Wednesday, August 23, 2017

“Zillions”

A fine episode of Helen Zaltzman’s podcast The Allusionist, about hyperbolic indefinite numerals: “Zillions.”

Our household’s favorite hyperbolic indefinite numeral is eleventyteen, from Elaine’s father Burton Fine. What’s your favorite hyperbolic indefinite numeral?

comments: 7

Geo-B said...

brazillian! I've used this a brazillianTimes!

Pete said...

I prefer bajillions.

Frex said...

eh, I'm boring in this: I say zillions.

This topic reminds me of an embiggening word that makes my skin crawl:
gi-normous.

Why, I wonder, do some words make our skin crawl?
For me, they're not necessarily neologisms (though I do also hate staycation)--sometimes they're quite normal old words-- munch, for instance, gives me the creeps.
--Fresca

Michael Leddy said...

Mucilage, swab, the list goes on.

Fresca said...

Ewwww!!!
Yep. My skin crawls at those!

Fresca said...

P.S. Actually, I'm OK with swab.

But mucilage.... yuck! I think it's the meaning + the sound.
However, I am perfectly unmoved by the name slime mold.

shallnot said...

I like "much". One recent conversation using it:

"Do you have many?"

"Many."

"How many?"

"Much."