"Nincompoop" is Britain's favourite word, according to a new survey.

More than 2,000 Brits were asked to choose their favourite from a shortlist chosen from the 16,500 words in the Cambridge English Dictionary.

The survey found 13% of respondents chose "nincompoop" which is believed to be derived from the Latin "non compos mentis", meaning not of sound mind.

The poll was commissioned by Ubisoft, makers of the language computer game My Word Search.

The second most popular word was "love" and the third was "mum".

Ubisoft spokesman Mike Masuku said: "The results demonstrate our passion for language and the sentiment we attach to words such as love and mum.

"It also highlights how narrow most people's vocabulary has become."

My grandmother used to use that word a lot.

Where does that witty colloquial term of a modern-day archetypal mechanism for the art of insulting discourse rank? "AND", furthermore; where ("Moon-Faced Dweeb!!!") did it originate?
[Edited 11/23/07 4:10am]

CarrieMpls said:

I'm going to start using it more often, I'm also going to buy a top hat and possibly a monocle later.

Funny...I have yet to hear that word from anyone since I have been here.

Here are the one's that I hear the most:

Wanker
Bloody
Bloody hell
Chav
Knob

I heard a 40 yr old man say "cheerio" on the phone the other day.
[Edited 11/23/07 4:18am]

I love the word

Discombobulate....

I often get Discombobulated in PM&M..

shanti0608 said:

yeah the shop assistants in Asda are really rude aren't they

How bizarre; I was sure it would be "twunt" or "cockbadger"

How do you know 13% of the respondants weren't calling the poll interviewer nincompoop?

jami0mckay said:

Ha!!!!

I have only been in that store once since I have been here. I think I was the one calling ppl all of those words...
I thought of another one...
knob


I am going to pick up some bad language I am afraid.

PANDURITO said:

nincompoop

jami0mckay said:

jami0mckay said:

I will lend you my smoking jacket and my fez if you want

We are the "NINcumpoops!!!"
[Edited 11/23/07 4:27am]

mdiver said:

I cannot see you wearing either of those items.

Is it a biker's smoking jacket?

FarrahMoan said:

PANDURITO said:

Jus playin'!!! You know I love Trent Rezzie and the Rest!!!

benyamin said:

It was smoking as i slid along the deck the other day

PANDURITO said:

jami0mckay said:

omg!!! I LOVE monocles.

CarrieMpls said:

I've got a hall and oates song stuck in my head and i don't know what its called

jami0mckay said:

Is it that maneater song?

CarrieMpls said:

oooh here she comes, watch out now she'll chew you uuuuup

no.

mdiver said:

At first when I saw the title, I thought it was something to do with - you-know-what.