Most of the time when we think about words, we think of a
collection of vowels and consonants that combine to represent an object, an
idea, or such—a small unit of communication.
We can play with words by punning—I once named a rescue cat “Clawdio”
(see Note 2). We can switch words around
to create clever sayings—“truth is beauty, beauty truth,” as in “Ode on a
Grecian Urn.” We can reverse
expectations—no good deed goes unpunished.
What is your favorite word and why is it your favorite? Do you like its meaning, as in
“vacation”? Do you like the way it
sounds, perhaps its alliterative quality, as in the word “essence”? Do you like the way it looks, such as an
anagram? How many of you like a word
because of the way it feels to say it, the way it rolls, bounces, or slides in
the mouth, its sensual quality?
My favorite word to say is “thingamabob” because it uses all
parts of the mouth, has a veritable dance party in the mouth, and because it is
a silly, informal, all-purpose word.
When said aloud, “thingamabob” resonates. It starts in the front of the mouth with the
tongue against the teeth, creating the “th” sound. Then, it travels back to the middle for the
long “e” sound and immediately scoots up the nose for the twanging “n” before
it slams against the back of the mouth for the guttural hard “g.” It takes a pause in the middle with the “uh”
(schwa) sound and then sneaks up to the lips and nose for the tingling,
tickling “m” sound—a kazoo without the actual instrument. Next, it slides back to the middle for
another “uh” sound before bouncing to the lips for a plosive “b,” rocketing to
the middle for the final “uh,” and ending with a resounding plosive “b.” (In the “bob” part, the word does the Cha-Cha
in your mouth!)
Recently, in conversation on this topic, someone asked about
the word “thingamajig.” “Thingamajig”
differs basically only in the final sound, the hard “g.” The “jig” starts as does “bob” in the front
of the mouth with the tongue behind the teeth instead of with the bouncing “b”
of “bob.” The short “i” slides to the
middle, as does the “uh” of bob.”
However, “jig” ends in the back of the mouth with the guttural hard “g”
swallowed instead of bounced out as the final “b” in “bob.” After some time spent repeating the two
words, I personally prefer “thingamabob,” as I like to end with the exploding
“b.” (An influence, perhaps, of Monty
Python?)
While my intent here is primarily the fun of saying the
word, I cannot end without discussing meaning.
“Thingamabob” started its life as “thingum,” an informal, or colloquial,
variation of “thing,” with the “um” a meaningless suffix. Soon thereafter, the “bob” joined the word,
yet another meaningless hanger-on. The OED lists its first usage in 1680. “Thingamajig” joined the linguistic nonsense
around 1751.
I used to dream about words, such as “mellifluous,”
“diaphanous,” and “avuncular.” While
these words are fun to say, especially “mellifluous,” “thingamabob” remains my
favorite word to speak aloud.
NOTE 1: In
researching “thingamabob” and “thingamajig,” I took a look at the word
“thing.” The entry in the OED is quite long, including some
amusing variations on the word, such as “thingness.” Soon, I will devote a blog entry to the word
“thing.”
NOTE 2: Many years ago, I adopted an older cat from the
Humane Society. As most people prefer to
adopt kittens, I figured I had saved the cat from death row. I named him “Clawdio” after Claudio in Measure for Measure, who is also on
death row. I tried my best to teach
Clawdio to mew Shakespearean speeches.
Ultimately, I abandoned my efforts, realizing that I could not teach an
old cat mew tricks.
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