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    Words only used in one song?

    Me and Ms johnr lead an exciting life, and got to talking about the word 'Cahoot' in 'Respect Yourself'. I suggested that it was the only time that word might have been used in a popular song/hit.

    Anyway, we then wondered about other words that as far as we know are only used in one song, and came up with

    'Tarry' - from Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)
    'Onomatopoeia' - Annie, I'm not your Daddy.

    All three, fine words and well-used in the songs.

    #2
    Last time we played this, I said sericulture...

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      #3
      Lickspittle: Smile (The Fall)

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        #4
        How many in Bohemian Rhapsody-Scaramouche Silhoueto Bismillah Monstrosity Beelzebub Fandango

        Young Dudes-Juvenile Delinquent Unlocked

        Ashes To Ashes-Synthesis Sordid

        Jean Genie-Beautician Nutrition

        Drive In Saturday-Formation Saturation Bureau Snorting

        Life On Mars-Tortured Saddening Spit

        London Calling-Phony Imitation Truncheon
        Last edited by ale; 21-06-2020, 19:49.

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          #5
          I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent. Frankie Lymon And The Teenagers.

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            #6
            Orange Juice lyrics are cram-full of words that are a bit too precious and literary for a pop song. It's actually harder to find a song of theirs that doesn't have at least one unusual word or phrase.

            Dying Day: discourteously
            Intuition Told Me: akimbo
            Breakfast Time: reminiscing, frolic
            Simply Thrilled Honey: roominess (never mind another song, I'm not sure I've ever heard anyone use that word anywhere else ever)
            Untitled Melody: sunspecs

            etc etc.

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              #7
              Another by The Fall in Joker Hysterical Face; skriking.

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                #8
                This site is a good one to check for uniqueness:

                https://www.lyrics.com/lyrics/frolic

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                  #9
                  Ian Dury is always a good starting point for unique lyrics

                  "prannet" from Billericay Dickie seems a sound nomination, although possibly also a couple of other words in the fabulous rhyming sequence of

                  Janet / Thanet / ban it / plan it / gannet / prannet / Janet / pomegranate

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                    #10
                    "Kemosabe" by Everything Everything is a potentially rich seam for this but I'll do it properly and check them on the site Sporting suggested :

                    Genuflecting - NO! 10 other results
                    Penitent - NO! 54 other results
                    Monologuing - YES! it's unique, but is it a real word?
                    Kalashnikoving - YES! it's unique, but not a real word
                    Trilobite - NO! 11 other results (including several as a song title)
                    Perps - MAYBE! the site shows 64 other results but most seem to be perp singular (which is also appearing in the results) rather then plural

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                      #11
                      Originally posted by jwdd27 View Post
                      Ian Dury is always a good starting point for unique lyrics

                      "prannet" from Billericay Dickie seems a sound nomination, although possibly also a couple of other words in the fabulous rhyming sequence of

                      Janet / Thanet / ban it / plan it / gannet / prannet / Janet / pomegranate
                      I'm on another planet
                      She's from the Isle of Thanet

                      (She's in Broadstairs)

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                        #12
                        Nigel Blackwell must be the king of unique words.

                        Especially if we can use proper nouns too.

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                          #13
                          'Reminiscing' also appears in Mockingbird by Eminem.

                          I think we did this a few of years ago and I suggested there were several in British Sea Power tracks, like:

                          Victorian Ice (whitebait, carbonate, hoopoes, Edwardian)
                          It Ended on an Oily Stage (elegiac)
                          Waving Flags (Carpathians, Vistula)
                          Oh Larsen B (desalinate)
                          Carrion (brilliantine)

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                            #14
                            Originally posted by Greenlander View Post
                            Nigel Blackwell must be the king of unique words.

                            Especially if we can use proper nouns too.
                            Well, as the OP and arbiter, you can use nouns. Though I'd like to stress 'popular song/hit' - otherwise I'm going to bring in the big prog rock guns...

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by johnr View Post
                              Me and Ms johnr lead an exciting life, and got to talking about the word 'Cahoot' in 'Respect Yourself'. I suggested that it was the only time that word might have been used in a popular song/hit.

                              Anyway, we then wondered about other words that as far as we know are only used in one song, and came up with

                              'Tarry' - from Come Up and See Me (Make Me Smile)
                              'Onomatopoeia' - Annie, I'm not your Daddy.

                              All three, fine words and well-used in the songs.
                              The Patience of a Saint by Electronic features the line “As anyone who’s in cahoots/With me will readily tell”

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                                #16
                                ‘Audaciously’ in Charlotte Street by Lloyd Cole and his Commotions.

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                                  #17
                                  Originally posted by Walt Flanagans Dog View Post
                                  "Kemosabe" by Everything Everything is a potentially rich seam
                                  Too young to remember Quantum Jump's The Lone Ranger?

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                                    #18
                                    Originally posted by Gangster Octopus View Post
                                    Too young to remember Quantum Jump's The Lone Ranger?
                                    I wasn't nominating the term "Kemosabe" itself, just some of the words used in the song of that name...

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by johnr View Post

                                      Well, as the OP and arbiter, you can use nouns. Though I'd like to stress 'popular song/hit' - otherwise I'm going to bring in the big prog rock guns...
                                      This is apparent from the site Sporting linked to - there are lots of metal bands turning up.

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                                        #20
                                        Originally posted by Walt Flanagans Dog View Post
                                        I wasn't nominating the term "Kemosabe" itself, just some of the words used in the song of that name...
                                        Fair enough.

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                                          #21
                                          Whenever this comes up I always go on about the thing that crashes to the ground in Blinded By The Light and then I forget how to spell it or what it means and then I look it up and remember it and then it comes up again later and I realise I've forgotten how to spell it again and ... so on.

                                          Anyway, that one. Definitely meets the popular song/hit criteria.

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                                            #22
                                            Looks like The Police are the only band to name-check Nabakov.

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                                              #23
                                              "Carousel" from Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris

                                              Carnivals and cotton candy
                                              Carousels and calliopes
                                              Fortune-tellers in glass cases
                                              We will always remember these
                                              There are a number of others. It may be more common in American.

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                                                #24
                                                The Waterboys' A Man is in love is a medley with Calliope House

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                                                  #25
                                                  Everywhere there's scattered magazines Shooting red from colours yellowing

                                                  Any day of the week’s...

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