Delightful Obsolete Words It’s High Time We Revived

From Buzzfeed (probably not the most scientific site on the web, but this is a great article)
Callipygian and Resistentialism are my favourites!

1. GROAK

Meaning: To silently watch someone while they are eating, hoping to be invited to join them.

Origin: Unknown
As in: It’s hard to enjoy your meal when the guy opposite is groaking you the whole time.

2. HUGGER-MUGGER

Meaning: To act in a secretive manner.
Origin: 1530s
As in: I’m sick of all these sneaky types, creeping around and hugger-muggering the whole time.

3. CRAPULOUS

Meaning: To feel ill because of excessive eating/drinking.
Origin: 1530s
As in: Blerg. The morning after St. Patrick’s Day. I feel crapulous.

4. SNOWBROTH
Meaning: Freshly melted snow.
Origin: 1590s
As in: Yesterday we woke up to a perfect carpet of white, but now it’s just snowbroth. :-(
 

5. JARGOGLE Meaning: To confuse, bamboozle.
Origin: 1690s
As in: I don’t get string theory. It utterly jargogles my brain.

6. APRICITY
Meaning: The sun’s warmth on a cold winter’s day.
Origin: 1620s
As in: Even in darkest December you sometimes get a moment of beautiful apricity.

7. TWATTLE
Meaning: To gossip, or talk idly.
Origin: 1600s
As in: I wish you’d quit twattling and get on with your work.

8. GORGONIZE

Meaning: To have a paralyzing or mesmerizing effect on someone.
Origin: Early 17th century
As in: Don’t look into his eyes. He’s so charismatic, you’ll be gorgonized.

9. COCKALORUM
Meaning: A little man with a high opinion of himself.
Origin: 1710s
As in: He’s a boastful shortarse. Total cockalorum.

10. SNOUTFAIR
Meaning: A good-looking person.
Origin: 1500s
As in: Alison Brie? Total snoutfair.

11. JOLLUX
Meaning: Slang term for a fat person.
Origin: 1780s
As in: Time to go on a diet, I’m getting to be a right jollux.

12. CURGLAFF
Meaning: The shock one feels upon first plunging into cold water.
Origin: Scots, 1800s
As in: Those outdoor swimmers must have balls of steel to cope with that kind of curglaff.

13. BRABBLE
Meaning: To argue loudly about something inconsequential.
Origin: 1530s
As in: I can’t stand Question Time, it always descends into brabbling.

14. LUNTING
Meaning: Walking while smoking a pipe.
Origin: 1820s
As in: I’m off for a post-lunch lunt, anyone care to join me?

15. CALLIPYGIAN
Meaning: Having beautifully shaped buttocks.
Origin: 1640s
As in: I admire Beyoncé for her musical talent. The fact she is highly callipygian is neither here nor there.

16. RESISTENTIALISM
Meaning: The seemingly malevolent behaviour displayed by inanimate objects.
Origin: 1940s
As in: That water bottle looks like it wants to kill me. It exhibits resistentialism.

17. CURMURING
Meaning: A low rumbling sound produced by the bowels.
Origin: 1880s
As in: Nothing worse than audibly curmuring during a job interview.

"Languages are like towns: they must grow organically and for good reason. Esperanto is like a new town, Telfor or Milton Keynes; it has linguistically speaking, ample walkways, spacious parking, rational traffic flow and all the modern amenities: but there are no historic sides, no great towering landmarks: there is no feeling that mankind has grown and lived and worked here, shaping the architecture according to neccessity, power or worship.

The English language, however, is like York or Chester or Norwich or London - absurd narrow twisting streets that strangers are so lost in, no parking, no velodrome: but there are churches, castles, custom houses, the remnants of old slums, and old palaces. Our past is there. But not just our past, these cities are not museums, they contain the present too: estates, office blocks, contraflow cycle paths. They are living things, towns and languages."

- Stephen Fry, 'Trefusius Is Unwell', Paperweight