well...
technically...
you may be right.
Seriously, what happened to Monday?
 |
| ... sucked into the void... |
This may shock you, but I am not the most technologically advanced person. In fact, (this is so embarrassing I have to whisper) I don't even really know how to text! Of course, this is partly because I have a cell phone from the Roosevelt administration (Teddy), a situation which is hopefully being remedied this week so I can join the rest of civiliaztion as we know it... But I digress...
Anyway, along with all the technology I find confusing, there is a new vocabulary. Can you imagine what people would have thought 20 years ago if you'd told them you were googling them? Or if you had answered a query of "What have you been up to?" with "I'm blogging"? When did we start having beta readers as opposed to just readers? And who the heck is Mr. Linky?
Really, although these words now make sense, a lot of them sound made-up, along the lines of caaberry (which was my daughter's personal word for strawberry.)
But made-up words can be fun.
At the risk of dating myself (again) I'm wondering if anyone remembers Sniglets, brain child of comedian Rich Hall?
If you don't, a sniglet is "any word that doesn't appear in the dictionary but should." For example, "sark - the marks left on one's ankle after wearing tube socks all day," "lactomangulation - manhandling the 'open here' spout on a milk carton so badly that one has to resort to using the 'illegal' side," and "doork - a person who tries to enter through a door clearly marked 'exit'." There were books and calendars of sniglets, and even a game.
Two of my favorites for which I can't remember the sniglet were the dance you do when attempting to put on stockings (possibly chub?) and the act of trying to vacuum up fluff that won't come off the carpet, so you pick it up, look at it, then put it back on the carpet to try again. If anyone remembers that word, please tell me!
As writers, there is a place for inventive language, and as writers of books for young children, a place for nonsense words as well. Language was meant to be fun as well as useful. What better way for children to learn and appreciate language then to play with it?
What words have you made up in your writing? What words have your children invented? Do you have family words you use for certain situations? Do you have favorite kids books that play with language? Do you remember any sniglets? Please share!!!
