Don’t you just love the English language? It is continually evolving and changing to reflect the times. Take for example, fomo, selfie, chillax, guyliner, mankini, twitterati to name just a few.
This morning I opened a box of books and was intrigued by a book titled The Catawampus Cat by Jason Carter-Eaton. It’s a magical story about a peculiar, crooked cat who helps people see things a little differently. On reading the blurb I was surprised to learn that catawampus is a real word dating back to the 1840s and means “diagonal or at an angle,” “askew, awry, or crooked.” For example, “Mr Gaffney, your tie is catawampus; let me straighten it for you.”
It got me thinking about how much fun it would be to make up some crazy words of my own. What about…
Excelagination: “Colin Thompson’s books show that he has an excelagination.”
Campeachy: “One of Mrs Riding’s favourite holidays is to campeachy.”
Why don’t you make up some new words of your own? Go on. I challenge you.
shyuile
My Dad was very shyuile.
Hi Miss Riding, my word is Lumpatious.
I will not tolerate Lumpatious people.
Are you sure you haven’t been watching Sam & Cat on Nickelodeon Hayden?
Hi Miss Riding
My made up word is cattastroephy.
There was a cattastroephy in my house.
Pronounced (cat-tas-tro-phey).