutt naif nancy boy nape nebula necropolis nectar nerd nest egg newel post newspeak newt nib night owl nimbus nincompoop nitty-gritty nocturne noggin nomad no-man's-land non-event nonperson noodle nook noose nose nosebag notch nougat nova nozzle nub nubbin nugget nuisance nuthatch nymphet oaf oasis obese object lesson occiput octopus oddball offal oick (Br.) oik (Br.) old hat omen onanism onyx oodles open season opposite number orb original sin osmosis ostrich oxymoron pacemaker pacifier pagoda pandemonium pansy pap paper tiger parallax parasol parody parry parson's nose Parthian shot parting shot party line party-pooper passion flower patina patriarch peephole pelvic girdle pennant pen pal pentagram peon periwinkle phalanx philistine phlegm phrenologist picador piccalilli piffle piggery piggyback piggy bank pigsty pigswill pillow talk pinball pincushion pinky pinprick pin-up pioneer pipe organ pipsqueak piranha pistachio pitchfork pith pittance pitter-patter pixie pizzaface pizzazz placebo plague plankton platitude playmate playpen plaything plenum ploy plummet plywood poetic justice poetic license pogo stick polecat pole dance politicking pollywog polymath pompom popcorn poppycock portent porthole possum posy pothole potty powder puff powwow pox pratfall pretzel prig prong prude prune puck puddle puffball puffery pug puke pulp pumpernickel pumpkin puncture pundit punk punt puppet puppy love purple prose putty puzzle quack qualm quark quartz quibble quickie quilt quip quitter rabbit punch rabble rabble-rouser racket radish raffle ragamuffin ragbag ragout raid railroad rain raindrop raisin raja rampage ramrod rapscallion rapture rascal rat ratbag (Br.) ratchet rat race ravioli razor razzle-dazzle realm red meat redwood regiment ricochet riddle riff-raff rigmarole ringer ringlet ringworm rip-off rivet romp rookie rosette rubble rump runt saber sacred cow saddle sahib salami salvo samurai Sanskrit sap Saracen sarcasm sardonyx sash sassafras satchel sauerkraut saving grace savvy say-so scab scallywag (scalawag) scamp scanties scapegoat scarecrow scarlet schadenfreude schist schizoid schnozz schnozzola schoolmarm scorpion scoundrel scow scowl screwball Scrooge scrotum scruff scuffle scumbag seaweed sedge see-saw señorita sentinel sequin sesame shack shamrock shawl shebang sheen sheep dip shellac shenanigans Sherpa shindig shocking pink shock tactics shyster sibyl sickle sicko sideswipe sinkhole sire sirloin sissy sitting duck six-pack sjambok skid row skiff skinflint skink skipjack skulduggery skull skullcap skunk skylark slag slanging match (Br.) sledgehammer sleepover sleepwalk slime slingshot slob sloth slouch hat sludge sluggard slush smack smacker small fry smattering smelt smidgen smirk smithereens smock smocking smokescreen smoothie snag snake charmer snapdragon snick snippet snitch snob snood snorkel snot snout snowball snowflake snuggery soapbox sob story socket sod sodomite softie solar plexus solitude sombrero somnambulist songster songstress sonny soot sop sot soubrette sound bite sourdough sourpuss southpaw spadework spaghetti spam spangle sparkler spasm speck spendthrift sperm whale sphagnum spheroid sphincter sphinx spiel spigot spitfire spittle splat splotch spoilsport sponge spoof spook spree sprig springboard sprocket spud spunk squab squabble squall squalor squeegee squib squiggle stag stage fright stalking horse stallion stampede stanchion standing joke stand-off starfish starlet stash static steel band steeple stein stench stick-in-the-mud stickler stigma stiletto stilt stinker stirrup stout stocking stomach pump stooge stopcock straight man straitjacket stratagem strobe strop strudel struggle stubble stud studio stuffed shirt stupor sty sucker suds sugar daddy sumo sump sunburn sundial sundress superego surf Svengali swab swag swallowtail swami swamp swansong swarm swastika sweetness swig swill swine swivel sylph syntax tabby taboo tack taco tadpole taffeta tailpiece tailspin talisman talons tambourine tapioca tarantula Tasmanian devil tassel tattle-tail tattoo tea cosy teak teardrop teazle teat Technicolor teddy teeny bopper teepee teetotaller televangelist telly (Br.) tempest tempo tentacle terminal velocity terracotta terrapin testes testicle thimble thingamajig thingummy thingy think tank thistledown thong thrall throes throng thud thug thumbscrew thump thunderbolt thunderclap thundercloud thunderstorm tibia ticker tape tidbit tiddlywinks tidewater tiff tilde time bomb time signature tincture tinder tinge tingle tinsel tint tintinnabulation tin whistle tippler tippytoes (?) tipster tirade tissue titmouse titter tittle-tattle tizzy toad toad-in-the-hole toady toast todler toddy toenail toffee toggle tokenism tomahawk tomboy tome tomfoolery tom-tom tongs tongue-lashing tongue-twister tootsie top dog topknot tornado torrent tortilla totem tracery traffic jam trailblazer traitor trajectory tramp trance trapezoid travesty treacle treadmill trench tress trice trickster trifle trigger trimmings trinket tripe tripod troglodyte troll trombone truant tuft tumbleweed tunnel vision tusk tutti-frutti twaddle twang twinge twit twitch two-timer two-way mirror tyke tyro udder ugli fruit urban myth urchin utility belt uvula vagabond vagrant vamp vandal vanishing point vanity vaudevillian vendetta veneer vengeance veranda vertigo verve vibrato vigil viper virago vixen vomit voodoo vortex vow voyeur vulture wad wafer waffle wagtail waif walkabout walking stick walkover wallaby wand wannabe warhorse warmth warpaint warren wart warthog washboard wasp wasteland wastrel watchdog watchword water buffalo waterhole water lily wattle wayfarer weakling WMD weasel weathercock weathervane weepie weevil weirdo well-wisher welt wen wench westerner wet blanket wet dream wetland wet nurse whammy wheeler-dealer wheelie whelp whiff whim whimsy whipcord whiplash whippersnapper whipping boy whirligig whirlpool whirlwind whisker whiskey whit white elephant white feather white flag white lie white noise white trash whitewash whopper whorl wicker widget widow's peak wigwam wildness wildcat wilderness wild goose chase wiles willies wimp winch windbag windbreak windbreaker wind chill windfall windinstrument windlass window dressing windpipe wing nut wino wiretapping wiseacre wise guy wishbone witch doctor witchery witch hazel wok wolf whistle wombat woodcock woodpecker woofer wool-gathering woolies wordsmith workaholic wormhole worry beads wraith wrath wreckage wretch wringer wunderkind wuss xenophobe yahoo yes-man yin-yang yogi yokel yo-yo yucca yuppie zealot zeitgeist zen zero zodiac zom
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