Wayne’s Word – Umpteen

It’s a little nod to Wayne’s World, but instead of ‘party time, excellent’ (if you are aware of the cult nineties classic) I will be diving into one WORD each day. It could be something I learned, something bizarre that happened, a favourite word that I have rediscovered or just a thought that won’t leave me alone.

If you’re joining in on today’s word, feel free to use this tag to connect your post to the series: #WaynesWord

Today’s word is UMPTEEN.

I used the word umpteen today and suddenly realised I hadn’t said it in ages. It’s one of those wonderfully vague, old-fashioned expressions that slips out when you’re trying to describe “lots,” “many,” or “more than I can be bothered to count.”

Umpteen is informal, a bit playful, and somehow always sounds more dramatic than simply saying “a lot.” It carries the sense of exaggeration without actually exaggerating, perfect when you’ve told someone something for the umpteenth time or when you’ve had umpteen little jobs to do in a day.

Funny how some words drift out of our vocabulary until a moment brings them back. Maybe umpteen deserves a comeback.