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*** How to have a lot of fun with a weird words list composing your own word story poem.
From Denny: Come by and laugh at the funniest weird words I found while visiting a linguist's site. They are some doozies! And I just had to have some fun creating a little poem for them. Included is a second poem as the "translation" into common language to show you how much language does change over a century.
When was the last time you paid a visit to a word site, especially one for odd or weird words? When I arrived I happily discovered there were whole lists of words with which I wasn’t on a first name basis and began to explore. Some of them were so wild as well as weird that I thought what fun it would be to try and compose a poem or word story.
These are some real tongue twisters which probably won’t get past a poetry slam but what the heck, what a trip down the centuries long history lane of oddities. October seems to bring out the oddity aspect in humanity so I guess I’m tame with only a weird word list.
Of course, the journey of writing is rarely pure and perfectly academic. Life intervenes like a funny TV ad and yet new words come into our language. While I started with obsolete, rarely used or bizarre foot long words the word story ends with today’s jargon. I highlighted the weird words for easier viewing.
You might want to try your hand at the equally ridiculous as its great fun! Talk about no expectations, so, whatever develops is pure creativity. I chose to do a character study of a person, from his friends’ point of view and his too.
22 Weird Words Story:
Oyez
The flourishing day for Oyez was a Lollapaloosa of a long-drawn Lollygag.
Though Oyez lived as a Jackanapes he esteemed himself only a Jobbernowl.
Even to those who loved him anyway he came across as a Haptic Hobbledehoy.
Oyez Lexiphanically joked with his friends to consider creating a Kakistocracy.
He enjoyed his mischievous job as a Lipogrammatist sporting continuous Lippitude.
Occasionally Nugiperous, people were relieved he was not an odious Pecksniffian.
When he gets to his storytelling he relates all these crazy exotic Humdudgeons.
He wailed on forever about his long suffering from an Ignivomous condition!
His friends were astounded by his performance Hwyl but suspected no Jiggery-pokery.
Oyez was well loved by many for his Inwit lifestyle and Panglossian character.
He was heralded by his peers as an awesome writer and regaled as Honorificabilitudinitatibus.
Oyez loved people and figured it was Ixnay that he turned out to be a life long golfing Shankapottamus.
“No one’s perfect,” he slyly smiles, “not even me!”
Denny Lyon
Copyright 15 October 2009
All Rights Reserved
Translation: 22 Weird Words Story
*** We both know this was necessary and I just couldn’t leave you in the lurch, especially those readers for whom English is a second language. English is confusing enough!
The Listen-Up-and-Pay-Attention-to-Me Guy
The flourishing day of the man who demanded everyone listened to him
Was such an outstanding day ever made because he could dawdle aimlessly.
Outwardly he lived his life as a seemingly irreverent jovial person but he believed he was just a very simple man, almost a fool.
Even to those who loved him anyway he came across as a clumsy guy who had this habit of clasping objects like he was married to it which made for awkward conversations.
He loved to use bombastic pretentious words when suggesting to his friends they institute a government run only by the most unscrupulous of citizens, you know, like let Wall Street and Lobbyists make our laws and determine our quality of life. (Wait a minute…!)
He enjoyed his work cleverly writing purposely without a specific letter because some authors have written whole books and poems with this very odd technique.
Occasionally, even if he was given to spouting off about silly trifles, the people around him were relieved to know he was not a roaring hypocrite.
When he gets to his storytelling he relates all these crazy exotic imaginary illnesses.
He wailed on forever about his long suffering from an outrageous condition where he told everyone he was like a ferocious dragon vomiting fire!
His friends were astounded by his performance enthusiasm but suspected no manipulation or under-handedness.
The Listen-Up-and-Pay-Attention-to-Me Guy was well loved by many for his wealth of inner knowledge, wisdom, thoughtful conscience and optimistic good character that never flagged no matter how tough the problem.
He was heralded by his peers as an awesome writer and regaled as a man with great honors.
The Listen-Up-and-Pay-Attention-to-Me Guy loved people and figured it was no big deal, truly nothing, that he turned out to be a life long really bad golfer who couldn’t drive straight down the middle no matter how hard he tried.
“No one’s perfect,” he slyly smiles, “not even me!”
Denny Lyon
Copyright 15 October 2009
All Rights Reserved
Photo from StumbleUpon, no attibution available
Word Definitions
Oyez - A call to attention. “Listen up, guys!” (They use this formal Oyez version in the judicial system a lot.)
Pecksniffian - Unctuously hypocritical.
Panglossian - A person who is optimistic regardless of the circumstances.
Nugiperous - Given to inventing trifles.
Humdudgeon - An imaginary illness.
Ignivomous - Vomiting fire.
Haptic – The sense of touch that clings tightly like a vine.
Honorificabilitudinitatibus - With honor. Shakespeare and James Joyce liked this crazy word.
Hobbledehoy - A clumsy or awkward youth.
Hwyl - Emotional fervor, good spirit or enthusiasm.
Inwit - Conscience; inward knowledge; wisdom.
Ixnay - meaning no big deal or nothing. (You already knew this one!)
Jiggery-pokery - Deceitful or dishonest manipulation, under-handed practices.
Lexiphanic - Of people who use bombastic or pretentious language. (Think Rush Limbaugh)
Jobbernowl - A stupid person, a blockhead.
Jackanapes - A cheeky or impertinent person.
Kakistocracy – The government of a state by its most unprincipled citizens.
Lipogrammatist - A writer of lipograms. This is writing systemically choosing to leave out a letter like the letter “e” which is the most common in the English language. Poems and entire books have been written this way. Ernest Vincent Wright wrote the 50,000 page book called the Gadsby in 1939 with this technique.
Here’s a 19th century poem utilizing the same technique of the missing letter “e”:
A jovial swain may rack his brain,
And tax his fancy’s might,
To quiz in vain, for ’tis most plain,
That what I say is right.
Lippitude – Bleary-eyed.
Lollygag – To fool around; to spend time aimlessly; to dawdle or dally.
Lollapaloosa – Something outstandingly good of its kind.
Shankapottamus – a person with poor golfing skills who can’t drive straight on the golf course, hooking to the left or right in the wrong direction. (from cheeky infant eTrade TV ad)
Thanks for visiting, everyone, and have a safe fun weekend!
