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# What Word Makes You Cringe?
- URL: https://justincox.com/blog/2022/08/what-word-makes-you-cringe/
- Published: 2022-08-30T07:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2023-06-16T23:33:46.000Z
- Description: This Week In Writing, we talk about cringe-worthy words and give a nod to puns, courtesy of Letterkenny.
- Author: Justin Cox
- Tags: Craft, #This Week In Writing, This Just In, Culture

**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](https://letterkenny.fandom.com/wiki/Way%5Fto%5Fa%5FMan's%5FHeart?ref=justincox.com):

> 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?