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Author Topic: Word of the day: accost  (Read 2490 times)

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Offline LadyVirginia

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Word of the day: accost
« on: October 27, 2011, 03:04:44 PM »
What does it mean to have a good vocabulary?  I'm really wondering that today.

My daughter used the word accost in a sentence today with two co-workers.  Neither knew what the word meant.

Granted I'm not using it everyday but it's not an unusual word by any means. Or is it?
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Offline IronDioPriest

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #1 on: October 27, 2011, 03:08:59 PM »
Quote from: LadyVirginia on October 27, 2011, 03:04:44 PM
What does it mean to have a good vocabulary?  I'm really wondering that today.

My daughter used the word accost in a sentence today with two co-workers.  Neither knew what the word meant.

Granted I'm not using it everyday but it's not an unusual word by any means. Or is it?


Just my personal perception, but no, it's not an unusual word. Anyone with a fundamental understanding of the language who is in any way well-read should have run across this word in context at some point.
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Offline benb61

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2011, 04:58:05 PM »
For example,

"I am constantly being accosted by idiot liberals who think that I earn too much."
      Mark V. Hurd  CEO Hewlett-Packard
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Offline BigAlSouth

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2011, 05:23:47 PM »
If they don't use that word on Dancing wid da Stars I guess it ain't that important . . .
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Online Pandora

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2011, 05:39:21 PM »
Quote from: LadyVirginia on October 27, 2011, 03:04:44 PM
What does it mean to have a good vocabulary?  I'm really wondering that today.

My daughter used the word accost in a sentence today with two co-workers.  Neither knew what the word meant.

Granted I'm not using it everyday but it's not an unusual word by any means. Or is it?


Not to me, it's not unusual.  Besides, it's often included in "news" reports.

I used the word "incongruous" in conversation with my future SIL one time and she had no clue.

I just performed some hasty searching and the consensus seems to be between 50K and 60K words known -- not always used -- in the average high school graduate's vocabulary.  I suspect that is outdated.  The issue of "obsolete" words was raised, which struck me as ironic; a population that is ignorant of much of the language will use less and less words, rendering many of them "obsolete".

One of the reasons for claiming the SATs are/were culturally biased is vocabulary, in that "urban" children would have no knowledge or experience with, say, a sloop and so couldn't be expected to know the word.  As IDP mentioned, that's where reading comes in.
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Offline John Florida

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2011, 05:44:42 PM »
 Hell I even know dat wun and my Hinglish suchs.
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2011, 08:12:38 AM »
Quote from: John Florida on October 27, 2011, 05:44:42 PM
Hell I even know dat wun and my Hinglish suchs.

I'm congruent with that!

 ::hysterical::
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2011, 08:56:02 AM »
"Accost" doesn't necessarily mean something negative . I've seen it used , albeit in very dated literature , to mean "called to" as in ; "I was accosted in front of the bookstore yesterday by two friends who had some very welcome news ."
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2011, 09:01:37 AM »
Quote from: LadyVirginia on October 27, 2011, 03:04:44 PM
What does it mean to have a good vocabulary?  I'm really wondering that today.

My daughter used the word accost in a sentence today with two co-workers.  Neither knew what the word meant.

Granted I'm not using it everyday but it's not an unusual word by any means. Or is it?


I don't know how a person could possibly use a word in a sentence and not know what the hell it means ... unless , through ignorance , they are miss-using the word , thinking it means something else .
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Online Pandora

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2011, 09:14:03 AM »
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:01:37 AM
Quote from: LadyVirginia on October 27, 2011, 03:04:44 PM
What does it mean to have a good vocabulary?  I'm really wondering that today.

My daughter used the word accost in a sentence today with two co-workers.  Neither knew what the word meant.

Granted I'm not using it everyday but it's not an unusual word by any means. Or is it?


I don't know how a person could possibly use a word in a sentence and not know what the hell it means ... unless , through ignorance , they are miss-using the word , thinking it means something else .

I think you misunderstand, SH; LV's daughter used the word and knew what it meant.  Her TWO co-workers didn't.
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2011, 09:17:12 AM »
Okay ... That makes more cents .
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Online Pandora

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2011, 09:19:29 AM »
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:17:12 AM
Okay ... That makes more cents .

I knew it would once it was explained that weigh.
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"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2011, 09:21:37 AM »
Quote from: Pandora on October 28, 2011, 09:19:29 AM
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:17:12 AM
Okay ... That makes more cents .

I knew it would once it was explained that weigh.

Pan , I knew I could count on ewe .
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Offline Glock32

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2011, 09:22:29 AM »
You guys should here yourselves
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2011, 09:24:26 AM »
Quote from: Glock32 on October 28, 2011, 09:22:29 AM
You guys should here yourselves

I sea what you mean .
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Online Pandora

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #15 on: October 28, 2011, 09:24:44 AM »
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:21:37 AM
Quote from: Pandora on October 28, 2011, 09:19:29 AM
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:17:12 AM
Okay ... That makes more cents .

I knew it would once it was explained that weigh.

Pan , I knew I could count on ewe .

Well, when your write, yore write.

And wright.
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"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #16 on: October 28, 2011, 11:10:43 AM »
Quote from: Pandora on October 28, 2011, 09:24:44 AM
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:21:37 AM
Quote from: Pandora on October 28, 2011, 09:19:29 AM
Quote from: Sectionhand on October 28, 2011, 09:17:12 AM
Okay ... That makes more cents .

I knew it would once it was explained that weigh.

Pan , I knew I could count on ewe .

Well, when your write, yore write.

And wright.

If ewe say sew !
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Online Pandora

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #17 on: October 28, 2011, 11:21:17 AM »
Eye dew.  ;D
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"Under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain

"Let us assume for the moment everything you say about me is true. That just makes your problem bigger, doesn't it?"

Offline Libertas

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #18 on: October 28, 2011, 11:57:43 AM »
 ::facepalm::

Ufda!
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Offline Sectionhand

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Re: Word of the day: accost
« Reply #19 on: October 28, 2011, 01:53:14 PM »
Quote from: Pandora on October 28, 2011, 11:21:17 AM
Eye dew.  ;D

Should eye rite that down two ? ::eyes::
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