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

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"And that's Bent Coppers."

the pinefox, Friday, 7 May 2021 13:00 (two years ago) link

"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 ___."

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 7 May 2021 15:27 (two years ago) link

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

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 7 May 2021 15:30 (two years ago) link

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

the pinefox, Friday, 7 May 2021 15:35 (two years ago) link

all that glisters is not gold

sharpening the contraindications (Aimless), Friday, 7 May 2021 16:43 (two years ago) link

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

Triumph of the Willa Cather (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 7 May 2021 16:52 (two years ago) link

Figgy

Andy the Grasshopper, Friday, 7 May 2021 16:53 (two years ago) link

would "overwrought" count for "wrought" ?

Bobo Honk, real name, no gimmicks (Doctor Casino), Friday, 7 May 2021 17:34 (two years ago) link

the wrought’s set in

One Of The Bad Guys (Tracer Hand), Friday, 7 May 2021 17:43 (two years ago) link

wrought you like a hurricane

Andy the Grasshopper, Friday, 7 May 2021 17:46 (two years ago) link

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

sharpening the contraindications (Aimless), Friday, 7 May 2021 17:48 (two years ago) link

This is a story of Johnny Wroughten

Triumph of the Willa Cather (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 7 May 2021 17:49 (two years ago) link

Xp

Triumph of the Willa Cather (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 7 May 2021 17:49 (two years ago) link

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

BrianB, Thursday, 13 May 2021 13:27 (two years ago) link

A tempest can seemingly only exist in a teapot.

henry s, Thursday, 13 May 2021 13:57 (two years ago) link

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

Bobo Honk, real name, no gimmicks (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 13 May 2021 16:09 (two years ago) link

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

Are Animated Dads Getting Hotter? (Tom D.), Thursday, 13 May 2021 16:19 (two years ago) link

two months pass...

Handbasket

Piven After Midnight (The Yellow Kid), Monday, 19 July 2021 22:07 (two years ago) link

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

making splashes at Dan Flashes (Neanderthal), Monday, 19 July 2021 22:12 (two years ago) link

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

tean mean poleand cheaseang theas means hamseak feasts (breastcrawl), Monday, 19 July 2021 22:15 (two years ago) link

'Weft' would be nothing without 'warp'

Hideous Lump, Monday, 19 July 2021 22:27 (two years ago) link

"soulwinner"

making splashes at Dan Flashes (Neanderthal), Monday, 19 July 2021 22:37 (two years ago) link

three months pass...

Are there any hangars other than aircraft hangars?

Des Weerelds Dool-om-berg ont-doold op Dool-in-bergh (Tom D.), Friday, 5 November 2021 13:50 (two years ago) link

bike hangars

i.e. https://southwarkcyclists.org.uk/cycle-parking-guide/

Tracer Hand, Friday, 5 November 2021 14:03 (two years ago) link

Ah, never heard of those.

Des Weerelds Dool-om-berg ont-doold op Dool-in-bergh (Tom D.), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:06 (two years ago) link

coat ?

Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry (Ste), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:09 (two years ago) link

oh hangAr

Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry (Ste), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:09 (two years ago) link

i will indeed fetch mine

Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry (Ste), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:09 (two years ago) link

hangar steak

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:33 (two years ago) link

lol brainfart, that's spelled hanger

longtime caller, first time listener (man alive), Friday, 5 November 2021 14:34 (two years ago) link

Hackles, as in To raise one’s…

Hans Holbein (Chinchilla Volapük), Friday, 5 November 2021 16:14 (two years ago) link

(things I learned today...)

the hairs on the back of the neck of cats, dogs, and some other animals that stick up when they are angry

Kim Kimberly, Friday, 5 November 2021 16:27 (two years ago) link

Is "petting" always heavy?

Kim Kimberly, Saturday, 13 November 2021 03:24 (two years ago) link

it seems so? “petting” is such a strange word in that context, it feels zoological almost

Tracer Hand, Saturday, 13 November 2021 09:10 (two years ago) link

Petting zoo

namaste darkness my old friend (ledge), Saturday, 13 November 2021 09:46 (two years ago) link

Is pent always up?

namaste darkness my old friend (ledge), Saturday, 13 November 2021 09:47 (two years ago) link

Dictionary says it's hypenated: pent-up.

Kim Kimberly, Saturday, 13 November 2021 11:42 (two years ago) link

Ah but it can be non-hypenated.

Kim Kimberly, Saturday, 13 November 2021 11:46 (two years ago) link

Love me some moderately-weighted petting

A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger), Saturday, 13 November 2021 13:58 (two years ago) link

betwixt

inclement

Lee626, Saturday, 13 November 2021 21:27 (two years ago) link

Light petting is a thing!!! You do it over the shirt.

A Pile of Ants (Boring, Maryland), Sunday, 14 November 2021 02:09 (two years ago) link

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D0AC3kUXQAAuju7.jpg

emil.y, Sunday, 14 November 2021 15:45 (two years ago) link

surprised will patrons kept going to that pool tbh

o shit the sheriff (NickB), Sunday, 14 November 2021 15:53 (two years ago) link

lol

Tracer Hand, Sunday, 14 November 2021 17:27 (two years ago) link

Bill stickers is innocent!

namaste darkness my old friend (ledge), Sunday, 14 November 2021 18:52 (two years ago) link

lest we forget

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1Fz8Ze7v74

it isn't even a Fraktion (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 14 November 2021 18:57 (two years ago) link

I'm sure the word "rictus" sometimes gets used outside of "rictus grin" but it's got to be very rare

Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Monday, 15 November 2021 00:19 (two years ago) link

Can you run afoul of anything but the law?

The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Monday, 15 November 2021 01:19 (two years ago) link

Nets/lines

fix up luke shawp (darraghmac), Monday, 15 November 2021 01:58 (two years ago) link


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