A Dictionary of Uncomfortable Words: What to Avoid Saying in Polite (or Any) Conversation

Realizing a dictionary was necessary to alert the public, they created The Dictionary of Uncomfortable Words. Each word is followed by a brief explanation of why it makes people uneasy when spoken, such as:
- Abhor: Looks innocuous enough on paper but utterly filthy when spoken aloud.
- Bull: In most circles, this word is merely a prefix. We prefer the term man-cow."
- Congeal: Just because gooey becomes crusty doesn't mean we want to hear about it.
- Crotch: This word is disturbing even when referring to trees.
- Dingleberry: This is one fruit you don't want to eat.
- Half-cocked: Sounds like a circumcision that went too far.
- Horehound: A drunk with too much money in his pocket on Saturday night."

ANDREW WITHAM is a screenwriter and a graduate of Indiana University. He lives in West Hollywood, California. BRIAN SNYDER is graphics editor at the Ventura County Star in Ventura, California. Also a graduate of Indiana University and a lifelong fan of Ernie Pyle, the Hoosier World War II journalist, he lives in Oxnard, California, the Pearl of the Pacific.