Generally, I feel that "they said" is the best way to tag speech in reporting or fiction, but sometimes you want a verb that expresses something about the way a thing is said or shows the attitude of the speaker to the statement. One of my favorite examples in this regard is the title of a novel by M.E. Kerr: "Hello," I Lied.
Don't worry about "borrowing" lists or list ideas. Wordie is what you want to make it. Don't pay attention to that crazy guy who came up with ten commandments.
Hey there! I started a list almost identical to yours without realizing at first, then found yours. I did cannibalize quite a few of your words, I hope you don't mind! =) I've made my list open for public editing, so feel free to contribute if you want! Cheers.