Romantic activities (like ‘snog’ and ‘shag’) are spoken of in childish terms. It’s unsurprising that this national trait has made its way into the language. These include blends of other words (eg ‘Oxbridge’, from Oxford and Cambridge) reduplicatives, which repeat sounds or parts of words (‘higgledy-piggledy’) back-formations, which often remove the suffix of their originating word (like ‘kempt’, from ‘unkempt’) and of course sheer nonsense (like Roald Dahl’s invention ‘gobblefunk’). Whimsical words like these are formed in a number of ways. They reflect the UK’s cultural appreciation of wit, a long tradition of literary inventiveness – and Britain’s fluctuating global influence over the centuries. It’s also full of words, with origins ranging from the 1700s to the 1980s, that have two qualities in common: they’re all rather silly-sounding, and they’re all British English.īritish English is full of whimsical terms like these. The first sentence sounds so peculiar to certain ears not just because of the mangling of parts of speech. Translated into standard English, it would be something like “That idiot dared to offer more money for the house after my offer already had been accepted I'm shocked by this tricky situation full of nonsense that's gone awry!” Doing this is a great exercise for expanding your vocabulary and making your English much more natural sounding.“That wazzock dared to gazump me I'm gobsmacked by this sticky wicket full of codswallop that's gone pear-shaped!” We have touched on some of the funniest words yet there are many more to be discovered. However, this doesn’t mean that they have a funny meaning. Some of the commonly used words in the English language are extremely funny sounding ones. The village fair turned into something of a brouhaha, it was far too busy for me.This word is often used and it may appear in a sentence such as this one: My dad always bibbles when he eats, I cannot stand to sit at the table whilst he has his dinner.Ī brouhaha is a situation which is chaotic or noisy.When used in a sentence, it might look something like this: To bibble is to eat or drink in a noisy fashion, often at the annoyance of those around you. Donald Trump is the worst president the USA has ever seen, he is a huge snollygoster.You may hear it being used in a sentence such as this one: This very funny-sounding word is used to refer to a politician who makes decisions for their own benefit and not for the benefit of the wider community. I don’t know how much longer I can work with Sam, he is such a flibbertigibbet.This word has been used in the English language for hundreds of years and you might hear it being used in the following context. I cannot be dealing with this malarky for a second longer.Ī flibbertigibbet is a person who talks a lot or is a little silly.You might see it being used in a sentence such as the following one: This commonly used word refers to a situation which is madness or chaotic. It’s very difficult taking my daughter to the shops since she spends a lot of time lollygagging rather than doing what she is supposed to.The word has long been used in the English language and might be heard in a sentence such as this one: To lollygag means to mess around or to waste time. My brother is a nice enough guy, but he is a bit of a gubbins.You can see it used in a sentence such as the following: It might also be used to talk about someone who is silly. The word gubbins is one which refers to something that is seen as rubbish or useless. When used in a sentence, you might hear the following: But in reality, it is referring to a type of knife from the 1700s. On first hearing, you might think that this word is something sweet. You might hear it being used in a sentence such as: It is a word which refers to something that is misaligned. The word cattywampus is most commonly used in the USA, especially the southern states. He speaks in very long sentences, which tends to bumfuzzle the children in the class.You might see it being used in a sentence such as this one: This ridiculous-sounding word which means to be confused. We will take a look at the word as well as exploring what it means and how it might be used within a sentence. Let’s begin exploring some of the most funny-sounding words that can be found in the English language. The 10 Funnies Words in The English Language
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |