Sunday, June 2, 2013

"Gumption"; "Pawky"; "Smidgen"; "Fluke"; "Flummox"


       "Gumption," pawky," "smidgen," "fluke," and "flummox."  Now there's a handful of words.  They're together because they sound funny and make you wonder where they came from.  I like this:  no one knows where they came from!

       These words happen to be "dialectical," a form of speech peculiar to a person, class or district, and no one knows or remembers just how the words began.  Like folk tales that have no real author but "the people," these words were simply adopted and passed on.  FINE.  Speech in  my lexicon should have some secrets from nosy literate researchers!

       But because they're from the people, these words are interesting.  Continued tomorrow.                                                                                                              

1 comment:

  1. smidgen was used in our household. a smidgen of this, a smidgen of that. we used the word, along with a "pinch", when cooking. So you could have either a smidgen or pinch. since you have enjoyed my son's master chef creations, you know that a smidgen of certain seasonings, creates a culinary master dish!!

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