16 words from Knuckle Puck lyrics that will expand your vocabulary

If you’ve ever found yourself unfamiliar with some of the words used in Knuckle Puck songs (What does Copacetic even mean?), don’t feel stupid—you’re not the only one who has been taken aback by their creative integration of uncommon vocabulary.

The band have done a great job incorporating intelligent and often underused words into their lyrics over the years—not to come off as pretentious, but to add depth to their tracks.

“We’re not trying to make it confusing; we would like for people who listen to our band to really delve deeper and figure out what we’re actually trying to say,” guitarist Kevin Maida tells Noisey. “When you’re writing lyrics you can get pretty bland pretty fast without even trying to.”

With help from Merriam-Webster, here is a streamlined definition list of some the “big words” Knuckle Puck have used in their songs.

Cavalier
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Track: “In Your Crosshairs”
Lyric: “From the kitchen steps, through the ceiling vents/So careless and cavalier“
Definition: adjective; dismissal of important matters

Complacent

Track: “Bedford Falls”
Lyric: “Fucked and complacent/condemned to my basement”
Definition: adjective; satisfied with how things are and not wanting to change them

Contrite

Track: “True Contrite”
Lyric: “Between the covers, we sleep on beds of lies/Someday your true contrite will find you”
Definition: adjective; feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming

Copacetic

Track: “Ponder”
Lyric: ”I’ll tell you everything is copacetic“
Definition: adjective; very satisfactory

Depreciation

Track: “Wall To Wall (Depreciation)”
Lyric: “Wall to fucking wall depreciation/You twist my tongue with costly dividends”
Definition: verb; to lower in honor or esteem

Disdain

Track: ”Disdain”
Lyric: “My disdain for the Pacific threw my name into distant mouths”
Definition: verb; to strongly dislike or disapprove of (someone or something)

Enamored

Track: “Poison Pen Letter”
Lyric: “Once a young boy enamored by the things that you gave me”
Definition: verb; to cause to feel a strong or excessive interest or fascination

Expendable

Track: “But Why Would You Care?”
Lyric: “I am expendable, but I guess that’s just the way things go.”
Definition: adjective; easily replaced : not worth saving : not meant to be saved : meant to be used and thrown away

Fallacy

Track: “Poison Pen Letter”
Lyric: “Cause all you turned out to be was a fallacy“
Definition: noun; a wrong belief : a false or mistaken idea

Leverage

Track: “Everything Must Go”
Lyric: “So now all that I've got anymore/Is some leverage to settle the score”
Definition: noun; influence or power used to achieve a desired result

Occupate

Track: ”Disdain”
Lyric: “And if you let me stay I'll keep out of your way/My space is yours to occupate“
Definition: verb; to occupy or take up space

Ostentatious

Track: “Transparency”
Lyric: “Where’s the sustenance in being ostentatious?”
Definition: adjective; attracting or fond of attracting attention by showing off wealth or cleverness

Permanence

Track: “But Why Would You Care?”
Lyric: “These hands are broken and calloused, but nobody seems to notice/And you yelled it into permanence“
Definition: noun; the quality or state of being permanent or everlasting

Pretense

Track: “Pretense”
Lyric: “I’ll leave you in the dark with a broken flashlight/You left me with a choice and a pretense“
Definition: noun; a false reason or explanation that is used to hide the real purpose of something

Stagnant

Track: “Swing”
Lyric: “I’ve been feeling stagnant and cracked underneath”
Definition: adjective; not active, changing or progressing

Sustenance

Track: “Transparency”
Lyric: “Where’s the sustenance in being ostentatious?”
Definition: noun; something that gives support, endurance or strength