Ear: Insults

Retortful rerun: In these contentious times, one can never have enough words in one’s arsenal. Writer Paul Anthony Jones has done everyone a service with the article “43 Old English Insults,” which will up your game and help you at least attempt to sound somewhat civil in times of verbal trial.

For example, a fopdoodle is “an insignificant or foolish man.” A fustilarian is “someone who stubbornly wastes time on worthless things”; a scobberlotcher is “someone who never works hard”; a snoutband is “someone who constantly interrupts a conversation, typically only to contradict or correct someone else”; a gnashgab is a chronic whiner; and a gobermouch is a busybody. Well, you get the idea. Have at it. (In One Ear, 6/29/2018)