Words You Never Heard

  If you’re like me, this time of year your blood type is ‘pumpkin spice!’  Here are some sweet facts about Halloween Candy: The process of covering a chocolate center with hard candy like an M&M is called Enrobing! Harry Burnett Reese named his chocolate-covered peanut butter cup after himself.   Did you know that a dentist created cotton candy? In 1897 dentist William Morrison partnered with candy maker John C. Wharton to invent the machine that used centrifugal force to turn sugar into cotton-like strands! First named “Fairy Floss”, it was renamed cotton candy in the 1920s! I’d like to take a moment to extend a special thank you to all of our armed forces serving our country at home and abroad!  

    Did you know the average US worker spends over a thousand dollars a year on coffee?  We seem to think that coffee will relieve the Storm und drang (shtoom oon drong) or the stress of life.  I admit I love coffee, especially in the morning.  If I don’t get my cup of Joe I can become quite a quaddler.  A quaddler is another name for a grumpy person.  What’s another word for that first early morning yawn and stretch?  Pandiculation.  Starbuck was the name of the first mate of the whaling ship in the novel Moby Dick.   I don’t think Captain Ahab needed any coffee, but do you think this is where the famous coffee company got its name?

  A New Hampshire man Steve Geddes just made US history by growing a pumpkin so large it surpassed the record for largest pumpkin in North America!  Presented at the Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire last month, his massive pumpkin weighed in at 2528 pounds! That was enough to break the record and win $6000 in prize money! The word "pumpkin" appeared for the first time in the fairy tale Cinderella.   A French explorer in 1584 first referred to the large orange gourds as  "gros melons," which was translated into English as “ pompions”.  It wasn't until the 17th century that they became known as pumpkins. What’s the word for the fear of being turned into a pumpkin?  Apopocolocynposis!

  Have you heard the one about the horse that walked into a bar?   No long faces, but recently in Chantilly France, a racehorse got away from its trainer and galloped into a nearby sports bar!  What’s another word for a chaotic situation? Doobungus!   Fortunately, the horse was just a neigh-sayer and no one got hurt.  It has been suggested that if you want to stop a racehorse from running, just place a bet on them! In the 16th century, “horse” was a common adjective describing anything strong, big, or course. Along with horseplay, that’s how horseradish got its name. The word  Antilochus” as translated from Homer’s Iliad literally means “Hold your horses!"  

    Were you and your brothers and sisters competitive when you were growing up? A new study by the University of Cambridge shows sibling rivalry can be beneficial for children’s growth and maturity.  In fact a little good old wrangling and Argy-bargy can boost mental and emotional development plus enhance their social skills. Even the taradiddles or little white lies, that kids tell are part of the learning process. Parents of little ones needn't be too concerned, even if the donnybrooks get worse as the children get older.  Donnybrooks is another word for quarrels.  Here’s a shout out to all of the older siblings that were used as tester kids so we younger sibs could get away with things you would have gotten in really big trouble for:) Dr Claire Hughes, whose new book “Social Understanding and Social Lives” says "The more combative quabbles siblings have, the more they are learning complex lessons and bouncebackability!

    Did you know that in Germany you can get a ticket for running out of fuel on an autobahn?  In Cyprus, it’s illegal to eat or drink while driving a car.  I guess if you get a case of phagomania, it’s best to pull over.  Phagomania is another word for insatiable hunger.  In Moscow you can get fined for not keeping your vehicle clean.  And that’s the whole car, not just the license plates! Japanese motorists are considered among the most polite drivers in the world.  And when it comes to obeying the speed limit, the Swiss seem to do the best job.  That might be because in Switzerland speeding is considered a criminal offense, even if it’s just a few miles per hour over the speed limit.  What’s a word for someone who gets worked up over trivial things?  A  microlipet.    

  As a visual language emoji has already far eclipsed hieroglyphics, its ancient Egyptian precursor which took centuries to develop. The word emoji is directly translated from Japanese, with the E meaning “picture” and “moji” meaning “character”.  What would you guess is the most used emoji in the emojictionary? Of the 5 billion emojis sent daily around the world, the face with tears of joy is used the most! In fact, The Oxford Dictionaries “Word” of the Year 2015  was

      America is home to many towns with wacky names.  Estately, a real estate resource for potential home buyers, compiled a list of some of the strangest. How would you like to live in Scratch Ankle, Alabama?  Or Goobertown Arkansas? Or if you want to live in the Bluegrass state, there’s always Monkeys Eyebrow and Possum Trot, Kentucky.w  I don’t think I would want to live in Goofy Ridge, Illinois or Slickpoo, Idaho. Other address choices are Yeehaw Junction, Florida, Braggyville, Massachusettes and Zipperlandville, Texas. But if I had to choose between Ho Ho Kus New Jersey or Bucksnort, Tennessee, I think I would say Wynot, Michigan?

  My husband and I were sitting by the fireplace at our cabin in Colorado when we were startled by a bright-eyed chipmunk who scampered in front of us from the back of the sofa.  Although he was cute, we weren’t too happy he found his way into our house. A male chipmunk is called a buck; a female chipmunk is called a doe, and a baby chipmunk is called a kit.  A group of chipmunks is known as a scurry. The little nut smugglers are diurnal, in other words, they only come out during the daytime. Chipmunks seem to have (FAG-oh-MAY-nee-uh) phagomania or insatiable hunger.  These pudgy-faced charmers have an omnivorous diet primarily consisting of seeds, nuts, fruits, and buds. However, they have been known to eat insects and other arthropods, small frogs, worms, and bird eggs.  What’s a word for having large projecting teeth?  Gubbertushed!    

  Did you know that in Missouri, it is illegal to drive with an uncaged bear in your car? Or drive with a gorilla in your car in Massachusettes? How about to ride a camel on the highway in Nevada? Here are some other crazy laws brought to you be the randomtocracy of the US legal system. While there aren’t any whales in Lake Erie, it’s still illegal to go whaling on Sundays.  This blue law — a law prohibiting mallemaroking on Sundays — likely went on the books in the 18th century, presumably because it wasn’t known at the time that whales don’t swim in Lake Erie.  Mallemaroking is a word used to describe the drunken exchange between sailors on a whaling ship. Another blue law that sounds absurd: it’s illegal to walk the streets of Alabama with an ice cream cone in your pocket on Sundays. Apparently, eating ice cream on Sundays was prohibited way back. I guess some people loved ice cream so much they were willing to hide it in their pockets. That’s the scoop, but you might get so cold with ice cream in your poc

  What does your hen scratch or penmanship say about your personality?  A graphologist or handwriting analyst might say you are bungdungerous  or outgoing and friendly if you write with big letters that spill outside the lines. Conversely, very small handwriting can suggest that someone is introverted.  An emotional and creative person might sneak some (mal-if-u-ous) malifuous or graceful, loopy letters into their cursive. If your script has been compared to chicken-scratch, take it as a compliment. Many influential artists and thinkers throughout history were known to have borderline-illegible handwriting. When our son’s messy handwriting was brought to his attention in third grade, he explained to the teacher that his dad was a doctor. The teacher told me she had a hard time not laughing. Cacography or messy handwriting may be a result of your brain producing thoughts faster than the hand can transcribe them.

  The Iowa State Fair is known for its over-the-top food and with nearly 200 concession stands, this year’s vendors are urging fairgoers to make room for dessert.  The strange wave of entrée-themed goodies includes ice cream nachos, brisket mango tango, and beef sundaes. What are other words for junk foods? Lubberwort and Geedunk! Vendors began experimenting with chocolate chip cookie dough a few years back and it became very popular with fairgoers.  This year's newest show stopper is cookie dough spaghetti, a dish that can rival any fried concoction. Cookie dough spaghetti noodles are topped with Italian chocolatier (Ferro Ferrero Rocher Roshay) chocolate "meatballs," while the red sauce is substituted with a strawberry dessert sauce. Yaffling means to eat or drink noisily or greedily, and this cookie dough spaghetti is made for Yaffling! There are more than 80 food options on a stick at the Iowa State Fair. And most of them messy! What’s another word for messy food? Maw-wallop!        

  When you were young, did your mother call you in for dinner or supper?  Historically, the word dinner was associated with the largest meal of the day, regardless of whether it was served in the morning, afternoon, or evening.  What’s another word for a dinner fork? A Flabbernackle! Supper stems from the Old French word souper, meaning an evening meal, and it was generally lighter than other meals throughout the day.  In the evenings it was tradition to serve soup and the act of eating it was referred to as supping. A linguist might be able to guess what region of the country you live in based solely on what you call your evening meal. Supper is more commonly used in Wisconsin, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. But dinner is by far the more popular term nationwide. (I guess it’s not as romantic to go out for supper and a movie? What’s a word for an excellent dinner (or supper) conversationalist? A  Dipnosephist!    

  There are coffee houses in Russia where the lattes are free, but you pay for the time. A Russian entrepreneur named Ivan Meetin has introduced a new concept in coffee houses where customers pay for the amount of time they spend in the establishment rather than the food and drink. The café in Moscow is called Tsiferblat, which means Clockface Cafe in English.  So far his new business model for coffee houses has been a huge success as several franchises have now opened up in London and Manchester. Patrons are greeted at the door with dobryden which means good afternoon.  The time is noted upon arrival and then customers are handed an alarm clock that serves as a table marker and a reminder that they are “on the clock”. Upon leaving,  customers pay for the time spent and say spasibo which means thank you.  It’s an interesting concept. Which would you rather pay for food or time?    

  On a recent trip to Colorado, I looked out the window of our cabin one morning and saw four beautiful horses. Three of them were standing perfectly still like statues, not even swatting flies with their tails, while the fourth was eating grass. I realized the three were sleeping standing up. The method by which horses stand while sleeping is called the “stay apparatus" and it’s a system of ligaments and tendons that keep them upright with relative ease. Horses use the buddy system for sleeping, where one horse watches over the others while they’re snoozling. The role of watch-horse will rotate as each member of the herd gets the sleep they need. Horses are also known to snore. Other words for snoring are stomatolalia, sternutation, and snuffling! Where did the saying ‘don’t look a gift horse in the mouth’ come from?  Equestrians can often determine a horses health and age by looking in its mouth.  Therefore, if someone gives you a horse and you look in its mouth it’s almost the same as looking for the price

  It’s summertime, and you know what that means: attack of the mosquitoes!   Other names for the mosquito are gallinipper, katynipper, gabber napper and galliwopper. A quote from the 1906 book The Parson’s Boys asserts that gallinippers are so-called “because at each ‘nip’ they took a gallon!”  Mitsy is a deceptively cute shortening of mosquito that might be heard in Ohio! Mossie , another abbreviation,  is primarily Australian slang for this annoying insect.  If you’re in Virginia and hear someone complaining about cousins, they might have annoying relatives—or they might just be talking about mosquitoes.  Why do they call mosquitos cousins? “Because they are so many and they stick so close,” In Florida you might hear a mosquito referred to as a swamp angel and in Illinois, mosquitos are sometimes called drill bugs.   But whatever you call them, all this begs the question,  “Why didn’t Noah swat those two mosquitos?"

  People in Pennsylvania might refer to you as a snoopy if you are a picky eater.  Shark bait is another term Pennsylvanians use to describe beachgoers who are very pale. Every state has their own unique slang words and recently created a definitive list. Hawaiians sometimes greet each other by saying shaka which means hello.  Poho is Hawaiian slang for a waste of time. And a hot minute is what Alabaman’s call a long time. A goper is a derogatory term folks in Colorado use to describe a beginning skier.   When I first moved to Alaska, the natives called me a cheechako, which means a newcomer.  And a  yooper is someone who was born in the upper peninsula of Michigan.  If you travel to Rhode Island, you should try an awful awful.   That's not a typo, its what they call a tasty milkshake. And ring-tail-tooters? A southern colloquialism that refers to folks who are mischief-makers.    

  Independence Day This week we will be celebrating independence day with barbecue, beer, and fireworks. Did you know Americans consume about 150 million hot dogs on the 4th of July?  4.4 million American flags are imported each year, mostly from China, along with $324 million dollars worth of sky candy or fireworks. Fireworks come with some creative names like  Migraine, Big Fat Hissee Fit, Grounds for Divorce and Perfect Silence.   The term, dud, is an acronym for a dangerous unexploded device.  Stackerworks are the two-stage fireworks that after exploding, it emits showers of sparks that explode again. A rapid successive detonation of fireworks is called Bouquets and Fountains. As we celebrate our independence I would like to extend a special thanks to all of our American Forces stationed at home and abroad for their service to our great country.       

  Recently a tanker truck hauling melted milk chocolate toppled over on a highway in Poland, coating six lanes of traffic in delicious sugary goo.  The chocolate was so thick that first responders left footprints in the muck, and heavy machinery had to be brought in to scrape it off the roads.  Some drivers continued on their merry way, spreading streaks of chocolate for miles.  Crews raced to clean up the chocolate before it hardened on the road.  The driver of the truck suffered a broken arm, but fortunately, no one else was injured. The scientific name for the tree that chocolate comes from is theobroma cacao, which means "food of the gods." The word "chocolate" comes from the Aztec word "xocoatl," which referred to the bitter, spicy drink the Aztecs made from cacao beans. The Aztec emperor Montezuma II drank more than 50 cups of chocolate every day. It takes an almost a full year for a cocoa tree to produce enough pods to make 10 standard-sized Hershey bars!    

  While most Australians speak English, people from the land down under have invented some unusual words and phrases all their own. Aussies are down to earth people and speak with colorful expressions such as “His teeth are so crooked he could eat an apple through a tennis racquet .” That may sound a little mean, but it’s considered fair dinkum in Australia! In Australia, an outdoor grill is known as a barbie and clothes are called clobbers.  If something is terrific, it’s a ripper and candy is referred to as lollie! French Fries are "chips" and potato chips are crisps.  Men are blokes and women are sheilas, and someone who is a little crazy is known to have a few Kangaroos loose in the top paddock!