Why “oleaginousness” is a great word
OLEAGINOUSNESS — [Noun] The state or quality of being oily, greasy, or excessively smooth and ingratiating. Formed within English from the adjective 'oleaginous' (from Middle French 'oléagineux', from Latin 'oleāginus', meaning 'of the olive tree', from 'olea' meaning 'olive tree, olive oil') + the noun-forming suffix '-ness'. Unlike "unctuousness," which brands a manner as smugly fawning, or "oiliness," which clings to literal viscosity, oleaginousness is the unsettling fusion of the tactile and the temperamental. It is the cold gleam on a reheated pork chop, the handshake that leaves a faint residue on your palm, and the voice of a sycophant that seems to slide, not sound, into your ear—a quality that makes sincerity itself feel like a mirage on a slick, hot road.