Anyone familiar with that commendable book The Meaning of Liff, by the late and much lamented Douglas Adams, will know that it comprises an alphabetical list of place names which he coined to describe familiar situations, emotions or objects that no one had previously named.
In case you've missed it here are the first three entries:
AASLEAGH (n.)
A liqueur made only for drinking at the end of a revoltingly long bottle party when all the drinkable drink has been drunk.
ABERBEEG (vb.)
Of amateur actors, to adopt a Mexican accent when called upon to play any variety of foreigner (except Pakistanis - from whom a Welsh accent is considered sufficient).
ABERCRAVE (vb.)
To strongly desire to swing from the pole on the rear foot plate of a bus.
A colleague recently coined a word that deserves to survive, even though it isn't a place name:
PUNTILLIOUS (adj.)
The shared expression on the faces of a group of people after someone has made a pun and everyone else is frantically trying to think of another while politely chuckling in appreciation of the original. So next time you see it happen, and you will, remember to tell everyone concerned that they're looking puntillious.
No comments:
Post a Comment