Enlarge Your Vocabulary

'His indefatigability left the indefatigable indefatigably exhausted; for never in the history of the indefatigable had such indefatigableness been witnessed!' Note: You may struggle to find the noun: indefatigableness in most dictionaries. Why? They've deemed it obsolete—a tragic casualty of underuse. 'Shame on those dictionaries!' _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain...

‘I wouldn’t go in there if I were you.’ ‘Oh? Why ever not?’ ‘Your persiflage about her cooking hasn’t exactly gone down well with Aunt Martha.’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus J...

Recalcitrant: adjective meaning 'stubbornly uncooperative'—much like your Wi-Fi when you need it most! _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his expres...

It’s not as simple as saying it out loud—though that’s a start. In this episode, we trace the curious path from playful coinage to dictionary legitimacy. Along the way, we meet words that sneaked in, strutted in, or simply refused to go away. _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No indiv...

Brand New Word Alert.  You heard it here first! Gossipient (First public use: 6 July 2025 – Enlarge Your Vocabulary, Episode 71) gossipient (adj.) /ˈɡɒ.sɪ.pi.ənt/ ‘GOSS-ih-pee-ənt’ Actively inclined to spread gossip, often with great relish. gossipient (noun) Someone who delights in gathering and spreading gossip. "Clara is such a gossipient—she was on the phone to all the neighbours the minute Ro...

"Hurry! It’s Fred – he’s been hit in the eye with an expergefactor!" _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his authorise...

'He's beginning to see the light – he's having an expergefaction!' (Ready the chorus of angels!) _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express cons...

His calvity glistened in the early morning sun! _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his authorised representatives. Th...

Silva’s electric alacrity dispelled the team’s despondency! _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his authorised represe...

'Eric and Phyllis are coming to dinner tonight.' 'Oh goodie, more ice cream for us — I guess they’ll enjoy their spoonful of self-control!' (maniacal laughter!) _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of F...

Reading Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–1861) was a prominent English poet of the Victorian era, renowned for her eloquent and passionate poetry. Born in County Durham, she gained literary acclaim with her collection "Sonnets from the Portuguese," which expresses her deep love for fellow poet Robert Browning. Note: The reading was recorded with a faint vinyl effect in the background. __ © The rec...

Julia’s little face lit up in loving delight as she hugged Teddy tightly — after Nana J’s sedulous efforts and her unwavering sedulity lovingly restored ‘Teddy’ back to life with every careful stitch! __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or...

‘Here comes Paul, but what on earth is that ginormous thing he has on a leash?’ ‘Oh, that’s his best friend, his ego. He likes to take it for walkies each day!’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of F...

‘Do you know Des?’ ‘Oh, sure! He’s gold — one of the more complacent people in the community.’ ‘Ah, I think you mean “complaisant” — he’s always eager and willing to help.’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating th...

‘Hey! Aunt Bea is on her way over, and she’s bringing bucketloads of sweets!’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his...

Reading Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson, CBE (17 February 1864 – 5 February 1941). Patterson wrote the poem in 1896. It was originally published on the 25 July 1896 edition of the Sydney Mail. Mulga Bill's Bicycle tells the hilarious story of Mulga Bill, who thinks he's much better at cycling than he turns out to be. Note: The reading was recorded with faint vinyl effect in the background. __ © The...

'And the Oscar goes to ... (drumroll, please) ... Lenny the Lugubrious!' __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his auth...

'Where's dilatory Dan?' 'Sleeping of course!' __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his authorised representatives. Thi...

‘Juxtapose or juxtaposition? Grab the popcorn; a showdown is a-comin’ to town!’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of hi...

'Mum, granddad's outside splashing around in the rain again!' 'Oh, that old pluviophile!' __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or...

‘Henry, quick! Call Father Jones — the beach is full of people apricating in public like there’s no tomorrow!’ _ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without hi...

'I'm fine; I'm just in a desiderium state of mind today!' __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written permission of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson. No individual or entity may clone, reproduce, or record any sound imitating the voice of Floydius-Maximus Jeremy Thomas Jefferson without his express consent or that of his authorised represen...

Reading Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson, CBE (17 February 1864 – 5 February 1941), was an Australian bush poet, journalist, and author widely considered one of Australia's greatest writers. He is noted for composing the internationally famous song "Waltzing Matilda." Paterson wrote the poem from the perspective of a city dweller who once met Clancy, a shearer and drover, and now longs for Clancy's...

Reading Mark Twain, born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30, 1835, was a celebrated American writer and humorist, best known for "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." He died on April 21, 1910. A Dog's Tale is one sad doggy story, you may need to grab the tissues!  __ © The recording may not be altered or used for commercial gain without the express written perm...

Reading Andrew Barton 'Banjo' Paterson, CBE (17 February 1864 – 5 February 1941), was an Australian bush poet, journalist, and author widely considered one of Australia's greatest writers. He is noted for composing the internationally famous song "Waltzing Matilda." "The Man from Ironbark" is a famous Australian poem by Banjo Paterson that tells the story of a bushman who visits Sydney and is the...