The following link was sent by a friend some time ago, a website by the Oxford Dictionary people, dedicated to saving endangered words.

http://www.savethewords.org

It works kind of like the  endangered animal sites where you can chose an animal to adopt, but just because word-adoption is free, does not mean the situation isn’t dire!  My friend wrote: 90 percent of everything written today uses only 7000 words. That’s a little over 4 percent of the 171,476 words that are listed in the Oxford University Dictionary.

To adopt a word, follow the link and scroll around until you find a word or words that move you, and complete the online pledge:  I hereby promise to use this word, in conversation and correspondence, as frequently as possible, to the very best of my ability.

Look at all the choices!

aquabib – water-drinker
blateration – blabber; chatter
frutescent – having or approaching the habit or appearance of a shrub
latibule – hiding place
leeftail – in great demand
nidifice – a nest
pessundate – to cast down or destroy
pudify – to cause to be embarrased
quibbleism – the act of beating around the bush
squiriferous – having the character or qualities of a gentleman

I will not indulge in quibbleisim, but shall tell you directly that my chosen word is flosculation – an embellishment or ornament in speech.