a list of words that are only ever used in one phrase and one phrase only

much of a "muchness"

Finland... UK... USA... do we even speak the same language?

"Boob tube" in America means TV, yes, but only someone over age 60 would use that term in that way. We say "tube top" for the garment.

... but only someone over age 60 would wear one.

You should come to Brooklyn

The high water mark of "boob tube" was probably the 70s, so "over age 60" is a little exaggerated, but it's not a current hip hep and happening phrase. It is definitely generally understandable still. "The tube" for tv is probably a little more in use, but then again tvs aren't as in use as they used to be.

Genuinely surprising that there's no porn streaming site called BoobTube.

"Boob Tube"? You don't mean "Goggle Box" ?

Wit in "To wit"

Raring in 'Raring to go'?

I don't think I even quoted it secondhand. Actually, my students want Maduro gone, and I've seen the strange-bedfellows approach b/w the Trump administration and the parents of the students who have no butter or meat.

― Your sweetie-pie-coo-coo I love ya (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 10 February 2019 01:04 (forty-eight minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq7LM4rOcV4

druthers

seems like the word 'fraught' is accompanied by 'with danger' at least 95% of the time. partly to be perverse, I like to dislodge it from danger and use it in other contexts.

i rarely use fraught in the "with danger" context. I use it as a replacement for "problematic" which has semantically shifted in recent years.

Only pools are limpid.
― weather1ngda1eson (Brian)

only green is limpid

just read this wonderful malapropism:

"These guys covered the gamete with Rock N’ Roll, Blues, R&B and splendid jams."

which reminds me that mature haploid cells aside, the gamut is only ever run.

Damsel in distress.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damselfly

Swingeing cuts.

The ides of march.

bandy around

bandy about

bandy words with

'about' - same thing
'words with' - i'll allow it.

slake

bandy-legged

lol, just watched an episode of Survivor where someone was called a "bandy-legged troll" last night

fun thread, btw!

For a second I considered that "wreak" was only used with "havoc." On reconsidering I think you can also wreak vengeance.

"And that's Bent Coppers."

"score" in the numerical sense is pretty rare outside of "Four score and seven years ago" but occasionally I guess you see people writing "scores of ___."

I think "wrought" is only used in two phrases, each with a somewhat different sense of "wrought" -- "What hath god wrought" and "wrought iron"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Well_Wrought_Urn

all that glisters is not gold

Been a long time since I heard "doth" without "protest too much."

Figgy

would "overwrought" count for "wrought" ?

the wrought’s set in

wrought you like a hurricane

seems like the only time anyone is wroth anymore, it's that they've been waxing wroth

This is a story of Johnny Wroughten

Xp

Nook and cranny. Nooks can exist on their own but there's never a cranny without a nook.

A tempest can seemingly only exist in a teapot.

cranny is a great one... i feel like tempests are a bit more prominent thanks to Shakespeare, the arcade game, tempestuous feelings, etc.

There is no Bob Dylan album titled "Cranny", as of May 13th, 2021.

https://www.discogs.com/artist/3032992-Cranny

Handbasket

yes, in famous saying "a stitch in time saves handbasket"

“de-exhuming”, as used in the phrase “Can We Try De-Exhuming McCarthy, US Politics July 2021”