I recently had dinner with a friend who, for as long as I have known her, has used made-up words that she thinks are real. It's hilarious because she is a very intelligent, talented and competent woman, but she constantly uses words that sound like real words but that are just different enough (or in a different enough context) to catch your attention. It has been nine years since we met, and I love every dinner we have because it's always fun. It's like having Yogi Berra for a friend; it's part of her charm and I never assume, until I have arrived home and looked it up, that the word isn't just one that I have yet to learn. She's my very own Spiro Agnew, he of "nattering nabobs of negativism" fame. It's the nature of our friendship; I like her made-up words and she likes my made-up jokes. Everybody wins.
Some of her best include:
Inveritably. As in, "invariably."
Perimeters. As in, "parameters."
Supposably. As in, "supposedly."
Indubiously. As in, "indubitably" or "undoubtedly."
And my personal favorite: "I told him he has no couth."
No comments:
Post a Comment