11 Obscure 'J' Words Useful in Words With Friends

Someone recently played "jute" on me with devastating results. I decided I didn't know enough quick, hard-hitting 'J' words. Here are 11 that I just discovered:

1. Jute

A strong, coarse fiber from two East Indian plants often used in making burlap and gunny. Basically, the stuff sacks are made of.

2. Jus

A legal word (from Latin) meaning "a right" or a yummy word meaning juice or gravy, as in "au jus," which is French for "in its own juice"—it's the stuff in which you dip your Quizno's Steakhouse Peppercorn sandy.

3. Jow

As a noun, it's the ringing or tolling of a bell. As a verb, it is to ring or toll a bell or to hit or strike someone, especially on the head. It's a new word for me and one that could have launched Edgar Allan Poe into a more Seussian poetic career with this kid-friendly alternative to "tintinnabulation" (which, by the way, is just an altogether wonderful word).

4. Jarl

A Scandinavian earl.

5. Jaup

Of Scottish, and supposedly onomatopoetic, origin. In its noun form, it means a splash or drop of water. As a verb, to splash or spatter.

6. Jauk

To dawdle. Not thought to be onomatopoetic in origin, although it is incidentally the exact sound that I tend to make when procrastinating. It is, however, of Scottish origin, which once again proves my theory that Words With Friends creators love Scotland almost as much as Germans love David Hasselhoff.

7. Jinn

From Islamic mythology, the class of supernatural beings that, on the spirit hierarchy, is just below angels. The Qu'ran indicates that they are one of the three sentient creatures of Allah (along with angels and humans) and were made of "smokeless fire." They are thought of as the precursor to the "genies" of more modern cultures.

8. Juba

A kind of lively dance that involves rhythmic hand-clapping, stomping, and patting of the arms, legs, chest, and cheeks. Some of the steps in juba dance are called "Blow That Candle Out," "Pigeon Wing," and "The Long Dog Scratch."

9. Jupe

French for "skirt," this word has, over the years, referred to several different articles of clothing: a tunic, usually featuring heraldic arms, typically worn over armor (shortened from "jupon"); a type of skirt; a style of jacket; or baggy pants in what they call "Central European hip-hop fashion"—a style with which I am not at all familiar but surely ought to be. Jupe is accepted in Words With Friends but I'm not certain which fashion statement the game finds most acceptable—I like to think that it's the armor bit because that's what I envision myself wearing when I play.

10. Jabot

A decorative ruffle or other arrangement of lace or cloth starting at the neckline and extending down the front of a shirt or dress. A jabot is, in part, what makes "The Puffy Shirt" puffy.

11. Jawan

A soldier in the Indian army.