word games

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.

The best comment wins a month of love in my sidebar!

Cool, right? So if you’re a blogger, folks can click over and check you out for 30 days! Free!

But don’t worry if you’re not a blogger. You can  still win, so don’t be shy about leaving your best comment!

Today, I’m sharing the Czech word, VYBAFNOUT, which means to jump out and say ‘baf.’

As a kid, I hated my parents’ basement. Unlike the rest of our house, the basement was dark, cold, cluttered and wicked creepy. For a time, an African mask hung over the fireplace; its white eyeballs followed me as I passed to bring my basket of dirty clothes to the laundry room where the washer and dryer lived.

NOTE: I was willing to endure this psychological trauma to ensure my most awesome pair of perfectly faded, very torn, and strategically patched Levi’s were available whenever I wanted them.

I did a good job of freaking myself out in that laundry room.

Mostly because I was certain that while I put my jeans into the wash, that spooky mask had come to life and someone was waiting to get me — in the other part of the basement. To avoid the scary, masked-perv (who was apparently afraid of dirty laundry), I hauled ass when it came time to go back upstairs.

Sprinting across the shadows, I hauled a$$ up the 11 stairs to the landing adjacent to the pantry.

Believe it or not, the scary masked-man perv had an irrational fear of Hostess Ho-Ho’s, so that was the place I knew it was safe to breathe.

One day, the pantry door opened. Two hands reached out toward my neck.

Holy poop on a stick! 

I think I pounded the baf out of my brother that day.

Or he pounded me.

I’m pretty sure we both ended up banished to our rooms for a while.

{Okay, so he didn’t jump out and say baf, but still! He jumped out at me, people. I’m thinking the Czech ‘baf!’ = the American ‘Boo!’}

The main point here is that this is why I hate basements.

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

Now it’s your turn!

Leave me a comment about a time when you jumped out and scared the ‘baf’ out of someone  — or someone jumped out and scared the kakka out of you and receive a very scary, authentic African mask for free.

Just kidding.

This month’s winner is Christie Tate of Outlaw Mama. Last month we were talking about the Hawaiian word pana po’o, which refers to how some people scratch their heads when they are trying to remember something. Outlaw Mama wrote:

Look at Outlaw Mama in my sidebar. Isn’t she cute? Click on her nose to read her amazing stuff. And I mean amazing. You will clutch your face and scream, as if someone jumped out at you and said baf!

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You have until June 22, to enter! A new winner will be revealed on the first Tuesday in September. Why am I making you wait until September? I’m using the summer to develop more content. Or work on my tan.

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 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!

Usually the last Monday of each month is devoted to 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.

By now, you all know that when I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I just make one up.

But last month, I didn’t have a word that started with an “H” — so I really made up a word — HUFFALOFTUS — and said I would just pick the winner.

Except I couldn’t.

There were too many great entries.

So I’m extending the joy, and I’ve made a poll of my favorites 100% made-up definitions and now I’m asking you to vote for your favorite.

The definition:

The sentence:

A. TJ: “Snuffleupagus was in a huffaloftus when he thought Big Bird had taken his favorite toy.”

B. slytherclawchica:  “When Pooh wanted to demand his honey be returned to him, his minion Heffalumps told him he’d have to take it up with the Huffaloftus.”

C. Duffy:  “Even though I agree with many of his opinions, Derek is an insufferable huffaloftus.”

D. Julie Glover:

Server 1: “You know that snooty couple that comes in on Tuesdays?”
Server 2: The ones who demand the table in the huffaloftus?”
Server 1: “They’d better tip me well tonight!”

E. Rivki: “When I see a huffaloftus on the elliptical, I feel awed by the effort she’s putting in to her routine.

Polls will be open for one week. You can rally your troops, and I’ll declare the winner on Sunday, April 1.

In this case, all the contestants are bloggers. The person who garners the most votes in this ridiculous word game shall win linky-love to his or her blog. So, you know, the stakes are pretty high.

Tweet this Twit @rasjacobson

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 it’s fun. And because someone gave me the book

For example:

The Yupga word “Mamihlapinatapi” from the Yaghan language of Tierra del Fuego refers to a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other will offer something that they both desire but are unwilling to do.

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 “fongutter” and I am sad to say, no one was even close. FON was really pronounced PHONE, and this word harks back to the days when Tech Support was still a wee thing who liked to take apart old phones to see how they worked. Now he enjoys taking bigger stuff, so I have to tell him to stop being a “fongutter” and put my shizzle back together.

No worries. We shall plough ahead.

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.

Continuing alphabetically, this month’s word is:

GRIEVENSTALL

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

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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 someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World that has a lot of cool words in it.

For example:

“Kummerspeck” is a German word used to describe excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, “grief bacon.”

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

This book appeals to me because 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 “derpy” and that ended quickly when the fabulous Christian Emmett schooled me and told me that derpy is, in fact, a word in urban dictionary. Herp a derp!

I quickly revised my post and implored people to tell me the derpy-est thing they had done recently. And I got some good answers. But, it was still… embarrassing.

I felt like my panties were showing or something.

So I feel I must assure you. In preparation for today’s festivities, I Googled and searched.

And I am sure this word is all mine in its makeupedness.

The first person to use the word the way I love the best 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 to your blog, so folks will head over and check out your stuff. (To check out Christian Emmett, click HERE.)

If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a 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:

EBENSCRAW

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

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.

When I started Made-It Up Mondays, I figured it would be no big whoop.

I’d simply take one of the many made-up words I use on a regular basis and see what kind of definitions my bloggin’ friends, the wordsmiths, might conjure up.

And you’ve been awesome.

With your definitions and your sentences.

Last week my fake word was “castanurgle,” and I decided to get all fancy and create a poll to see who you think came up with the best answer.

Here is what I have learned:

• Fancy always backfires.

Putting together this post took forever.

It took eighty hours to get PollDaddy to work.

I don’t know why.

Daddy has always been good to me before.

So there I was, all in a tizzy.

I mean, really.

How to tally the votes?

(Where is Jeff Probst when you need him?)

But if there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that people have to vote when you’ve told them they are going to get to vote.

So I had to figure it out.

An hour later, I stopped shouting expletives at the computer tried again, and PollDaddy was much more cooperative.

So here’s what I’ve come up with.

I selected my top five favorite entries and entered only the definitions in PollDaddy.

Below the poll, you will find the example of the sentence that illustrates the definition as well as links to the folks who created them in that same order.

Bloggers, feel free to tell your peeps to come on over and vote for you.

Because you know you want the prize.

What do you mean you didn’t know there was a prize?

Well, of course there is a prize!

What kind of contest doesn’t have a prize?

Duh.

The winner of this week’s prize will receive a bushel of cyber-apples and several thick-skinned cyber-pumpkins, perfectly round and ready to be carved or placed on your mantle.

What do you mean you don’t have a mantle?

Yes, you do.

You know, that invisible mantle on your blog where you put all those awesome invisible awards, like the Versatile Blogger, the Stylish Blogger, the Liebster, etc. That mantle. I think a collection of autumnal fruits and veggies will look great on one lucky blogger’s cyber-mantle.

Also, the winner also has immunity in next week’s challenge and cannot be voted off the island.

Wait. Whaaat?

So – whose definition of  “Castanurgle” do you like best?

A. “I want to go out for Italian tonight and my partner wants Chinese. We are facing a real castanurgle; there is no good compromise!” Chrystal.

B. “I was feeding the baby prunes this morning when I was hit by a ton of castanurgle.” She’s A Maineiac

C. “I found it difficult to interpret Ricky Ricardo’s castanurgle every time he discovered Lucy was one of his showgirls in disguise.” Julie C. Gardner

D. “C’mon kids, we’re going to visit your grandfather this weekend. I know he’s let himself go and smells like a castanurgle, but he hasn’t seen you in months and we need to help him take a sponge bath.” Brown Road Chronicles

E. “Everyone thought the sound was indicative of her being hungry; little did they know that the castanurgle was a warning that she was about to blow!” Carol H. Rives

So there you have it. And from here on out, I’m back to being a dictator.

Or a monarchy.

Or just a twit who makes up words.

And to think, I thought a castanurgle was the rare situation when a person finds him or herself with a bad head-cold in a damp castle and, after a vigorous bout of sneezing, realizes that he/she is without a single tissue.

Shows you what I know.

(NOTE: *Winners did not have to be bloggers. It just worked out that way.)

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Today I continue with my sort-of new feature: Made-It-Up Mondays.

I am throwing out a 100% made-up word and asking 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 recently gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

For example:

“Faamiti” is a Samoan word, a verb, meaning to make a squeaking sound by sucking air past the lips in order to gain the attention of a dog. Or a child.

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 “brissue” and two people came closest: Carol H. Rives and Save Sprinkles guessed that the word had something to do with a “bra issue.” And they are right. Kind of.

It is definitely a ladies’ issue.

I use the word to indicate the problem when a woman finds a fabulous garment on a sale rack, but she immediately notices that she will have difficulty finding just the right undergarment to wear underneath it. Basically, she will have to decide if she wants the fabulous garment — knowing full well that she will likely spend hours searching for just the right bra — or if she should walk away from the amazing bargain, thus saving herrself a lot of time and aggravation.

Trust me, men, this is a major brissue!

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

CASTANURGLE

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. 😉

Today I am continuing with my new feature: Made-It-Up Mondays.

I am throwing out a 100% made-up word (that I actually use in real life) and I am asking 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 recently gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

For example:

“Slampadato” is an Italian word, a noun, meaning one who is addicted to the UV glow of tanning salons.

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 just make one up.

When we last played this game, the word was ARBORCADE, and the person who came closest to defining the word the way I actually use the word was Brian Henke. He guessed that an arborcade was:

that well-intended planting of trees across the back of your yard that you pictured as a beautiful, well-maintained sanctuary for people and wildlife that has grown into a wild, impenetrable tangle of growth that could swallow small children and now has barricaded you from some of your favorite neighbors.

We have, in fact, planted a boat-load of trees in the back of our house in an attempt to “arborcade” ourselves off from the enormous school that looms in our backyard.

Continuing alphabetically, this week, a made-up word that I often use is:

BRISSUE

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. 😉

Whoever comes closest to defining it the way I actually use it will get a mention and a link to his or her blog, if applicable.

Today marks the beginning of a new feature for me: Made-It-Up Mondays.

On Mondays when I’m in the mood, I am going to throw out a 100% 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 recently gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World.

(Of course, it is my new favorite book.)

I read that that there are approximately 1,010,649.7 words in the English language. And while this seems like a really enormous lexicon, many nuances of human language sometimes leave us tongue-tied.

Sometimes it is necessary to turn to other languages to find a word to find le mot juste.

As Bill DeMain noted in his article “15 Wonderful Words With No English Equivalent”:

“Zhaghzhagh” is a Persian word, a noun, meaning the chattering of teeth from extreme cold or rage.

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 just make one up.

It will be fun to see what other people come up with.

Remember, you can’t be wrong because the word I throw out will be a 100% fictional word.

If you’d like to submit a made-up word of your own, feel free to contact me. (My info is under the “Contact Me” tab.)

I’m starting alphabetically.

This week, the made up word is:

ARBORCADE

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. 😉