That’s one of my leeches because I always think sailboat. I really do think that word is a bug. The kanji importing people back in the day got that one wrong.
A recent favorite is 宇宙人
That’s one of my leeches because I always think sailboat. I really do think that word is a bug. The kanji importing people back in the day got that one wrong.
A recent favorite is 宇宙人
I’ve for a long time liked the following:
幸せ (しあわせ) To me, it sounds like what it means.
行方不明 (ゆくえふめい)No idea why, haha. I just like the sound.
Words with 不明 are always fun to me – 消化不明 (しょうかふめい) is a favorite because the phrasing of “uncertain digestion” is a lot more entertaining to me than the actual meaning of “indigestion.” (EDIT: this is wrong, actually – thanks to @yamitenshi for the correction)
Isn’t indigestion 消化不良?
Shoot – you’re right; my mistake!
This is revolutionary, thank you. I don’t speak Italian but I know a few words from playing classical music (that’s one of them!).
For some dark reason, I personally love how 暗殺 (あんさつ) sounds. It is so fitting.
I know there are lots of other words I like for different reasons, but I can’t name them off the top of my head right now.
Edit I just remembered how I also love 確かめる (たしかめる) and variants of the verb like 確かに, etc. The rhythm and sonority of it hook me all the time.
みゆき族, this word is so awfully specific.
Maybe, 諦めないで sounds like, don’t get clear eyes or don’t open your eyes.
風船 is one of my leeches for the exact same reason…
… and English!
Although in English it also includes the ones with very pointy teeth for making perforations in paper, it’s mostly used to refer to cogs.
昔話 - Just sounds funny
お袋 - Sounds mean in English
海王星 just sounds kinda cool. 
言葉 was always a fun one to me. Nice to say, and word leaf is such a fun combination
Last week I learned 孫の手 which means backscratcher.
But I originally read it literally as “grandchild’s hand”
I only learned that it meant backscratcher because I looked it up after being a bit confused by the sentence that I read it in, which I had understood as “I use my grandchild’s hand to scratch my back” , which felt a bit weird to me 
My favorites were always the ones that seemed like someone forgot the word and just improvised. He broke his, what-do-you-call-it… hand… neck.
My new favorite also has to do with the hands - 手袋 (hand-bag). Dang, it’s cold outside, I need to put on my hand… uh, bags. (I actually say that in English now)
I’ve always liked 手首 and 足首
first time I saw them I was like “oh yeah leg neck = ankle, sure I buy that”
金玉 Is my favorite cuz I find it waaaay to funny.
I often find words charming when I encountered them in a charming context. I love the word 説得 because it appeared in a manga where a boy wants to marry a girl, and announces this to her father before letting her know he’s interested. Since she’s sitting right there, pandemonium ensues. It ends with the boy saying 大丈夫、これから時間をかけて、説得します。
So. funny.
A lot of words related to weather are quite fun as well, just this morning during my lesson with my tutor I learnt 雷 (かみなり)which feels like “God is making noise”, for Lightning/Thunder.
As well as 嵐 (あらし)because it is made up of 山 and 風 “a mountain wind” or “wind from the mountain”, for Storm.
Second vote for mukashibanashi
Recently, I’ve found 冗談 (joke) to be quite fitting. Literally ‘superfluous discussion’.