What Word Makes You Cringe?
This Week In Writing, we talk about cringe-worthy words and give a nod to puns, courtesy of Letterkenny.
Moist. Does it make your skin crawl? What about squirt or motherboard? These are all words people I know say feel like nails on a chalkboard (does that reference even work anymore?). Me? Not so much, but I find it interesting that some words make people cringe.
Letterkenny is a brilliantly funny show originally from Canada’s Crave and now on Hulu. It’s about a small Canadian town and the problems of the people who live there. In the episode “Way To A Man’s Heart,” the gang discovers each other’s cringe-worthy words and dives all in with spectacular puns. Take this exchange:
Dan: You gotta’ respect athleticism, Connor Moist-Gregor, Conner Moist-David, Floyd Moist-Weather. Why, they’re all at the top of their classes.
Daryl: They’re all driving Moist-eradis; that’s all I know.
Wayne: Maybe even a Rolls Moist. Or maybe a Moist-cedes Benz.
Daryl: No Moist-subishis Eclipses in that bunch.
Dan: They’re not using Capital One Moister-Cards.
I love a good pun, especially when using cringy words. Are there words that make your skin crawl? What are they, and how can you make them incredibly punny?