for your edification:  This word really comes in handy if you ever get in any sort of trouble for your filthy, indecently vulgar speech, language, or humor.  Let’s say you’ve been caught by your English teacher telling that joke you like to tell about the group of nuns, the plate of tuna, and a poodle (classic!).  Your teacher is shocked by your vulgarity, so you look her in the eye and say, “I must apologize for my ribaldlanguage and humor.  My discourteous tongue is unrefined in discourse, yet innocuous in intention.”  Seriously, your English teacher (or mom, or principal, or grocery store checkout lady) will be so delighted by your stirring apology laden with impressive vocabulary that she’ll forgive your vulgar little mouth.

But, you ask:  how will I remember that ribald is the word that means indecently vulgar in speech, language, or humor?  I always say the best way to learn is by example.  So, here are some ribald examples that you may use for your benefit:

  

       1)    When Pete McClaren’s biology teacher reprimanded Pete for constantly using vulgar speech, the ninth grader responded, “Sorry, Mrs. L.  I didn’t think you’d mind.   I’ve always considered my humor ribald for her pleasure.”

 

       2) The ninth grade basketball team had a habit of discussing vulgaracts as though they had lived them, when in reality they knew next to nothing about, well, anything really.  Anyways, for whatever reason, for about a month and a half, the rumor spread that Joey Maxwell had experienced quite the embarrassing occurrence when, for whatever reason, he rib-balled Nicole DeLesario.  If you are unfamiliar with the act of rib-balling, it involves the strange meeting of Nicole DeLesario’s ribs, and – you guessed it – Joey Maxwell’s balls. 

      3) Finally, just when Joey Maxwell’s rib-balling legend had lost its luster, Marty Davidson achieved the ultimate ninth grade urban legend in which he reported that when he visited his brother in college, he had taken part in a McRibald.  His peers listened in disbelief as Marty Davidson chronicled the outrageous places that that one college chick allegedly (we don’t know her; she’s Canadian) liked to put her McRib sandwich.  Indecent, indeed!