The Joy of using Archaic Words
Today’s word: Flagitious
Like Wow. In the month of May already. And yet to partake in that Sweet SWEET aroma of freshly cut grass. Oh well, it will happen soon enough with the nicer weather, warmer days, etc. Can hardly wait!! 😊 😊
The word for this post, Flagitious. From my copy of the New World Dictionary (America English, 3rd edition), it is an adjective meaning shameless wicked; vile & scandalous. From the Universal Handbook, it is an adjective meaning (1) atrocious; wicked (2) highly criminal. From Google, from the Oxford Languages, flagitious is an adjective meaning of a person (or their actions) criminal; villainous.
Ok then, 2 of the 3 sources I am using cite flagitious = highly criminal, criminal, villainous. Oh My, the nearly infinite number references I could use re: any criminal or partaking in criminal acts, villainous behaviour, deceitful behaviour/actions to achieve ill-gotten gains or loot aka perf or to partake a nefarious plot/scheme to scam, to cheat aka to win in a illegal manner. Here goes:
The Wild Bunch with Warren Oates & Ben Johnson
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Paul Newman & Robert Redford
The Sting with Paul Newman & Robert Redford
The Sting II with Jackie Gleason & Mac Davis
Johnny Dangerously with Michael Keaton & Peter Boyle
Lethal Weapon I, II, III, IV with Mel Gibson & Danny Glover
Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen with Don Cheadle & Casey Affleck
Reindeer Games with Gary Sinise and Charlize Theron
The Town with Ben Affleck and Jeremy Renner
From Dusk till Dawn with Harvey Keitel and Juliette Lewis
The Avengers with Sean Connery and Uma Thurman
Kill Bill Volume I & II with Uma Thurman and Michael Madsen
Reservoir Dogs with Michael Madsen and Chris Penn
The Departed with Martin Sheen & Jack Nicholson
Prizzi’s Honour with Kathleen Turner & Robert Loggia
Good Fellas with Lorraine Bracco & Paul Sorvino
Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean with Victoria Principal and Anthony Perkins
Ocean’s Eight with Cate Blanchett & Mindy Kaling
All the Dean Wish movies including the Remake with Bruce Willis
Lone Wolf McQuade with LQ Jones and Dana Kimmel
Raw Deal with Kathyrn Harrold and Darrin McGavin
Die Hard with Bonnie Bedelia and William Atherton
To Catch a Thief with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant
The Apple Dumpling Gang with Harry Morgan and John McGiver
Under Siege with Colm Meaney and Tommy Lee Jones
Taxi Driver with Harvey Keitel and Jodie Foster
The Untouchables with Andy Garcia and Billy Drago
The Ladykillers with Marlon Wayans and JK Simmons
Point Break with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze
Next of Kin with Patrick Swayze and Bill Paxton
Tough Guys with Dana Carvey and Darlanne Fluegel
Birdman of Alcatraz with Burt Lancaster and Crahan Denton
Victor/Victoria with Robert Preston and Alex Karras
Fatal Beauty with Brad Dourif and Harris Yulin
Burglar with Lesley Ann Warren and Bobcat Goldthwait
All the Police Academy movies with Marion Ramsey and Bubba Smith
The Golden Child with Charles Dance and Charlette Lewis
The Pink Panther with Robert Wagner and David Niven
Young Guns I & II with Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips
Maverick with Graham Greene and James Coburn
Rough Cuts with David Niven and Lesley-Anne Down
Scavenger Hunt with Willie Ames and Dirt Benedict
Beverly Hills Cop movies with Judge Reinhold and Eddie Murphy
Used Cars with Gerritt Graham and Deborah Harmon
The Sugarland Express with Goldie Hawn and Steve Kanaly
Bachelor Party with Gary Grossman and William Tepper
Fuzz with Jack Weston and Raquel Welch
Phantom of the Paradise with William Finley and Peter Elbling
Lassiter with Tom Selleck and Lauren Hutton
The Hunter with Steve McQueen and LeVar Burton
Blind Fury with Brandon Call and Sho Kosugi
Peg Leg, Musket and Sabre with Danny DeVito and Neville Brand
Ok, that’s enough of that. Of course, I could continue, not just with movies [have not listed any movies re: comic books nor superheroes. Did that on purpose because that would be too easy for me to list, cough cough Batman with Michael Gough and Tracey Walter], but TV shows as well. I will only list one TV show where the protagonist is paid to deal with or prevent flagitious behaviour, Vega$ with Robert Urich.
Man alive, flagitious is one of these words that could be used or spoken on a daily basis. I mean, the News reports criminal acts almost daily. I am a tad surprised that Newscasters don’t voice regularly. I had no idea this word existed until this past week. And nearly every movie, even cartoon or animated movies, has some sort of non goody-two shoes moment aka criminal acts in them (well, in my opinion anyway). I am very curious why this word is not used in Cop shows, Detective Shows. That, or in movies. I mean, if it is spoken “flagitious”, people are going to think immediately of what, a flag only. Then, are people going to ask “What country is flagitious? Where it is located, South Pacific, near Gilligan’s Island perhaps?” 😊 😊.
To recap, flagitious is an adjective meaning criminal or highly criminal, villainous. The Joy of this word, recollecting all the movies ONLY I can apply this word too. Low and behold, Tons & Tons; and I barely scratched the surface. And not just the common or the more well-known movies such as Lethal Weapon and Beverly Hills Cop. Movies like Lassiter, Scavenger Hunt or Peg Leg, Musket & Sabre [which was originally released Titled Scalawag] in this day & age, esoteric, so NOT well known. That was fun to do, recollect these less not well-known movies, especially Lassiter. I watched that movie once on VHS back in the mid-1980s, never watched it again. Yet, recollected it, decades later, talk about pulling it out of one’s prat. Yup, all these years of being an on & off again Chesterfield Lounger, not a waste of time 😊 😊. Plus, I can probably use/voice this word on a daily basis to describe not great, not good behaviours/acts. That or least substitute criminal and/or villainous with flagitious. Will probably have to explain the word, but happy to do. And to be honest, I am tempted to go through my Batman and Detective Comics, to see if flagitious is written even once. May have more luck with Marvel comics, maybe in the Spider-Man, Captain America, Daredevil, Power Man and Iron Fist issues. So, got my own Scavenger Hunt now 😊😊.
Post again in 2 weeks Y’all. May the Sunshine moments outnumber the Non-Sunshine moments.
BDJ signing off. Merci.