I know someone else whose luck rivals james_nicoll's

The two grill cooks at the diner down the street are cousins who grew up next door to each other. Paul and Jarret have been friends since they were very small children. So they naturally double-dated to the prom.

They were all dressed up nice, and both mothers got them lined up for pictures. And a bird crapped on Jarret's head.

He got himself washed up, and they got into the limo they rented and went off to pick up their respective dates. And the limo had a sunroof, so they opened it.

And a bird crapped on Jarret's head.

A language puzzle

What do the following words have in common?

1. cephalopod
2. sophomore
3. monopoly
4. preposterous