It means I was a very close friend of Kurt Vonnegut - and therefore very, very smart and with a very garrulous vocabulary. Not to be a braggart......but.......
Not only could I NEVER for the life of me figure out ANY of the words to "California Dreamin'", but I also can't even come up with a favorite polysyllabic word, and I'm a Shortridge grad. In 8th grade, when competing and finishing 13th in the state of Indiana in the annual Star-News Spelling Bee, the word I misspelled was "RECREANT" - it means a repetitive miscreant. I am VERY proud to use one of YOUR words in reporting this, Bob, and would choose it for my favorite word if it hadn't brought about severe emotional trauma at not being the champion, and thus missing out on the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to compete in the national bee. It would've been so pleasing to Lady Mondegreen.
"Beelzibub has a devil for a sideboard" as old Freddy M used to sing would fit well into this nicely growing list.
I'll throw in 'rebarbative' and 'lacunae'
Not so much a misspelling as a spoonerism; from childhood I have always had to think carefully before saying "gas cooker" for fear of coming out with "gus cacker". I've no idea why this has been such a burden...
...and finally, having lived in Ann Arbor and eaten several times at The Gandy Dancer restaurant - a converted railway station - I can tell you this was somebody who danced, sang and beat time to help the railway workers keep their rhythm and industriousness at peak levels. He wasn't a laborer himself.
In a never ending effort to avoid mentioning the unmentionable, multi-indicted former president by name, I have employed a number of unprintable epithets. My current (and printable) one is “pestiferous cockwomble.” It works! As Bob says, “Look it up!”
My word stolen from the British to describe my feelings about the daily happenings in American political life for the last 7 or so years is gobsmacked. I use it constantly. Also, a simple word to make my daughter cringe is moist! She hates it.
Interesting. I just told an American friend last week that our people didn't know gob smacked. I guess I was wrong. As for moist, I knew somebody who couldn't stand the word ointment, Susie...
I love the word rambunctious. My daughter used to call pickles poococks, which I found hilarious especially when reading Winnie the Pooh. The word "whatnot" makes my skin crawl. It is used too often when people could just finish the damn sentence without saying, " ...and whatnot."
John Prine, in an old live concert, tells the story of a woman asking him to sing the song about "half an enchilada." He told her he had never written a song about an enchilada. Then he mentions that the words she had heard were in the song "That's the Way the World Goes Round" - but not about enchiladas.
"...That's the way that the world goes 'round
You're up one day, the next you're down
It's HALF AN INCH OF WATER and you think you're gonna drown
That's the way that the world goes 'round"
I will admit, I had kind of heard it as "enchilada," too! And was grateful for the clarification. :-)
I don't know, Bob. You might have to rethink this one. As much as I love it, the comments are almost better! My favorite word is hubris. I like to say it theatrically, with just the right tone of shock and disdain. It would be absolute hubris to think I could ever write as cleverly as you do. Hubris, I say! Wait a minute. now am I shocked and awed by my own hubris? Dang it. Which is another favorite of mine, even though it's technically two words. So maybe it doesn't count. Dang it.
Huzzah to you for writing such an entertaining column, Bob! Some of my favorite words came to English from India, like mogul. The one that I try to use is "wallah," which Merriam-Webster defines as a "person associated with a particular work." One of Merchant Ivory Productions' early films was called "Shakespeare Wallah."
It means I was a very close friend of Kurt Vonnegut - and therefore very, very smart and with a very garrulous vocabulary. Not to be a braggart......but.......
Not only could I NEVER for the life of me figure out ANY of the words to "California Dreamin'", but I also can't even come up with a favorite polysyllabic word, and I'm a Shortridge grad. In 8th grade, when competing and finishing 13th in the state of Indiana in the annual Star-News Spelling Bee, the word I misspelled was "RECREANT" - it means a repetitive miscreant. I am VERY proud to use one of YOUR words in reporting this, Bob, and would choose it for my favorite word if it hadn't brought about severe emotional trauma at not being the champion, and thus missing out on the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to compete in the national bee. It would've been so pleasing to Lady Mondegreen.
what does Shortridge Grad mean?
"Beelzibub has a devil for a sideboard" as old Freddy M used to sing would fit well into this nicely growing list.
I'll throw in 'rebarbative' and 'lacunae'
Not so much a misspelling as a spoonerism; from childhood I have always had to think carefully before saying "gas cooker" for fear of coming out with "gus cacker". I've no idea why this has been such a burden...
...and finally, having lived in Ann Arbor and eaten several times at The Gandy Dancer restaurant - a converted railway station - I can tell you this was somebody who danced, sang and beat time to help the railway workers keep their rhythm and industriousness at peak levels. He wasn't a laborer himself.
Patrick, thanks for reminding me of my favorite 1960s rock group, the Lovin’ Spoonerism….
Having cogitated for mere moments on this, I am struck/stuck with questions:
Was Cleopatra bitten on the asp?
Opie grew up?
“Preacher likes the cold?” No! It’s “Preacher locks the door.”
Right. See you back at the Nick.
Wonderful piece! Reminds me that I’ve always been disgruntled that no one ever seems to be gruntled.
(While it’s a bit off topic, my new favorite town name is Pitherbury, in Endeavour’s England.)
Also, Susan, have you noticed one can be disheveled, but never "hevelled"?
Mind how you go, Susan...
Reading this at the farmers market, I unintentionally guffawed and was caught absquatulating with a muskmelon.
So thanks a lot, Robert.
I'm pretty sure absquatulating with a muskmelon is a felony in Oregon. Next time, cross over into California....
A sockdolager of a column, Bob.
Hah. Fun to see your name, Paul, unless you're working on my obit...
In a never ending effort to avoid mentioning the unmentionable, multi-indicted former president by name, I have employed a number of unprintable epithets. My current (and printable) one is “pestiferous cockwomble.” It works! As Bob says, “Look it up!”
My word stolen from the British to describe my feelings about the daily happenings in American political life for the last 7 or so years is gobsmacked. I use it constantly. Also, a simple word to make my daughter cringe is moist! She hates it.
Interesting. I just told an American friend last week that our people didn't know gob smacked. I guess I was wrong. As for moist, I knew somebody who couldn't stand the word ointment, Susie...
My experience is that 1/4 xanax and two Pepto Bismals is the perfect cure for the collywobbles.
It's true, Danny. Send me 100 Xanax and I'll send you the cure....
I love the word rambunctious. My daughter used to call pickles poococks, which I found hilarious especially when reading Winnie the Pooh. The word "whatnot" makes my skin crawl. It is used too often when people could just finish the damn sentence without saying, " ...and whatnot."
We've been meaning to have you over for shrimp and vodka and whatnot...
John Prine, in an old live concert, tells the story of a woman asking him to sing the song about "half an enchilada." He told her he had never written a song about an enchilada. Then he mentions that the words she had heard were in the song "That's the Way the World Goes Round" - but not about enchiladas.
"...That's the way that the world goes 'round
You're up one day, the next you're down
It's HALF AN INCH OF WATER and you think you're gonna drown
That's the way that the world goes 'round"
I will admit, I had kind of heard it as "enchilada," too! And was grateful for the clarification. :-)
I don't know, Bob. You might have to rethink this one. As much as I love it, the comments are almost better! My favorite word is hubris. I like to say it theatrically, with just the right tone of shock and disdain. It would be absolute hubris to think I could ever write as cleverly as you do. Hubris, I say! Wait a minute. now am I shocked and awed by my own hubris? Dang it. Which is another favorite of mine, even though it's technically two words. So maybe it doesn't count. Dang it.
I thought hubris was the plural of hubcaps....
Huzzah to you for writing such an entertaining column, Bob! Some of my favorite words came to English from India, like mogul. The one that I try to use is "wallah," which Merriam-Webster defines as a "person associated with a particular work." One of Merchant Ivory Productions' early films was called "Shakespeare Wallah."