Word game

March 5, 2013

Tingo Tuesday: Do You Tuck In? Or Are You A Cotisuelto?

It’s Tingo Tuesday! The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo & Other Extraordinary Words…

Read More…

February 5, 2013

Tingo Tuesday: Have You Ever Gone ‘Akihi?

It’s Tingo Tuesday! The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo by Adam Jacot de…

Read More…

December 7, 2012

One Sill A Bull: A Word Game

Y’all know I love playing around with words, right? Well. I found this old writing prompt that I used to use when…

Read More…

November 29, 2012

I Missed You. Did You Even See Me?

I can’t help it. I love to read personal ads. Especially the ones where people write to strangers. You know the ones?…

Read More…

May 28, 2012

What the Deuce Does JINGLEKEET Mean?

It’s Made-It-Up Monday where you get to define a 100% bogus word. But today, you could actually win TINGO, the book that inspires all this craziness!…

Read More…

April 30, 2012

What the Deuce Does INDICULT Mean?

It’s that time of the month again. Time to play my 100% made-up word game!…

Read More…

February 27, 2012

What the Deuce Does Huffaloftus Mean?

It’s another Made-It-Up Monday where I throw out one of the {many} fictional words I use in real life & we get to see who can get inside my brain & define it the way I would….

Read More…

November 28, 2011

What the Deuce is Fongutter?

Today we continue with Made-It-Up Mondays where I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to: define the word, provide its part of speech, and use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used. If it were a real word. …

Read More…

October 24, 2011

Who's the "Derpy-est" One of All?

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I often just make one up. Today’s word is “derpy.” What the heck is that?…

Read More…

-->
The author sent me this new & improved graphic! Oh yes he did.
The author sent me this new & improved graphic! Oh yes he did.

It’s Tingo Tuesday!

The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo & Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World by Adam Jacot de Boinod.

Today, I’m sharing the Hawaiian word, pana po’o.

Have you ever scratched your head to help you remember something you’ve forgotten? Well, then you were pana po’oing.

I do that all the time. Lose stuff, like my car keys. Then I’ll stand there, scratching my head, trying to think where I was the last time I had them. But as I’m scratching, I worry that I might actually have head lice, so I usually call a friend and make her come over to check. I haven’t ever had lice. At least, so far. But you never know. And by the time my friend leaves, and I’ve shampooed with Kwell (because what does she know?), I remember I still don’t have my car keys. So then I stand there pana po’oing again. And as I am scratching my head, I wonder if I might have head lice. Some days, I don’t get very far.

I love how other cultures have language for the actions and concepts for which we haven’t necessarily got the right words.

Now it’s your turn!

Leave me a comment about a time when you pana po’oed and received a coupon good for one box of Nix worth $15.76 at Walgreens.

Just kidding.

If I love your comment the way I hate vermin, I’ll slip a photo of you into my sidebar so folks can check you out all month!

If you’re not a blogger, don’t worry. I have plans for you, too.

This month’s winner is Mary from The Teachable Mom. Last month we were talking about folks who like to let it all hang out: cotisueltos. Mary wrote:

Screen shot 2013-03-27 at 6.56.26 PM

You have to give it up to Mary for admitting she loves her thong-tha-thong-tha-thong!

Tell me about a real or fictional time you experienced pana po’o moment. What did you lose? And did scratching help you find it? 

tweet me @rasjacobson

You have until May 31st, to enter! NOTE: I’m taking May off for my blogoversary, but a new winner will be revealed on the first Tuesday in June!

book tingo jpegIt’s Tingo Tuesday!

The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo & Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World by Adam Jacot de Boinod.

Today, I’m sharing a word of Spanish Caribbean origin.

Have you ever seen a guy who wears his shirt tail outside of his pants? Well, then you have seen anyone under 40 you have seen a cotisuelto.  

I see “cotisueltos” all the time. Usually a cotisuelto has mad-swagger. He wears his shirt untucked because his pants are hanging somewhere underneath his buttcheeks. I have to assume these crazy-cats believe their shirts will cover their tidy-whities, but dudes. Let’s get real right now. There is nothing hot about seeing a grown man walking around in his underpants. Invest in a good belt, guys. Seriously.

I love how other cultures have language for the actions and concepts for which we haven’t necessarily got the right words.

Now it’s your turn!

Leave me a comment about a time when you saw/were a “cotisuelto.” 

If I love your comment the way Brad loves Angelina, I’ll slip a photo of you into my sidebar so folks can check you out all month!

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. I have plans for you, too.

This month’s winner is Dyanne at I Want Backsies. When we were discussing akihi moments, Dyanne explained about how she and her husband — a former funeral director — accidentally went off-roading in a hearse in south central Missouri. To see the comment that won Dyanne a month of linky-love, click HERE. It is a masterpiece!

Tell me about a (real or fictional) “‘cotisuelto.” What happened? Did the person eventually tuck it in? Or do you believe that letting it all hang out is best?

tweet me @rasjacobson

You have until March 29, to enter a comment! The winner will be revealed on the first Tuesday in April!

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

It’s Tingo Tuesday!

The first Tuesday of each month, I share a word from The Meaning of Tingo by Adam Jacot de Boinod, and you get the chance to win a month of side-bar linky-love.

Today, I’m sharing a Hawaiian word.

Have you ever walked off without paying attention to directions? Well, then you were ‘akihi.

I do that all the time. Kind of.

Say I’m lost. I try really hard to pay attention to the person giving me directions, but then I get back in my car and realize I can only remember maybe 2 of the 19 steps involved. So I drive towards the general vicinity of my destination and plan to stop 37 more times. FYI: Folks who work in convenience stores give the worst directions. And the best directions come from mail carriers. Those folks know where they are going.

I love when other cultures have language for the actions and concepts for which we haven’t necessarily got the right words.

Now it’s your turn!

Leave me a comment about a time when you wandered off all ‘akihi and get a map for just $3.99.

If I love your comment the way my husband loves his GPS, I’ll slip a photo of you into my sidebar so folks can check you out all month!

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. I have plans for you, too.

This month’s winner is Audrey Frampton of blogschmogok who explained her distaste for neckties started when she worked at IHOP. Can you say polyester neckwear? To see the comment that won her a month of sidebar linky-love, click HERE.

Now it’s your chance!

Tell me about a (real or fictional) “‘akihi” moment. What happened? Where were you? How long did it take until you got to your destination?

tweet me @rasjacobson

You have until February 27, to enter a comment! The winner will be revealed on the first Tuesday in March!

Thanks to CharNewcomb for the use of this photo @WANA Commons

Y’all know I love playing around with words, right?

Well.

I found this old writing prompt that I used to use when I was teaching English as a second language to 3rd graders.

It sounds easy, but it’s not as easy as you think.

Write the longest sentence you can in which each word is only one syllable.

For example:

He put his hand on his belt and said, “The lush, green berm on the side of the road would be a good place to take a leak — if I have to go real bad.”

See how long you can go.

If you know what I mean.

The person who goes the longest and creates something that is stunningly beautiful or hilariously funny is gonna get a special sumthin-sumthin from me. Go! I will accept comments until the end of the day, at which time I will start counting words.

tweet me @rasjacobson

Entrants may not use one single word repeatedly. Now that we have caught THAT little loophole, folks may continue. Thank you for making me laugh, Susie Lindau.

The winner of the contest is on thehomefrontandbeyond.Holy mad skills! Send me your snail mail address, and your sumthin-sumthin will be put in the mail immediately!

I can’t help it.

I love to read personal ads.

Especially the ones where people write to strangers. You know the ones? A person has seen someone somewhere, and that person feels compelled to write about the *moment* in hopes that this person *might* see it and then recognize him or herself so they *might* hook up and live happily ever after.

First of all, I want to see one documented case – one – where this approach has ever worked.

Especially ones like these from isawyou.com:

These crack me up.

Omigoodness.

In the name of fun, I’d like you to imagine that you are flipping through some local edgy magazine or some wonky online website when you see it.

Someone has written a personal ad.

And you know it’s about you.

Here’s how I imagine mine would go:

Last Monday. 1 pm. Seen leaving MCC campus. Woman dragging an unattractive wheelie-bag wearing a hat and a smile. You disappeared between a row of cars. I tried to come for you, but I don’t have a pass for Lot K. Can I buy you a ginger ale?

I can’t even tell you how much fun I had writing that, and it isn’t even that great!

So here is your chance!

In the comments, write a personal ad about yourself.

It can be fact or fiction or a hybrid.

Oh, and keep them under 50 words.

Personal ads ain’t cheap.

Unless you are on Craigslist.

Or isawyou.com.

Okay, who am I kidding? Even if they cost $750, personal ads are cheap.

But may they never disappear. Never.

tweet me @rasjacobson

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

It’s Made-It-Up Monday! The last Monday of each month I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:

  • define it
  • provide its part of speech, and
  • use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Because it’s fun.

And because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World by Adam Jacot de Boinod.

You know how sometimes someone taps you on the opposite shoulder from behind to fool you? The Indonesians call that “mencolek.”

I’ll bet that word comes with an eyeroll.

Imagine two Indonesian kids walking down the beach. One kid attempts to poke his buddy, and the other kid says: “Wow, dude. Good one. You almost got me with that mencolek.” *eyeroll*

For me, it’s reassuring to know that other cultures have language for the actions and concepts for which we haven’t necessarily got the right words.

If I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

The first blogger to use my made-up word even remotely close to the way I do shall receive linky-love. And by that, I mean I will announce your identity and link to your blog during next month’s Made-It-Up-Monday, so folks can head over and check out your stuff.

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. If you guess the meaning, I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a new job, you can put “uncanny ability to define 100% bogus words” on your resumé and direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.

Last month, the bogus word was INDICULT and Peg from Peg-O-Leg’s Ramblings guessed that it meant a person who is crude, indelicate, and difficult to deal with. Her sentence: “Peg knew that if her sister-in-law had more than 1 beer at the reception, she would become indicult and start dropping f-bombs all over the place.”

Yes yes and yes!

Now… before you all jump ship and go check out Peg-O-Leg’s awesome blog (which you should definitely do in like two seconds), I have to tell you something.

Because it is my blogoversary month, this time, I have a copy of Tingo to send to one lucky commenter!

The person who comes closest to using my bogus word in the way I do shall receive the aforementioned book, BUT if no one comes close, I will tell you how I use the word and Random Number Generator will be my best friend. So there is definitely a winner, people!

Continuing alphabetically, this month’s word is:

JINGLEKEET

What the heck is that? Define it. And give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

All blogoversary winners will be announced on June 2nd — once I figure everything out. However this winner will be announced on the last Monday in June. Good things come to those who wait. Or something.

Other blogoversary giveaways you can enter to win:

The Write-Brain Book

Elena Aitken’s ebook Sugar Crash

A handwritten card from me

Tyler Tarver’s ebook Letters To Famous People

HotDog Yoga Rollpack Giveaway

Tweet this twit @rasjacobson

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

It’s the last Monday of the month, and you know what that means?

What do you mean you don’t know?

The last Monday of each Month is Made-It-Up Monday.

I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:

  • define it
  • provide its part of speech, and
  • use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because it’s fun.

And because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World.

Did you know that in Japan, the word “bakku-shan” means “the experience of seeing a woman who appears pretty from behind but not from the front”?

Somehow, I’m guessing that is not a real popular word with the ladies.

Anyway, I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

The last time we did this the word was HUFFALOFTUS.

Remember, the first person to use the word even remotely close to the way I do shall receive linky-love. And by that, I mean I will announce your identity in the next Made-It-Up Monday post next month and link up to your blog, so folks can head over and check out your stuff.

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. If you guess the meaning, I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a new job, you can put “uncanny ability to define 100% bogus words” on your resumé and direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.

Our last winner got a whole spread, so I won’t redo.

Continuing alphabetically, this month’s word is: 

INDICULT

What the heck is that? Define it. And give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

Tweet this Twit @rasjacobson

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

Today we continue with Made-It-Up Mondays where I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:

  • define it
  • provide its part of speech, and
  • use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because it’s fun.

And because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World.

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

The last time we did this the word was “grievenstall”. While several people guessed the word was a verb, having to do with intense grief, one person understood that it also had to do with a car when she tapped out this sentence:

My sad little sedan went and grievenstalled this morning.

Here’s the real story behind the word. I used to date a guy with an orange VW Bug. It was a great little Farfenugen. Except it used to stall all the time for no apparent reason. It drove me nuts. Eventually, he dumped me and got a new girlfriend. And I found I actually missed his dumb VW. One day, I was crying about the end of our relationship and someone asked me what was wrong, and it just slipped out: “I’m in a grieve and stall!” Now any time I’m in a car that stalls (or I see an orange VW Bug), I shout: “Grievenstall!”  —  really loud.

Tori Nelson is the smartypants who got both the grief and the car. Go and check out her blog The Ramblings. She is funny. And, in addition to other things, she is doing a thing called “My Very Bloggy Wedding” which is coming up in April 2012! Enjoy!

I’d like to continue alphabetically, but don’t have a made-up “H” word.

I know, weird, right?

So I’m really going to make one up and then just pick the definition/sentence combo that I love the best.

So this month’s 100% made-up word is:

HUFFALOFTUS

What the heck is that? Define it. And give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

Tweet this Twit @rasjacobson

.

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

Today we continue with Made-It-Up Mondays where I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:

  • define the word
  • provide its part of speech, and
  • use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because a friend gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World which is filled with fascinating words which don’t have any equivilent in the English language.

For example:

“Yuputka” is the Ulwa word for the phantom sensation of something crawling on your skin while walking in the woods at night.

I’m sorry, but that describes the experience way better than goosebumps!

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I often make one up.

The last time we did this the word was “ebenscraw,” and Shawnadee guessed:

Ebenscraw …[is] associated with irritation or frustration; … when a person has an irritated reaction that he or she has got something in his or her ebenscraw. This has since been shortened in modern vernacular to “craw”.

Okay, that is damn close.

I have a friend named Rachel. And once I was on the phone with her and her infant son was fussing. She said, “I wonder what is stuck in Eben’s craw?” Now if my son (or frankly, anyone) is being cranky, I’ll just kind of toss it out there.

As if it is a real word.

I’ll say something like, “Wow, that’s enough ebenscraw for one day, doncha think?”

It’s amazing how a good imaginary word can quiet people right down.

Gotta love those imaginary words. So kudos to Shawnadee.

So it is time to continue with the fun today.

Remember, the first person to use the word the way I do shall receive cyber-love. And by that, I mean I will announce your identity in the next Made-It-Up Monday post. If you are a blogger, I will link up to your blog, so folks can head over and check out your stuff.

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. I will highlight your name in bold (like I did for Shawnadee) and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a new job, you can put “uncanny ability to define 100% bogus words” on your resumé and direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.

Continuing alphabetically, this week, the made up word is:

FONGUTTER

What the heck is that? When would you say it? Define it and give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.

You know, if it were a real word. 😉

Tweet this Twit @rasjacobson

Cover of
Cover via Amazon

Today I continue with Made-It-Up Mondays.

Every once in a while, I throw out a made-up word and ask you to a) define the word, and b) then use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.

Why? Because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

For example:

You know that feeling of anticipation when you are waiting for people to show up at your house and you keep wandering over to the window to check to see if they are there yet? Yeah, well, the Inuit call that “Iktsuarpok.”

We don’t really have a word for that in English, do we?

When I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I often just make one up.

The last time we did this the word was “castanurgle, and I created a poll to find out which answer readers thought was the best answer. Folks voted for Chrystal from The Spirit Within.  She said a castanurgle is “a dilemma for which there is no easy solution.”

Funny, I always thought a castanurgle was when you just so happened to be stuck in a castle with a case of the sniffles and you don’t have any tissues handy! Shows you what I know. 😉

Continuing alphabetically, this week, the made up word was:

DERPY

But then I learned DERPY is a real word! Kind of.

I mean, it’s in Urban dictionary! See definition HERE!

So, who’s the derpy one today?

I’m guess I’m revising things retroactively.

What’s the “derpy-est” thing you’ve done lately?

Like I sprayed perfume in my mouth this morning.

Also, I spit my mouthwash into the garbage can.

Also I wrote this blog about a word that isn’t a word that is a word.

Derp.

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop