Strange words that are surprisingly real

Maybe you’ve run across some of the same online word lists that I have – like “54 Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names.” Or “34 of the Craziest Words in English.” Or “100 Totally Weird Words (Like ‘Argle-Bargle’) That’ll Expand Your Lexicon.”
And by the way, ever wonder why so many writers choose to stop at 54 or 34 and not take the total up to something more normal, like 55 or 35? Well, I have. So before we get started on the lists themselves, let me share what I’ve discovered about these numberings.
Randomly numbered lists:

• Stand out: A list of “10 things” feels predictable, while “9” or “11” seems more intriguing.
• Appear more authentic: A list of exactly 10 or 20 can seem artificial, as if the writer stretched or cut ideas to fit a round number.
• Are flexible: Writers don’t have to round up or down if they find exactly nine great points.
  Plus, if a dozen “10 Best” lists already exist, a “13 Best” or “27 Weirdest” list may help push an article to the top of the search results.
  OK, now that we’ve resolved that burning question, let’s proceed to the word lists themselves. One reason they’re on my mind is that my friend and former journalism department colleague Ron White recently sent me a list titled “Did You Know These Things Had Names?”
  I must admit: I had seen this list before and had wondered if it was factual – because some of the terms seemed so far-fetched. But, then, I figured it MUST be accurate because I knew some of the words to be authentic, such as “tittle” (like “jot and tittle” in the Bible) and “tines” (I mean, who hasn’t heard of “tines” in regard to a fork?).
  Maybe I had more time on my hands recently, tucked away from the cold’s ebb and flow around here, but I actually looked up every one of the 20 words on Ron’s list. They’re all real, but several require a footnote. Examples:
• Glabella: the space between your eyebrows. (Had never wondered about this.)
• Aglet: the coating at the end of your shoelaces. (Definitely HAVE wondered about this.)
• Wamble: the rumbling of your stomach. (Well, the dictionary says “wamble” means to stagger, to feel nauseous or [of the stomach] to growl. So the list’s definition was incomplete. Hmm. We must remain on our toes about these things.)
• Petrichor: the way it smells after a rain. (Never knew it had a name but have always loved it.)
• Vagitus: the cry of a newborn baby. (Yes, but can also mean the crying or screaming of any baby or small child.)
• Overmorrow: the day after tomorrow. (Again, love it. Let’s all begin using it.)
• Minimus: our tiny toe or finger. (Yes, but can also mean creature or being that is smallest or least significant).
• Vocable: the “na na na” or “la la la” in song lyrics. (Merriam-Webster says “vocable” can designate any word composed of various sounds or letters without regard to meaning.)
• Griffonage: unreadable handwriting (Another case of oversimplification. “Griffonage” can also mean just plain old messy handwriting.)
• Crapulence: that utterly sick feeling after eating or drinking too much. (Can also mean gross intemperance – yep – especially in drinking.)
  I’ll leave it up to you to explore the rest of the weird words out there in cyberworld. Today’s 10 choices are enough to show that language is a never-ending treasure trove of peculiarities and wonders. So the next time someone questions your use of “overmorrow,” just tell them you’re keeping the English language interesting.