SOME NOT-SO- FAMILIAR TERMS

 SOME NOT-SO- FAMILIAR TERMS

There is a general detachment from learning languages even in levels of higher study.  Leaving aside the current situation in our country, even persons with substantial grip over their ‘vocabulary’ particularly in English/ French/ Spanish would find some terms quite ‘unheard of’. From what I understand, some of them, per se, may not be English or at least the words appear to be social coinages reflecting some preference in portrayal of an idea. There is reason to believe so, since those terms do not figure elsewhere in general practice of using the language.   If you find them irritating, please pardon me.

CATTYWAMPUS

Cattywampus is a term to suggest ‘things moving in wrong direction or progressing awkwardly’.  It is also a reference to ‘ill-kept place’ or a place of poorly organized state. A reference is drawn to the wide difference between how things are [strewn] in a post-office, as against what is generally known of ‘organized’ arrangement in a library.  In this case, such a post office represents ‘CATTYWAMPUS’.

BUMFUZZLE

It is another American usage ‘referring’ to the ‘confused’ or ‘perplexed’ state of the mind. It attempts to show the situation where the person is unable to perceive anything clear due to a burdened opinion. The word seems to have been derived from the old English expression ‘DUMFOOZLE’.

GARDYLOO

Gardyloo  means ‘a warning cry’. An expression ‘imported’ to English from Scottish usage. By its sheer funny ‘sound’ it should have drawn attention of ‘passers-by’. In parts of England, the inmates from upper floor used dump off ‘unwanted’ buckets cautioning ‘GARDYLOO’ , so that the ‘unsuspecting’ pedestrian could move to safety from being hit by the ‘dropped object’. Though not the sound, the caution sounded reflects culture of concern for others.

ABIBLIOPHOBIA

A careful scrutiny of the word reveals a minimum of three components like ‘A’, ‘BIBLIO’ and ‘PHOBIA’. Phobia generally means fear of something. ‘BIBLIO’ refers to citation/ reference / book; while ‘ABIBLIO’ suggests ‘WITHOUT book’ or ’ABSENCE’ of book. Any voracious reader, who finds self ‘left with no book to read’ gets to have a fear or worry from ‘nothing on hand to read‘, expressed as ‘ABIBLIOPHOBIA’. It also applies to the state of uncalled for fear or anxiety from ‘no work to do’ as during a long flight.

COLLYWOBBLES

 Collywobbles refers to a sense of discomfort [like butterflies in stomach] from some fear like of success in an examination or an interview for a job. It is an expression to refer to discomfort or disturbed state or ‘wobble’, in the belly or stomach area of a person. During the outbreak of Cholera, many people felt disturbance [wobble] from infection [hence ‘colly’ a reference to ‘cholera’. Very few words lend themselves to be deciphered while several do not offer clues.

Prof. K. Raman