Hobbledehoy

Word of the Day for Thursday April 6, 2006

hobbledehoy \HOB-uhl-dee-hoy\, noun:
An awkward, gawky young fellow.

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The origin of hobbledehoy is unknown, though it perhaps derives from hobble, from the awkward movements of a clumsy adolescent.

You know how I love words. Especially words I have never heard. Extra-especially quirky words. I subscribe to The Dictionary.com Word of the Day with Bloglines so I get a new word every day. I read a lot, so I have heard of most of the daily words; because I look up words I don't know as soon as I come across them, I generally know their meanings.

This word cracked me up! Has anyone ever heard this word used before? Or encountered it while reading? It sounds like the kind of word someone's grandpa or grandma would have used.

You can rest assured I'll be trying to figure out a way to use this word. . .

UPDATE: Carmen wrote something in the comments that gave me an idea. What are some of your favorite silly words? Post 'em in the comments if you want to share. They don't have to be real "dictionary words" but if you post a word like that, please leave a definition and maybe a little story about how the word came about.

Here's Carmen's to get us started:

Napuet: when two people take a nap together (inspired by the word verification on her comment)

From my sister, Kathy, via her mother-in-law:

Tilluvious: usually used to describe something that is incredibly delicious ("makes you moan" kind of good!)

and

Kafuffle, or Kerfuffle: disorder, commotion; also written curfuffle, kafuffle, gefuffle

Kathy also sends us this challenge: henchvent (Kathy is going to have to give us the definition for this one because I haven't been able to find it online.)

which reminds me of a phrase I got from Kim that I love to use: "Fluffle up a gum tree"

Here's another from Kim: Fillibuster Oh, she knows it's a real word, but it reminds her of peanuts.

Pigeonholes: I don't know why but that word always cracks me up. I mentioned that to Rebecca , who has a blog named Pigeonholes, and she said it affects her the same way. It just sounds funny.

Twitterpated: confused by affection or infatuation (one of my personal favorites) This was submitted by my sister, too. Does anyone else know where this word came from?

Submitted by Jill: chachi pronounced as in "Joanie Loves Chachi": Variations include "chach," "chached" or "chached up" and even "chachi bits." It can be used in all forms to mean something that's contaminated, dirty or that has crud on it.

and also from Jill: puce: annoyed, bothered, sullen or sulky, as in "She gave me a puce look."

Carol's daughter came up with a good one when she was 3: Knappack: a combination backpack and knapsack. It's the only word her family uses to describe "that thing on their back in which they carry their books to school every day."

Kate's friend has an all purpose word: Tunip. "He says it is his favourite because it often passes for a real word while not being one at all."

Kate's youngest likes to give things new names: snovick- the end of a glow stick, and caluge - smoked trout, but only when the teeth are showing. (don't you just love it?)

Eija, our friend from Finland, shares some familiar words from C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia:

We're reading the chronicles of Narnia with my kids (5 and 9), and frequently get good laughs because of the wonderful words and word plays in there :) Like the name of the brave mouse, in Finnish "Riipitsiip" and the weird, one-footed midgets, "hyppelipompelit"

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