Tag: words

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Wacky Wednesday: May 27

I’m bringing you a few more fun words for today’s Wacky Wednesday. See if you can find ways to use these words in regular conversation and mess with your friends. Our first word is one many of you may have heard before. Discombobulate means to confuse, upset, or frustrate someone. Many of you may recall when Robert Downey Jr portrayed Sherlock Holmes (2009) and he used the word a couple of times. It is also the title of one of the compositions from Hans Zimmer for the film. It’s a fun song with violins and harpsichords.

Bumptious is an adjective which means offensively self-assertive or proud. I’m certain we’ve all met someone who was overly bumptious. Most often I’ve seen drunks and young boys like this. It is pronounced in a similar fashion as scrumptious or conscious. Absquatulate is a verb meaning to leave abruptly or to flee or abscond. Imagine a thief running from a place they had robbed. I’ll have more words to share and I’m in search of fun wacky stories to share. If you have any, I hope you’ll share them with me in the comments. Remember to say hello to your local Wild Wacky Inflatable Tube Man.

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Wacky Wednesday: May 20

It’s another day of wacky words to help expand your vocabulary and forget your troubles. We have a few fun words today. The first is Catawampus. This word has various spellings and pronunciations. Some say kittywampus, cattywampus, or caddywampus. The word is an adjective with two different meanings. The first is fierce, savage, or destructive. And the other is askew, awry, or cater-cornered. I still say catty-cornered. The second definition is most often how I hear the word used. The origin of the word is unknown, but many believe it came from the Scottish word “wampish” meaning wriggle, twist, or swerve.

Our next word is a noun from the American West. Foofaraw has two meaning. A great deal of fuss or attention given to a minor matter or it could mean showy frills added unnecessarily. The origin of this word is also unknown but may have been derived from French or Spanish. Then we have Hornswoggle. A verb which means to get the better of someone by cheating, swindling, or deception. A hoax. A con. This word also has an unknown origin. And don’t confuse it with the American Professional Wrestler of the same name.

Do you know any other fun, wacky words? Leave them in the comments. I’ll try to have a few new words each week.

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Wacky Wednesday: May 13

This is a new thing I’m trying. I haven’t fleshed out an exact concept for these kinds of posts. They may include some wacky stories. Things that sound absurd but are real. For now, I’ll share some wacky words. You can find these words in dictionaries. They have real meanings and some even have etymology for how they came to be. Some I had never heard of while others I use often in my everyday speech. There are several but today I’m only sharing a couple. Have you heard of these before? Tell me in the comments.

Lollapalooza: I’m certain most people are familiar with this word. It’s the name of an annual four-day music festival in Chicago, IL. The festival has been going on since 1991. Before 1991, the word already had meaning. It’s a noun meaning a person or thing that is particularly impressive or attractive. Another version of the definition says an extraordinary thing, person, or event. Do you know any people, books, events, movies, or songs you would call a lollapalooza? Try using it in a sentence next time you’re chatting with friends.

Sockdolager: This is a noun but is more slang and informal. It holds two meanings. It’s either a forceful blow or an exceptional person or thing. Its origin is said to be from the mid 19th century and may have evolved from the term sock. Anyone remember watching Laugh-In where they said, “Sock it to me!” as one of their many catchphrases? This phrase doesn’t roll of the tongue as well as lollapalooza but it’s still fun to say.

Do you know any other fun, wacky words? Leave them in the comments. I’ll try to have one or two new words each week.