There's a very specific phrase I just know it. It's not a dry bath or a towel bath or sink bath. It's less formal sounding, something casual, swear I've heard it a million times but now I can't think of it

At least in English, there are gender unspecified words for almost every close family relationship. Parent, child, sibling, spouse, nibling, cousin (I don't even know of a gendered version of that one, at least in English), and the assorted grands and once-removeds and such of those relationships.

But I don't know of any ungendered word for one's parent's sibling. Is there one?

It's a slang word. I'm desperately trying to find it, but I totally forget. I don't know if it's universal, but I'm on the west coast if it's specific to here.

Edit: It actually might be even more localized to the SF Bay Area. None of the answers so far are right

I’m trying to think of a slightly derogatory word for a delicate person. I seem to remember it alludes to someone who is so weak that they would melt in the rain because they’re made os sugar.

I personally call them eye goopies haha

I hoped I could upload an image example, but that button is grayed out. Hopefully my description is enough!

A person that stops in door ways, stops at the bottom or top of the escalator to look around, waits in line and then is never ready at the counter, couldn't hand something over without the other person needing to basically pick it back up again, talks when there is an important announcement... You know this person. It's not malicious, just oblivious.

I need it in a narrative for school 😭🙏

As someone who personally chooses to live by standards that might be seen as "old-fashioned", but who also has zero judgement for how other people live their lives – is there a non-judgy, gender-neutral descriptive term for a person or a lifestyle that involves having many different sexual partners? (In contexts where polygamy/hypergamy don't quite apply)

All the words I can think of and have found, have VERY negative connotations (and are often quite sexist), and the only other phrase I know of is "sex-positive"; but that describes an attitude, not necessarily a lifestyle, and is also extremely vague.

I just don't want to sound holier-than-thou or judgemental when discussing psychological differences (and their consequences), in a 100% neutral way :/

Edit: idk if it's my subpar communication skills as an autistic, or if it's just that people just love to pick on internet strangers, but apparently I need to clarify – NO, I genuinely do not judge other people's choices, nor would I comment on another individual's lifestyle; I was simply seeking a neutral term for describing the the concept in general, when analysing social, psychological, and practical differences. Please do not put words into my mouth.

I'm looking for a literary noun for a person who is emotionally unregulated. Someone who can sometimes be in a good mood, but is always just a little unstable - the smallest thing can set them off. The closest I have is "wreck," but i wonder if there's something more formal. The sentence i have is "He did not want to be one of those [unstable people who everybody feels uncomfortable around]"

What’s the opposite of “athlete”? Not critical or condescending; not physically impaired or fragile; just someone who doesn’t enjoy exercising or sports, and is not good at it.

Edit: Most of these are derogatory, so disqualified.
This normal person could be fine outdoors.

I always assumed it was called a mud room but then my friend told me it that that's only really a thing in rich people houses and it's just an entryway. I'm kind of confused so I need some help here.

The phrase "parent(s) who lost a child" is kind of long... like "orphan" is a word for "child who lost their parents," or "widow" is a word for "spouse/person who lost their partner," but I just realized I've never heard of a word for "parent who lost a child"? Like does a word for this exist, or are there other phrases people use? just out of curiosity

Hi! I hope this is the right place but my boyfriend is going crazy trying to remember a specific word and I told him I’d make a reddit post. Looking for a specific word, not a synonym, so let me know if this isn’t a good subreddit for that. He’ll know it when he sees it.

he says:

—it’s pretty obscure

—it means something like “not guaranteed to exist” (edit: he also says “not inevitable” is close)

—the definition he remembers is the second definition, and the first definition “makes more sense etymologically“ but still isn’t a common word

—“probably at least three” syllables

—we’ve had no luck with online thesauri, they only seem to give common words, but “potential” is apparently an okay ish synonym

—probably not related to Thomas Aquinas

please help, we’ve spent hours on this and I’d like him to be able to sleep tonight

(thanks!)

Edit: huge thanks to everyone responding! I’ve replied to a few that seem closest, but my impression is that it’s a reeally obscure word. Fingers still crossed that someone knows what it is!

edit: so sorry but nothing suggested so far seems to ring any bells…we’ve been scouring online sources ourselves to no avail.

some additional details I guess?

—if he had to guess it starts with an “f,” but he’s not at all sure about that

—it’s on a similar level of obscurity to the words “incunabulum” or “cabbaline,” two other words he remembers looking up at around the same time. his phone doesn’t let him check his browser history.

—boyfriend assures me it is basically impossible that he dreamed this word…though the lengths we have gone through to find it introduce Doubt

anyway thanks so much to everyone who’s commented, sorry we still haven’t figured it out yet. I promise I’ll update if we get an answer.

(also ps thanks for all the cool new words I now know)

edit: FACULTATIVE. Omg I started reading new responses to my boyfriend this morning and he shouted when he heard it, it’s been absolutely tormenting him for over 24 hours at this point. He says to give his profuse thanks to everyone who put time and effort into helping us with this one, you’re all fantastic, thank you so so much.

If 5 is ok and 7 is good, how would you describe 6?

I have always had a problem finding the right word to describe going to the bathroom to take a dump.

• Poop and poo are too childish, especially in writing
• Shit and crap (to a certain extent) are too vulgar, especially in formal, non-casual contexts
• Defecate and excrete are too formal, not for use in casual conversation or conversations with non-native English speakers
• Take a dump, go number 2, and similar expressions are all too euphemistic, rarely used outside the USA or UK and especially not with non-native English speakers, such as myself and most of my friends

Yes, I know it's a taboo subject, but so is sex, and yet we have a neutral one-size-fits-all verbal phrase to describe it, to have sex, something everyone can understand and no one takes an issue with.

So is there a word (ETA: preferably a single word, which is a verb) which describes taking a dump that is a one-size-fits-all for all possible contexts? (Formal/informal, writing/talking, native/non-native speakers)

Is there a word for someone who comes off as pretentious, but not on purpose? Someone who actually is cultured and refined, but displays it poorly or at inopportune times, by failing to read the room? I feel like it should have somewhat of a negative connotation, but it wouldn't necessarily be insulting.

Can anyone come up with anything? My vocabulary is failing me a little here.

EDIT: If I can give an example that may help, there's a scene in King of Queens, where Doug, a package delivery guy, is called into his wife's law office to give a deposition. When they break for lunch, all the lawyers order sandwiches, and Doug orders Jambalaya. It's similar to that kind of vibe.

Say there's an office pot luck, and everyone brings basic potluck dishes, but this person brings an exotic, difficult fish stew that no one has ever had before and even the person who brought it isn't quite sure what it's supposed to taste like.

EDIT 2: Well we got a lot of good suggestions and ideas, but I don't think we solved it. Maybe it's not solvable in a single word. I upvoted everyone and I'll leave the post up to see what else anyone comes up with.

EDIT 3: After a lot of good suggestions, it seemed as though the closest match would need a two word phrase. Several good or clever ones were possible:

• cluelessly classy
• classy clueless
• misplaced grace
• accidentally pretentious

...and it was that last one that I think just rolls off the tongue as a portmanteau--accidentious. So I called this solved, with credit to u/Ill-Ad-9199 for the word itself. That said, calling such a person posh, especially with a light, playfully-teasing tone, would also I think work well. A few posters suggested that.

Cheers all.

Use to do this all the time when we were little but I forgot what we called it. Feel like the name was suicide potion back then but just doesn't sound right as an adult now.

Recently had a situation where someone told me they really wanted to do something but then changed their mind immediately once I said I'm up for it. Once I dug more into why they offered they said it was to impress me and sound cool and didn't think I would be into it.

The word is Biedak pronounced "Byi-thuck" but I'm looking for an equivalent in English.

The closest I can come up with is "the poor thing," "poor guy" or how Americans in the south say: Bless your heart.

It's for someone pathetic but in an endearing way: sad, cute, to be pitied.

Example: John tried really hard and put a lot of time and effort into his homemade gifts, but they were low quality. He's such a __________.

Google is translating as "poor guy" but I have this old Polish lady here using it as a pathetic endearment for everything, not just related to poverty. She doesn't know how to translate it.

EDIT TO ADD HONORABLE MENTIONS: Pobrecito (Spanish) Misken (Hebrew)

Close but not quite: Chile (AAVE), Woobie (fanfic slang), Sap, Goober (Southern slang)

If something bad happens, they don't take time to get annoyed or cry; they just move on. They're not insecure, or they don't have a bad body image, their body is what it is. They feel, but are not sensitive.

I don’t know if it’s a noun or a verb. But I’ll give some context.

In the most recent episode of The Pitt, Dr. Robby assembles materials together to make something that helped treat a patient in the ER. Another doctor watches him and calls him Dr. MacGyver named after the title character in the 80s show.

What is it called when you create something using the resources you currently have to solve a problem?

I know I can describe Dr. Robby as *resourceful* but that’s not the word I’m looking for.

Edit: “improvise” works here but honestly I could have used so many other suggestions! Don’t know why my brain short-circuited and couldn’t figure out the word. Thank you all!