Mesomorph?

[Roddles]

Does anyone else have difficulty accepting mesomorph as common. Particularly in a game where it was the seed word, while sophomore was available but uncommon. My view is that the status of the two should be reversed.

[guyd]

I agree, sophomore was my first word.

Guy

[Ozzyjack]

Sophomore was my first word, too.  I agree with Rod and Guy..

[auntiemo]

I agree, too.

[matt]

Sorry to go against the grain but for me they are the correct way around.

Have used mesomorph.

Don't know sophomore.

[Maudland]

I didn’t get either word🫤  but I’m kicking myself about SOPHOMORE. Never heard of MESOMORPH and looking at the definition, I understand why 😶‍🌫️

SOPHOMORE certainly wouldn’t have been the least played common word if it was one - and 103 more players found it than MESOMORPH… So Roddles has a good point, I reckon.

[Greynomad]

I agree re sophomore, which while infrequently used in Australia, was certainly a surprise to me as uncommon.

That said, as the complete antithesis of a mesomorph, when I chanced upon it, I did at least recognise it.

[Maudland]

FRESHMAN is common, too, which might strengthen the argument for SOPHOMORE?
MESOMORPH seems less clear cut from what people are saying?

[matt]

I was surprised that so many people think a word I didn't even know is common, so I've looked it up and the dictionary says "US only" which explains a lot.

We'd just say "second-year" and it seems strange that there is a need for a special word for that. Oh well, I've learned something.

I suspect that it is not classed as common because it isn't used outside the US. Certainly, the rule "it's not common everywhere" seems to have been applied to words that I use on a regular basis.

[Ozzyjack]

sophomore
/ˈsɒfəmɔ/ (say 'sofuhmaw)
noun 1.  Chiefly US a student in the second year of a course at university, college, or school.

–adjective 2.  being or relating to the second in a series: sophomore album; sophomore novel.

It would appear the Australian bible of a dictionary believes it has usage outside the USA as an adjective.

[guyd]

Yep, I've often heard "sophomore" applied in Australia to artists and bands second album.

Guy

[aka53]

I agree re sophomore, which while infrequently used in Australia, was certainly a surprise to me as uncommon.

That said, as the complete antithesis of a mesomorph, when I chanced upon it, I did at least recognise it.

What he said.

[yelnats]

As I said elsewhere, I have never heard of mesomorph but I have heard of sophomore although I didn’t know it was second year. There's never been subtitles translating it to English or Oz.

Would like homosphere accepted.

[Roddles]

I suspect that it is not classed as common because it isn't used outside the US. Certainly, the rule "it's not common everywhere"...

My understanding of 'common' in Chi is not so much where it is used, but how widely it is known. As an Australian there are many words that are exclusive to the UK or US but which I know very well from reading or movies. Sophomore being one of them.
I am also familiar with the term sophomoric humour, which I don't regard as being exclusively US.

[yelnats]

The local Melbourne paper, "The Age" has a target puzzle. Today's 9 letter word - mesomorph!