As a lot of this blog is about writing, I wanted to write a regular article on my favourite forgotten words. You know the type of thing, those poor lost words that sit at the back of our minds, gathering dust, having been discovered years ago in literature classics like Dickens, or Austen. They are the spices of the literary world, but I refuse to let them sit in a cupboard and be ignored until they go out of date! Let’s bring them back! Now!

So to start off, I’ve picked one of my all time favourite words. Let’s have a look at the wonderful word  BEDRAGGLED!

bedraggled – adjective

wet, dirty, and untidy

The Cambridge online dictionary defines bedraggled as, ‘wet, dirty and untidy’. I love this definition.

I have, on many occasions, found myself bedraggled after the school run, or while walking the dog. My children also often look bedraggled  – even when they shouldn’t.

It’s just such a good word and fully captures the amount of awful, smelly, dirtiness that other words don’t quite nail.

Untidy on its own isn’t enough, neither is damp or wet. Untidy, much like scruffy, has a cuteness to it that bedraggled doesn’t.

In my opinion it’s also a great word for describing emotions. You can’t tell me you’ve never felt bedraggled? For me, there’s a five minute window at the end of the night when my children are in bed and I’ve finally finished tidying up all the toys and lego and dishes, when I can honestly say I feel completely bedraggled.

So, tonight when I’ve finished my day as mummy, and I raise my glass of wine, I shall raise it to the word bedraggled! I hope you’ll join me!

 

Let me know your favourite and forgotten words!