Outrageously Funny Word Dictionary :: Intestation

👉 Intestation is a legal concept that refers to the right of an individual, known as the "intestate," to inherit property and assets from their deceased spouse or partner. This includes both personal property such as real estate, furniture, and other tangible items, and intangible assets like life insurance policies, inheritance rights, and charitable donations. The intestacy law in many countries varies, but typically includes specific rules for the distribution of these assets to the surviving family members following a person's death.

intestation

👉 Okay, alright settle down class, let’s tackle this one. Now, you’ll see a rather… prickly little word here:

intestation

. (Let the dramatic intake of breath subside, I know that looks like something dredged from the bottom of a medieval torture pit.)

Right, let's unpack that. 18th and early 19th century gentlemen, specifically during the age of the English gentleman and their rather… theatrical proneness to extreme emotion, were absolutely OBSESSED with it. It basically meant: a stubborn and determined insistence upon something, usually a grievance. But not just about being right; it was a refusal to let that grievance go. You wouldn't just say you were wronged, no, you’d intestate your outrage . 1. Now the origin is what makes this a fascinating little beast. It comes from the obscurely pretty word of the French language: "intestinée". You guessed it! Relating to the gut, the bowels – hence, that internal struggle, that churning, and the unwillingness of an aggrieved man to simply let his belly settle. The whole thing's rather wonderfully overblown, you see? People would intestate about everything - a slight drizzle on a ball bore, the fact the vicar’s hat was slightly askew, whatever! There was this whole performative level of righteous indignation. It practically required a very large brandy for the proper enactment.