International Dictionary Day
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October 16, 2017 is the unofficial date of International Dictionary Day.
The day celebrates the birthday of American lexicographer, Noah Webster (born in 1758), a man remembered more that 250 years after his birth for being the creator of the well-known Merriam-Webster dictionaries. To help mark 'International' Dictionary Day in our class, and to have a little fun, we're going to spend some time playing with language. After all "There is power in language, (and) in the command of a broad vocabulary ... Poets use words to describe a great and beautiful world, to enchant us and enlighten us. Scientists fiddle out the minutest of miracles in the functioning of the world, and pass them on by using precise and clear language that transmits information from one to another," and we, as future Green Leaders, need to call on the power of words to inform, to explain, and to encourage others to join us in making positive change in the world. "So, it is only fitting that such a thing as Dictionary Day would exist to encourage us to challenge our vocabulary, to broaden it and perhaps take an opportunity to expand our language to the full scope of the tongue’s diversity." (DaysOfTheYear.com) |
In 1807, at the age 49, Noah Webster reportedly "began compiling an expanded and fully comprehensive American Dictionary of the English Language. It took twenty-seven years to complete. To evaluate the etymology of the words he was including in his tome, Webster learned twenty-six languages, including Old English (Anglo-Saxon), German, Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Arabic and Sanskrit. His finished book contained seventy thousand words, of which twelve thousand had never appeared in a published dictionary before. " (NationalDayCalendar.com). Quite an achievement.
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Sounds grand, doesn't it? That doesn't mean it can't be fun though.
So to kick us off, let's take a look at some words that you probably shouldn't drop into intellectual conversation. The words below are taken from the Meaning of Liff*, a fun take on a traditional dictionary, written by two famous comedians. A word of warning, these words aren't 'real' words. The comedians who created them started by noticing funny and unusual happenings in every day life that didn't seem to have a word set aside to describe them. They then carefully and cleverly matched those observations with words which already existed but didn't have a meaning, place names. Browse through the list and see if you can recognise any these items or events in your own life. You may even like to share them with your parents, there are a few that are included just for them. Then when you're finished, we're going to challenge ourselves to a little creative thinking game, and see if we can create some of our own words to add to the list.
* Note: The Meaning of Liff was written for adults and isn't suitable for us in primary school, so maybe hold off on finding it in the library for a few years. There are plenty of good, funny, clean words/jokes below anyway, and I'm really looking forward to hearing your ideas for other words we could include.
So to kick us off, let's take a look at some words that you probably shouldn't drop into intellectual conversation. The words below are taken from the Meaning of Liff*, a fun take on a traditional dictionary, written by two famous comedians. A word of warning, these words aren't 'real' words. The comedians who created them started by noticing funny and unusual happenings in every day life that didn't seem to have a word set aside to describe them. They then carefully and cleverly matched those observations with words which already existed but didn't have a meaning, place names. Browse through the list and see if you can recognise any these items or events in your own life. You may even like to share them with your parents, there are a few that are included just for them. Then when you're finished, we're going to challenge ourselves to a little creative thinking game, and see if we can create some of our own words to add to the list.
* Note: The Meaning of Liff was written for adults and isn't suitable for us in primary school, so maybe hold off on finding it in the library for a few years. There are plenty of good, funny, clean words/jokes below anyway, and I'm really looking forward to hearing your ideas for other words we could include.
A
Aboyne (vb.): To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly that none of his or her clever tactics or strategies are of any use.
Abruzzo (n.): The worn patch of ground under a swing.
Acklins (pl. n.): The odd twinges you get in parts of your body when you scratch other parts.
Ahenny (adj.): The way people stand when examining other people's bookshelves.
Aigburth (n.): Any piece of readily identifiable anatomy found amongst cooked meat.
Aith (n.): The single bristle that sticks out sideways on a cheap paintbrush.
Ampus (n.): A lurid bruise which you can't remember getting.
Aboyne (vb.): To beat an expert at a game of skill by playing so appallingly that none of his or her clever tactics or strategies are of any use.
Abruzzo (n.): The worn patch of ground under a swing.
Acklins (pl. n.): The odd twinges you get in parts of your body when you scratch other parts.
Ahenny (adj.): The way people stand when examining other people's bookshelves.
Aigburth (n.): Any piece of readily identifiable anatomy found amongst cooked meat.
Aith (n.): The single bristle that sticks out sideways on a cheap paintbrush.
Ampus (n.): A lurid bruise which you can't remember getting.
B
Bathel (vb.): To pretend to have read the book under discussion when in fact you've only seen the TV series.
Belper (n.): A knob of someone else's chewing gum which you unexpectedly find your hand resting on.
Bishop's Caundle (n.): An opening gambit before a game of chess where the missing pieces are replaced by small ornaments from the mantelpiece.
Bodmin (n.): That irrational and inevitable discrepancy between the amount pooled and the amount needed when a large group of people try to pay a bill together after a meal.
Boolteens (pl. n.): The small scattering of foreign coins which inhabit dressing tables. Since they are never used and never thrown away, boolteens account for a significant drain on the world's money supply.
Boscastle (n.): The huge pyramid of tin cans placed just inside the entrance to a supermarket.
Bathel (vb.): To pretend to have read the book under discussion when in fact you've only seen the TV series.
Belper (n.): A knob of someone else's chewing gum which you unexpectedly find your hand resting on.
Bishop's Caundle (n.): An opening gambit before a game of chess where the missing pieces are replaced by small ornaments from the mantelpiece.
Bodmin (n.): That irrational and inevitable discrepancy between the amount pooled and the amount needed when a large group of people try to pay a bill together after a meal.
Boolteens (pl. n.): The small scattering of foreign coins which inhabit dressing tables. Since they are never used and never thrown away, boolteens account for a significant drain on the world's money supply.
Boscastle (n.): The huge pyramid of tin cans placed just inside the entrance to a supermarket.
C
Climpy (adj.): Allowing yourself to be persuaded to do something and pretending to be reluctant.
Cloates Point (n.): The precise instant at which scrambled eggs are ready.
Clun (n.): A leg which has gone to sleep and has to be hauled around after you.
Coodardy (adj.): Astounded at what you've just managed to get away with.
Cotterstock (n.): A piece of wood used to stir paint and thereafter stored uselessly in the shed in perpetuity.
Craboon (vb.): To shout boisterously from a cliff.
Cromarty (n.): The brittle sludge which clings to the top of ketchup bottles and plastic tomatoes in cafés.
Climpy (adj.): Allowing yourself to be persuaded to do something and pretending to be reluctant.
Cloates Point (n.): The precise instant at which scrambled eggs are ready.
Clun (n.): A leg which has gone to sleep and has to be hauled around after you.
Coodardy (adj.): Astounded at what you've just managed to get away with.
Cotterstock (n.): A piece of wood used to stir paint and thereafter stored uselessly in the shed in perpetuity.
Craboon (vb.): To shout boisterously from a cliff.
Cromarty (n.): The brittle sludge which clings to the top of ketchup bottles and plastic tomatoes in cafés.
D
Dalfibble (vb.): To spend large swathes of your life looking for car keys.
Dalmilling (ptcl. vb.): Continually making small talk to someone who is trying to read a book.
Darvel (vb.): To hold out hope for a better invitation until the last minute.
Deal (n.): The gummy substance found between damp toes.
Dewlish (adj.): (Of the hands and feet.) Prunelike after an overlong bath.
Dinder (vb.): To nod thoughtfully while someone gives you a long and complex set of directions which you know you're never going to remember.
Dipple (vb.): To try to remove a sticky something from one hand with the other, thus causing it to get stuck to the other hand and eventually to anything else you try to remove it with.
Dobwalls (pl. n.): The now hard-boiled bits of nastiness which have to be prised off crockery by hand after it has been through a dishwasher.
Dorchester (n.): Someone else's throaty cough which obscures the crucial part of the rather amusing remark you've just made.
Draffan (n.): An infuriating person who always manages to look much more dashing than anyone else by turning up unshaven at a formal party.
Duddo (n.): The most unusually formed potato in any given collection of potatoes.
Dufton (n.): The last page of a document that you always leave face down in the photocopier and have to go and retrieve later.
Duleek (n.): Sudden realization, as you lie in bed waiting for the alarm to go off, that it should have gone off an hour ago.
Dumboyne (n.): The realization that the train you have patiently watched pulling out of the station was the one you were meant to be on.
Dunino (n.): Someone who always wants to do whatever you want to do.
Dalfibble (vb.): To spend large swathes of your life looking for car keys.
Dalmilling (ptcl. vb.): Continually making small talk to someone who is trying to read a book.
Darvel (vb.): To hold out hope for a better invitation until the last minute.
Deal (n.): The gummy substance found between damp toes.
Dewlish (adj.): (Of the hands and feet.) Prunelike after an overlong bath.
Dinder (vb.): To nod thoughtfully while someone gives you a long and complex set of directions which you know you're never going to remember.
Dipple (vb.): To try to remove a sticky something from one hand with the other, thus causing it to get stuck to the other hand and eventually to anything else you try to remove it with.
Dobwalls (pl. n.): The now hard-boiled bits of nastiness which have to be prised off crockery by hand after it has been through a dishwasher.
Dorchester (n.): Someone else's throaty cough which obscures the crucial part of the rather amusing remark you've just made.
Draffan (n.): An infuriating person who always manages to look much more dashing than anyone else by turning up unshaven at a formal party.
Duddo (n.): The most unusually formed potato in any given collection of potatoes.
Dufton (n.): The last page of a document that you always leave face down in the photocopier and have to go and retrieve later.
Duleek (n.): Sudden realization, as you lie in bed waiting for the alarm to go off, that it should have gone off an hour ago.
Dumboyne (n.): The realization that the train you have patiently watched pulling out of the station was the one you were meant to be on.
Dunino (n.): Someone who always wants to do whatever you want to do.
E
Eads (pl. n.): The sludgy bits in the bottom of a dustbin, underneath the actual bin liner.
Eakring (ptcpl. vb.): Wondering what to do next when you've just stormed out of something.
Ely (n.): The first, tiniest inkling that something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong.
Eads (pl. n.): The sludgy bits in the bottom of a dustbin, underneath the actual bin liner.
Eakring (ptcpl. vb.): Wondering what to do next when you've just stormed out of something.
Ely (n.): The first, tiniest inkling that something, somewhere, has gone terribly wrong.
F
Farnham (n.): The feeling you get at about three o'clock in the afternoon when you haven't got enough done.
Ferfer (n.): One who is very excited that they've had a better idea than the one you've just suggested.
Finuge (vb.): In any division of foodstuffs equally between several people, to give yourself the extra slice left over.
Fiunary (n.): The safe place you put something and forget where it was.
Fladderbister (n.): That part of a raincoat which trails out of a car after you've closed the door on it.
Foffarty (adj.): Unable to find the right moment to leave.
Foindle (vb.): To queue-jump very discreetly by working one's way up the line without being spotted doing so.
Fraddam (n.): The small awkward-shaped piece of cheese which remains after grating a large regular-shaped piece of cheese, and which enables you to grate your fingers.
Framlingham (n.): A kind of burglar alarm in common usage. It is cunningly designed so that it can ring at full volume in the street without apparently disturbing anyone. Other types of framlinghams are burglar alarms fitted to business premises in residential areas, which go off as a matter of regular routine at 5.31 p.m. on a Friday evening and do not get turned off till 9.20 a.m. on Monday morning.
Frating Green (adj.): The shade of green which is supposed to make you feel comfortable in hospitals, industrious in schools and uneasy in police stations.
Fring (n.): The noise made by a lightbulb that has just shone its last.
Fritham (n.): A paragraph that you get stuck on in a book. The more you read it, the less it means to you.
Frolesworth (n.): Measure. The minimum time it is necessary to spend frowning in deep concentration at each picture in an art gallery in order that everyone else doesn't think you're a complete moron.
Fulking (ptcpl.vb.): Pretending not to be in when the carol-singers come round.
Farnham (n.): The feeling you get at about three o'clock in the afternoon when you haven't got enough done.
Ferfer (n.): One who is very excited that they've had a better idea than the one you've just suggested.
Finuge (vb.): In any division of foodstuffs equally between several people, to give yourself the extra slice left over.
Fiunary (n.): The safe place you put something and forget where it was.
Fladderbister (n.): That part of a raincoat which trails out of a car after you've closed the door on it.
Foffarty (adj.): Unable to find the right moment to leave.
Foindle (vb.): To queue-jump very discreetly by working one's way up the line without being spotted doing so.
Fraddam (n.): The small awkward-shaped piece of cheese which remains after grating a large regular-shaped piece of cheese, and which enables you to grate your fingers.
Framlingham (n.): A kind of burglar alarm in common usage. It is cunningly designed so that it can ring at full volume in the street without apparently disturbing anyone. Other types of framlinghams are burglar alarms fitted to business premises in residential areas, which go off as a matter of regular routine at 5.31 p.m. on a Friday evening and do not get turned off till 9.20 a.m. on Monday morning.
Frating Green (adj.): The shade of green which is supposed to make you feel comfortable in hospitals, industrious in schools and uneasy in police stations.
Fring (n.): The noise made by a lightbulb that has just shone its last.
Fritham (n.): A paragraph that you get stuck on in a book. The more you read it, the less it means to you.
Frolesworth (n.): Measure. The minimum time it is necessary to spend frowning in deep concentration at each picture in an art gallery in order that everyone else doesn't think you're a complete moron.
Fulking (ptcpl.vb.): Pretending not to be in when the carol-singers come round.
G
Gaffney (n.): Someone who deliberately misunderstands things for, he hopes, humorous effect.
Garrow (n.): Narrow wiggly furrow left after pulling a hair off a painted surface.
Gallipolli (adj.): Of the behaviour of a bottom lip trying to spit out mouthwash after an injection at the dentist. Hence, loose, floppy, useless. 'She went all gallipoli in his arms' - Noel Coward
Garvock (n.): The action of putting your finger in your cheek and flicking it out with a 'pock' noise.
Ghent (adj.): Descriptive of the mood indicated by cartoonists by drawing a character's mouth as a wavy line.
Gildersome (adj.): Descriptive of a joke someone tells you which starts well, but which becomes so embellished in the telling that you start to weary of it after scarcely half an hour.
Gilgit (n.): A hidden, sharply-pointed object which stabs you in the cuticle when you reach into a small pot.
Gilling (n.): The warm tingling you get in your feet when having a really good widdle.
Golant (adj.): Blank, sly and faintly embarrassed. Pertaining to the expression seen on the face of someone who has clearly forgotten your name.
Gonnabarn (n.): An afternoon wasted on watching an old movie on TV.
Greeley (n.): Someone who continually annoys you by continually apologizing for annoying you.
Gress (vb.): (Rare) To stick to the point during a family argument.
Gruids (n.): The only bits of an animal left after even the people who make sausage rolls have been at it.
Gulberwick (n.): The small particle that you always think you've got stuck at the back of your throat after you've been sick.
Gaffney (n.): Someone who deliberately misunderstands things for, he hopes, humorous effect.
Garrow (n.): Narrow wiggly furrow left after pulling a hair off a painted surface.
Gallipolli (adj.): Of the behaviour of a bottom lip trying to spit out mouthwash after an injection at the dentist. Hence, loose, floppy, useless. 'She went all gallipoli in his arms' - Noel Coward
Garvock (n.): The action of putting your finger in your cheek and flicking it out with a 'pock' noise.
Ghent (adj.): Descriptive of the mood indicated by cartoonists by drawing a character's mouth as a wavy line.
Gildersome (adj.): Descriptive of a joke someone tells you which starts well, but which becomes so embellished in the telling that you start to weary of it after scarcely half an hour.
Gilgit (n.): A hidden, sharply-pointed object which stabs you in the cuticle when you reach into a small pot.
Gilling (n.): The warm tingling you get in your feet when having a really good widdle.
Golant (adj.): Blank, sly and faintly embarrassed. Pertaining to the expression seen on the face of someone who has clearly forgotten your name.
Gonnabarn (n.): An afternoon wasted on watching an old movie on TV.
Greeley (n.): Someone who continually annoys you by continually apologizing for annoying you.
Gress (vb.): (Rare) To stick to the point during a family argument.
Gruids (n.): The only bits of an animal left after even the people who make sausage rolls have been at it.
Gulberwick (n.): The small particle that you always think you've got stuck at the back of your throat after you've been sick.
H
Hepple (vb.): To sculpt the contents of a sugar bowl.
Hever (n.): The panic caused by half-hearing an announcement in an airport.
High Limerigg (n.): The topmost tread of a staircase which disappears when you're climbing the stairs in darkness.
Hosmer (vb.): (Of a TV newsreader) To continue to stare impassively into the camera when it should have already switched to the sports report.
Hove (adj.): Descriptive of the expression on the face of a person in the presence of another who clearly isn't going to stop talking for a very long time.
Huna (n.): The result of coming to the wrong decision.
Hepple (vb.): To sculpt the contents of a sugar bowl.
Hever (n.): The panic caused by half-hearing an announcement in an airport.
High Limerigg (n.): The topmost tread of a staircase which disappears when you're climbing the stairs in darkness.
Hosmer (vb.): (Of a TV newsreader) To continue to stare impassively into the camera when it should have already switched to the sports report.
Hove (adj.): Descriptive of the expression on the face of a person in the presence of another who clearly isn't going to stop talking for a very long time.
Huna (n.): The result of coming to the wrong decision.
I
Imber (vb.): To lean from side to side while watching a car chase in the cinema.
Imber (vb.): To lean from side to side while watching a car chase in the cinema.
J
Jofane (adj.): In breach of the laws of joke telling, e.g. giving away the punchline in advance.
Jofane (adj.): In breach of the laws of joke telling, e.g. giving away the punchline in advance.
K
Kabwum (n.): The cutesy humming noise you make as you go to kiss someone on the cheek.
Kalami (n.): The ancient Eastern art of being able to fold road maps properly.
Kelling (ptcpl. vb.): The action of looking for something all over again in the places you've already looked.
Kirby (n.): Small but repulsive piece of food prominently attached to a person's face or clothing.
Kabwum (n.): The cutesy humming noise you make as you go to kiss someone on the cheek.
Kalami (n.): The ancient Eastern art of being able to fold road maps properly.
Kelling (ptcpl. vb.): The action of looking for something all over again in the places you've already looked.
Kirby (n.): Small but repulsive piece of food prominently attached to a person's face or clothing.
L
Lampeter (n.): The fifth member of a foursome.
Liniclate (adj.): All stiff and achey in the morning and trying to remember why.
Lulworth (n.): Measure of conversation. A lulworth defines the amount of the length, loudness and embarrassment of a statement you make when everyone else in the room unaccountably stops talking at the same moment.
Lampeter (n.): The fifth member of a foursome.
Liniclate (adj.): All stiff and achey in the morning and trying to remember why.
Lulworth (n.): Measure of conversation. A lulworth defines the amount of the length, loudness and embarrassment of a statement you make when everyone else in the room unaccountably stops talking at the same moment.
M
Macroy (n.): An authoritative, confident opinion based on one you read in a newspaper or online.
Millinocket (n.): The thing that rattles around inside an aerosol can.
Motspur (n.): The fourth wheel of a supermarket trolley which looks identical to the other three but renders the trolley completely uncontrollable.
Mugeary (n.): (Medical) The substance from which the unpleasant little yellow globules in the corners of a sleepy person's eyes are made.
Macroy (n.): An authoritative, confident opinion based on one you read in a newspaper or online.
Millinocket (n.): The thing that rattles around inside an aerosol can.
Motspur (n.): The fourth wheel of a supermarket trolley which looks identical to the other three but renders the trolley completely uncontrollable.
Mugeary (n.): (Medical) The substance from which the unpleasant little yellow globules in the corners of a sleepy person's eyes are made.
N
Nad (n.): Measure defined as the distance between a driver's out-stretched fingertips and the ticket machine in an automatic car-park. 1 nad = 18.4 cm.
Namber (vb.): To hang around the table being too shy to sit next to the person you really want to.
Nantucket (n.): The secret pocket which eats your train ticket.
Naugatuck (n.): A plastic sachet containing shampoo, polyfilla, etc., which it is impossible to open except by biting off the corners.
Noak Hoak (n.): A driver who indicated left and turns right.
Nupend (n.): The amount of small change found in the lining of an old jacket which just saves your bacon.
Nad (n.): Measure defined as the distance between a driver's out-stretched fingertips and the ticket machine in an automatic car-park. 1 nad = 18.4 cm.
Namber (vb.): To hang around the table being too shy to sit next to the person you really want to.
Nantucket (n.): The secret pocket which eats your train ticket.
Naugatuck (n.): A plastic sachet containing shampoo, polyfilla, etc., which it is impossible to open except by biting off the corners.
Noak Hoak (n.): A driver who indicated left and turns right.
Nupend (n.): The amount of small change found in the lining of an old jacket which just saves your bacon.
O
Ozark (n.): One who offers to help after all the work has been done.
Ozark (n.): One who offers to help after all the work has been done.
P
Papple (vb.): To do what babies do to soup with their spoons.
Perranzabuloe (n.): One of those spray things used to wet ironing with.
Plumgarths (pl.n.): The corrugations on the ankles caused by wearing tight socks.
Plymouth (vb.): To relate an amusing story to someone without remembering that it was they who told it to you in the first place.
Poges (pl.n.): The lumps of dry powder that remain after cooking a packet of soup.
Polyphant (n.): The mythical beast -- part bird, part snake, part jam stain -- which invariably wins children's painting competitions in the 5-7 age group.
Papple (vb.): To do what babies do to soup with their spoons.
Perranzabuloe (n.): One of those spray things used to wet ironing with.
Plumgarths (pl.n.): The corrugations on the ankles caused by wearing tight socks.
Plymouth (vb.): To relate an amusing story to someone without remembering that it was they who told it to you in the first place.
Poges (pl.n.): The lumps of dry powder that remain after cooking a packet of soup.
Polyphant (n.): The mythical beast -- part bird, part snake, part jam stain -- which invariably wins children's painting competitions in the 5-7 age group.
Q
Quenby (n.): A stubborn spot on a window which you spend twenty minutes trying to clean off before discovering it's on the other side of the glass.
Quenby (n.): A stubborn spot on a window which you spend twenty minutes trying to clean off before discovering it's on the other side of the glass.
R
Ravenna (n.): Poetic term for the cleavage in a workman's bottom that peeks above the top of his trousers.
Rhymney (n.): That part of a song lyric which you suddenly discover you've been mishearing for years.
Rimbey (n.): The particularly impressive throw of a frisbee which causes it to be lost.
Risplith (n.): The burst of applause which greets the sound of a plate smashing in a canteen.
Rochester (n.): One who is able to gain occupation of the armrests on both sides of their cinema or aircraft seat.
Royston (n.): The man behind you in church who sings with terrific gusto almost three-quarters of a tone off the note.
Ravenna (n.): Poetic term for the cleavage in a workman's bottom that peeks above the top of his trousers.
Rhymney (n.): That part of a song lyric which you suddenly discover you've been mishearing for years.
Rimbey (n.): The particularly impressive throw of a frisbee which causes it to be lost.
Risplith (n.): The burst of applause which greets the sound of a plate smashing in a canteen.
Rochester (n.): One who is able to gain occupation of the armrests on both sides of their cinema or aircraft seat.
Royston (n.): The man behind you in church who sings with terrific gusto almost three-quarters of a tone off the note.
S
Salween (n.): A faint taste of washing-up liquid in a cup of tea.
Satterthwaite (vb.): To spray the person you are talking to with half-chewed breadcrumbs or small pieces of whitebait.
Saucillo (n.): A joke told by someone who completely misjudges the temperament of the person to whom it is told.
Sconser (n.): A person who looks around them when talking to you, to see if there's anyone more interesting about.
Scosthrop (vb.): To make vague opening or cutting movements with the hands when wandering about looking for a tin opener, scissors, etc., in the hope that this will help in some way.
Scronkey (n.): Something that hits the window as a result of a violent sneeze.
Sidcup (n.): A hat made from tying knots in the corners of a handkerchief.
Sigglesthorne (n.): Anything used in lieu of a toothpick.
Silloth (n.): Something that was sticky, and is now furry, found on the carpet under the sofa.
Skagway (n.): Sudden outbreak of cones on a motorway.
Skibbereen (n.): The noise made by a sunburned thigh leaving a plastic chair.
Slubbery (n.): The gooey drips of wax that dribble down the sides of a candle.
Soller (vb.): To break something in two while testing if you glued it together properly.
Sompting (n.): The practice of dribbling involuntarily into one's own pillow.
Spreakley (adj.): Irritatingly cheerful in the morning.
Spurger (n.): One who in answer to the question 'How are you?' actually tells you.
Stibbard (n.): The invisible brake pedal on the passenger's side of the car.
Stoke Poges (n.): The tapping movements of an index finger on glass made by a person futilely attempting to communicate with either a tropical fish or a Post Office clerk.
Stowting (ptcpl. vb.): Feeling a pregnant woman's tummy.
Strelley (n.): Long strip of paper or tape which has got tangled round the wheel of something.
Sturry (n.): A token run. Pedestrians who have chosen to cross a road immediately in front of an approaching vehicle generally give a little wave and break into a sturry. This gives the impression of hurrying without having any practical effect on their speed whatsoever.
Sutton and Cheam (ns.): Sutton and Cheam are the two kinds of dirt into which all dirt is divided. 'Sutton' is the dark sort that always gets on to light-coloured things, and 'cheam' the light-coloured sort that always clings on to dark items. Anyone who has ever found Marmite stains on a dress-shirt, or seagull goo on a dinner jacket a) knows all about sutton and cheam, and b) is going to some very curious dinner parties.
Swaffham Bulbeck (n.): An entire picnic lunchtime spent fighting off wasps.
Salween (n.): A faint taste of washing-up liquid in a cup of tea.
Satterthwaite (vb.): To spray the person you are talking to with half-chewed breadcrumbs or small pieces of whitebait.
Saucillo (n.): A joke told by someone who completely misjudges the temperament of the person to whom it is told.
Sconser (n.): A person who looks around them when talking to you, to see if there's anyone more interesting about.
Scosthrop (vb.): To make vague opening or cutting movements with the hands when wandering about looking for a tin opener, scissors, etc., in the hope that this will help in some way.
Scronkey (n.): Something that hits the window as a result of a violent sneeze.
Sidcup (n.): A hat made from tying knots in the corners of a handkerchief.
Sigglesthorne (n.): Anything used in lieu of a toothpick.
Silloth (n.): Something that was sticky, and is now furry, found on the carpet under the sofa.
Skagway (n.): Sudden outbreak of cones on a motorway.
Skibbereen (n.): The noise made by a sunburned thigh leaving a plastic chair.
Slubbery (n.): The gooey drips of wax that dribble down the sides of a candle.
Soller (vb.): To break something in two while testing if you glued it together properly.
Sompting (n.): The practice of dribbling involuntarily into one's own pillow.
Spreakley (adj.): Irritatingly cheerful in the morning.
Spurger (n.): One who in answer to the question 'How are you?' actually tells you.
Stibbard (n.): The invisible brake pedal on the passenger's side of the car.
Stoke Poges (n.): The tapping movements of an index finger on glass made by a person futilely attempting to communicate with either a tropical fish or a Post Office clerk.
Stowting (ptcpl. vb.): Feeling a pregnant woman's tummy.
Strelley (n.): Long strip of paper or tape which has got tangled round the wheel of something.
Sturry (n.): A token run. Pedestrians who have chosen to cross a road immediately in front of an approaching vehicle generally give a little wave and break into a sturry. This gives the impression of hurrying without having any practical effect on their speed whatsoever.
Sutton and Cheam (ns.): Sutton and Cheam are the two kinds of dirt into which all dirt is divided. 'Sutton' is the dark sort that always gets on to light-coloured things, and 'cheam' the light-coloured sort that always clings on to dark items. Anyone who has ever found Marmite stains on a dress-shirt, or seagull goo on a dinner jacket a) knows all about sutton and cheam, and b) is going to some very curious dinner parties.
Swaffham Bulbeck (n.): An entire picnic lunchtime spent fighting off wasps.
T
Timble (vb.): (Of small children) To fall over very gently, look around to see who's about, and then yell blue murder.
Tonypandy (n.): The voice used by presenters on children's television programmes.
Tooting Bec (n.): A car behind which one draws up at the traffic lights and hoots at when the lights go green before realising that the car is parked and there is no one inside.
Tumby (n.): The involuntary abdominal gurgling which fills the silence following someone else's intimate personal revelation.
Timble (vb.): (Of small children) To fall over very gently, look around to see who's about, and then yell blue murder.
Tonypandy (n.): The voice used by presenters on children's television programmes.
Tooting Bec (n.): A car behind which one draws up at the traffic lights and hoots at when the lights go green before realising that the car is parked and there is no one inside.
Tumby (n.): The involuntary abdominal gurgling which fills the silence following someone else's intimate personal revelation.
U
Urchfont (n.): Sudden stab of hypocrisy which goes through the mind when taking vows as a godparent.
Urchfont (n.): Sudden stab of hypocrisy which goes through the mind when taking vows as a godparent.
W
Wawne (n.): A badly supressed yawn.
Woking (ptcpl. vb.): Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.
Worksop (n.): A person who never actually gets round to doing anything because he spends all his time writing out lists headed 'Things To Do (Urgent)'.
Wawne (n.): A badly supressed yawn.
Woking (ptcpl. vb.): Standing in the kitchen wondering what you came in here for.
Worksop (n.): A person who never actually gets round to doing anything because he spends all his time writing out lists headed 'Things To Do (Urgent)'.
Y
Yesnaby (n.): A 'yes, maybe' which means 'no'.
Yesnaby (n.): A 'yes, maybe' which means 'no'.
What words would you like to see included in our own version of this list? Share your suggestions with Pak Matt.
Then, when you're ready, why not try a game of Balderdash with a friend or family member to explore a range of real words that are no less unusual or quirky. See below for the rules.
Then, when you're ready, why not try a game of Balderdash with a friend or family member to explore a range of real words that are no less unusual or quirky. See below for the rules.
More Word Fun - Balderdash
To play a simple version of Balderdash, simply click through the Quizlet cards below without flipping them, then challenge every player in your game to write a (possible) definition for the word on a scrap of paper along with their name. As they are writing, flip the Quizlet card and copy the (suggested) definition onto a scrap of paper of your own. Collect the scraps of paper and read them aloud to the group. As you read, players should raise their hand when they believe they have heard the correct definition. 1 point can then be awarded to the creator of a definition for each player who was convinced by its accuracy. 1 point should also go to each player who correctly identifies the 'official' definition. You may even like to then look the word up in your own dictionary to get a better understanding of its meaning and to add it to your own vocabulary (the definitions on the cards are quite basic). Play should then rotate around the group. The winner is the most convincing 'definer' or the one with the greatest vocabulary at the end of the game.
* More words will added in the weeks to come.
* More words will added in the weeks to come.