I Never Knew There Was a Word for It - Adam Jacot De Boinod [109]
JESUS WEPT
Tears, too, are regarded as a good thing these days. But it doesn’t stop them sometimes making for a kankedort (Chaucer: Troylus 1374) an awkward situation:
gowl (c.1300) to weep bitterly or threateningly
skirllie-weeack (Banffshire) to cry with a shrill voice
grizzle (1842) to fret, sulk; to cry in a whining or whimpering fashion
sinsorg (Anglo-Saxon) perpetual grief
bubble (Geordie) to weep
BRING ME SUNSHINE
Luckily sunshine eventually follows rain. Words describing happiness offer fascinating barometers into history. For instance, the Old English word for joy, dream, also describes music and ecstasy – an intriguing view into the mind-frame of our ancestors …
froligozene (Tudor–Stuart) rejoice! be happy!
fleshment (Shakespeare: King Lear 1605) excitement from a first success
felicificability (1865) capacity for happiness
macarism (mid 19C) taking pleasure in another’s joy
maffick (1900) to rejoice with an extravagant and boisterous public celebration
kef (1808) a state of voluptuous dreaminess, full of languid contentment (originally used to describe the effects of opium)
MAKE ‘EM LAUGH
We can’t all be a grinagog (1565), one who is always grinning. But the contrast is all the better when we do finally get to see the funny side:
cachinnate (1824) to laugh loudly and immoderately
winnick (Lincolnshire) to giggle and laugh alternatively
snirtle (1785) to laugh in a quiet or restrained manner
popjoy (1853) to amuse oneself
goistering (Sussex) loud feminine laughter
HA HA BONK
Humour is often cruel. At the heart of slapstick is a series of jokes that amuse only those who set them up:
press ham (US college slang 1950s) to press a bare buttock against a window and shock passers-by
squelch-belch (Winchester College 1920) a paper bag of water dropped from an upper window onto people below
to catch the owl (late 18C) to play a trick on an innocent countryman, who is decoyed into a barn under the pretext of catching an owl: when he enters, a bucket of water is poured on his head
tiddley-bumpin’ (Lincolnshire) tapping on a window pane with a button on a length of cotton secured to the frame by a pin (a device used by boys to annoy neighbours)
pigeon’s milk (1777) an imaginary article for which children are sent on a fool’s errand (traditionally on April 1st)
squashed tomatoes (1950s) a game that involves knocking on a door and then rushing away as the homeowner answers it (also known as knock down ginger (England and Canada), ding-dong ditch (US), chappy (Scotland), dolly knock (Ireland))
WORD JOURNEYS
jest (13C from Latin and French) a deed or exploit; then (15C) idle talk
engine (13C from Latin via Old French) contrivance, artifice; then (14C) genius
frantic (14C) insane
negotiate (16C from Latin) ill at ease; not at leisure
to have a chip on one’s shoulder (US 19C) of a custom in which a boy who wanted to give vent to his feelings placed a chip of wood on his shoulder in order to challenge any boy who dared to knock it off
TWIDDLE-DIDDLES
Body language
Keep the head and feet warm,
and the rest will take nae harm
(1832)
In the developed world these days, one of the greatest concerns is being overweight, whether you are an adult or a child. But the evidence of language is that not being thin is hardly a new thing. Nor are people’s reactions:
fubsy (1780) being chubby and somewhat squat
flodge (Banffshire) a big, fat, awkward person
ploffy (Cornwall 1846) plump; also soft and spongy
pursy (Scotland) short-breathed and fat
fustilug (1607) a fat sloppy woman
five by five (North American black 1930s) a short fat man (i.e. his girth is the same as his height)
CHUBBY CHOPS
It’s not just the whole but the parts that get labelled. In the UK people talk about bingo wings for flabby upper arms, a muffin top to describe that unsightly roll of flesh