Me too. Too latinate. Some of my faves:

iron

doldrum

flannel

penguin

gull

whiskey

paddock

(must proceed to write poem containing all these words...)

You are all much too objective and fair-minded. Why not post some of your favorite words and phrases that were used in poems that you submitted? Let's see some good old showboating here! Whoa! Wait! Did any of you secretly sneak some of your pets in? Fess up.

I've always loved Danish words that end in -lum or -kum:

Aulum

Bailum

both are place names.

Perikum

a plant.

There is a roundness to the -um.

"Susquehanna and the One and a Half Elders" is, of course,
my favorite story from the Bible.

Only river Skip, sorry.

God bless Cyrus Lauron Hooper, who Tolkien plagiarized 40 years later. Interestingly, the book in question is now available for free from Google Books.

Here's the citation itself: http://books.google.com/books?id=cp4...20door&f=false

If you scroll up a little, you'll find he gives his own list of 'most beautiful words' on the preceding page... ;)

Thanks,

Bill

"gambol" but not "gamble"
"summery" but not "summary"
"brood" but not "brewed"

I like "sumpture", but I've only ever seen it one place, that I can remember: "in the pomp and sumpture of her hey-day".

I'm no wiser than anyone else. I just followed the link I found.

Duncan

Ed: "There should be more 'v' words on this list."

Agreed! I offer one of my favorites, "velleity."

And my favorite didactylic word: "minimifidian."

Jan

The name of the Finnish composer, Einojuhani Rautavaara.