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Absquatulate – Word of the Day

By May 15, 2023September 30th, 2026No Comments
absquatulate - word of the day, pencils shown horizontally and layered vertically from top to bottom

Absquatulate is today’s Word of the Day. This is a word from the early 1800s and one that is considered slang. I think it is a fun word to say. Try it…

WORD TYPE DEFINITION PRONUNCIATION
Absquatulate Verb To leave very quickly or in a hurry; To depart, flee; To abscond ab-SKWAH-chuh-layt
SOURCE Blend of abscond +‎ squat +‎ perambulate, as ab- (“away (from)”) (as in abscond) + squat + *-ulate (as in perambulate, properly -ate), hence meaning “get up (from a squat) and depart (quickly). In use since the 1830s in American English.
EXAMPLES
  1. “He has absquatulated, and taken the specie with him.” Source:  Five Hundred Mistakes of Daily Occurrence in Speaking Pronouncing and Writing the English Language, Corrected, Walton Burgess
  2. “Sam might have continued writing bright, frivolous pieces for Bret Harte and his bohemian paper indefinitely, had it not become propitious for him to absquatulate again.” Source: Mark Twain Ron Powers 2005
  3. “When the back porch light turned on, the sneaky raccoons absquatulated.”
  4. “As soon as the cake is cut, I want to absquatulate.”
  5. “To “vamose the ranch” means to clear out, to depart, to cut stick, to absquatulate.”  Source:  Across America, James F. Rusling

Information Sources:  Combination of Dictionary.com; Dictionary of American Regional English; Merriam-Webster Dictionary; Collins English Dictionary; Oxford English Dictionary; Vocabulary.com; A Word a Day; The Etyman™; The Word Finder (J.I. Rodale)
Photography Source:  © Copyright 2023, The Chief Storyteller ®, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Pencils from Unsplash, Kelli Tungay
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Ira Koretsky

About Ira Koretsky

Ira Koretsky has built The Chief Storyteller® into one of the most recognized names in communication, especially business storytelling. He has delivered over 500 keynote presentations and workshops in nearly a dozen countries, in more than one hundred cities, across 30 plus industries. His specialties are simplifying the complex and communicating when the stakes are high. He is also an adjunct professor in public speaking and storytelling at the University of Maryland's Business School. With over 25 years of experience, he is a sought-after storytelling coach, global speaker, trainer, consultant, communication coach, and public speaking coach.

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