Words We Should Use More Often in the United States

When is the last time you shouted out for joy, "I am so jubilant today!"  I'll bet you haven't.  Even if you've been shouting about being jubilant, you are in the minority on that one.  Jubilant is a great word that expresses extreme joy.  What a wonderful way to tell the world how jolly you feel.  For that matter, we probably don't use the word "jolly" enough either unless we are talking about Santa, but let me get to the point.  We should try using the word "jubilant" more often. 

Try using it in a sentence today.  Some examples are:

"I am so jubilant about winning the lottery!"

"I feel so jubilant about getting a raise at work!"

"It is 75 degrees today and everyone feels jubilant!"

We never use the term "fortnight" anymore in the U.S.  Why not?  Could it be because no one actually understands the meaning of the word in the United States?  Perhaps this is the issue. Fortnight means 14 days.  Yes, it is just that simple.  Doesn't "fortnight" sound way cooler than saying "two weeks"?  Come on, you know it does. 

Let's try using "fortnight" in a few sentences.  Examples:

"I will be paid in a fortnight."

"My vacation will last a fortnight."

"I saw her about a fortnight ago."

Unless you are in the south, you don't really hear people say, "over yonder" anymore.  I daresay the term is much better than some of the more popular options.  "It's over there" just don't sound as catchy.  Don't be afraid to sound too southern when using the word, "yonder."  It is a perfectly acceptable word that deserves to be back in the spotlight.

Let's use it in some sentences.  Some examples:

"Look over yonder at that dog!"

"I see the birds over yonder."

"He is going off into the woods over yonder."

Thrice is a really cool word.  It is even the name of a band.  So why don't we say the word, "thrice" more often?  After all, we say the word, "twice."  How come twice gets to be more popular than thrice?  Thrice is basically the same word, except it means 3 instead of 2. 

Recently, Conan O'Brien went on a mission to make the word, "thrice" more popular to use in common, everyday life.  Unfortunately, I can't say Conan's mission worked.  However, I want to give this a try myself.  Why not try using "thrice" in something you say each day?

Here are some examples:

"I counted the money thrice today."

"It has taken thrice as long as anticipated."

Dapper is another word we just don't hear too often.  What a catchy word!  Why did this word that was once so popular become so unpopular?  Dapper means someone looks neat and trim in appearance.  It is a fun word to say and a fun word to use.

Let's use the word "dapper" in a few sentences.  We will use the word "dapper" thrice in the upcoming sentences!  See!  I am already incorporated thrice into sentences.  At any rate, here are some dapper examples:

"You are looking quite dapper today, my friend!"

"John was looking dapper in his new tuxedo."

"That was one dapper looking gentleman in the club a fortnight ago."  (Look, there's fortnight, too!)

No one bothers with the word, "pleasantry" anymore.  Quite frankly, it is a pleasant word, so it should be used more.  Pleasantry is a short, polite remark made in conversation.  It can also mean it is a small joke, often used to break the ice.  Well, perhaps that is the problem with pleasantry.  Maybe it needs to stick to one meaning.  In some situations, you may not know if you've exchanged pleasantries or if you made a snarky joke.

Since the plural of pleasantry is usually how we hear the word, we will use that in some sentences now:

"Jill and Linda exchanged pleasantries today."

"The crowd giggled when they heard the pleasantries Fred had to share."

Debonair is a word you do not hear very often.  Usually, you hear the term charming.  Debonair means to be charming and stylish.  Why, it would not be uncommon for a person to be dapper and debonair at the same time!

Without further ado, let's have a few more sentences!  We will use the word, "debonair" in these sentences:

"Why, he was just so debonair!"

"You go into the party first since you are quite debonair."

"He was so debonair, he could win anyone over!"

Now it is time to use all seven words in one awesome sentence.  I present to you:

"I was over yonder, exchanging pleasantries with the dapper and debonair young gentleman a fortnight ago, and he was so jubilant, he laughed at me thrice as many times as I would have expected."