Yes, I admit that I was pranking with my word scrumbly. You're a very tactful group of readers. Some knew that it wasn't a word and DJan said, "Nice new word." Steve really knew what was going on and tactfully said , "Is that a word?" Others said they liked the "new" word.
So it was fun and I hope I haven't lost any followers. I have to single out one reader who didn't get it and she should have. My daughter should have caught me since she was in on one of my pranks.
I was put in charge of marking the written part of middle school language arts exams. There had to be little orientation before we started marking. I usually took three papers, a poor one. a middle one and a very good one. We would mark these and if everything went as it should most marks given would be fairly close. One year I decided to have some fun. I asked my daughter to write the exam topic. She wrote it with a few errors. She gave herself the name "Chrissy" I gave the paper to the markers to mark. They gave the paper a mark from a D to A. Then they got going at each other. They puzzled. Finally, one teacher said, "This was not written by a student" I was busted. It taught us a good lesson about the difference between teen age writing and adult writing. So my daughter should have been on to me.
One of the more interesting books I've read was The Meaning of Everything: The History of the English Oxford Dictionary by Simon Winchester. The dictionary was put together over many years and is still growing. It consists of many volumes. Our local librarian commented many times about buying the Oxford English Dictionary , but it's so expensive that he could never find money in the budget. The process was interesting . It's an easy read . I like Simon Winchester's books.
So I'm afraid that scrumbly will never make any dictionary and justifiable so.
You never know.
ReplyDeleteIt also takes checking!
DeleteYears ago when my wife and I were taking a writing class at different times so we had different teachers. Mine was taught by a woman and hers by a man. Our topics were the same, write something on sports. When we got them back, I had an A and my wife had a B. We laughed about it, it was an interesting exercise. :)
ReplyDeleteCool but marking writing is difficult.
DeleteBut why not? It's a great word, Red. :-)
ReplyDeleteFor sure ! It makes sense.
DeleteFirst, I have no memory at all of this prank paper incident, though I believe you. Secondly, I make up crazy words all the time and use them liberally, so who cares if you used "scrumbly"? I liked it. Better that than all those out there who misspell words or use poor grammar, which muddles the meaning worse than any invented word.
ReplyDeleteI remember Robert's word "Wiggans"
DeleteThere are often words I do not recognize in the blogs I read from all over the globe so I did not think twice about "scrumbly" as I knew what you meant!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how so many people said they knew what it meant!
DeleteI loved the word "scumbly" and was glad that you introduced us to a made up word. I had never heard it before, but thought it was something that sounded appropriate for the fall colors there.
ReplyDeleteWhen it came into my head it made sense.
DeleteI've read probably more than a handful of Simon Winchester books. They are always well researched and written. I like that he doesn't get so in depth that it becomes tedious to read as other non-fiction authors are sometimes prone to do.
ReplyDeleteWinchester keeps things moving so it keeps my interest. I must look for another of his books.
DeleteI kinda like your new word:)
ReplyDeleteIt popped into my head and seemed to make sense. It was fun.
DeleteI thought it might be a colloquial expression. And it's now in my brain, and not necessarily under the heading "made-up" - haha
ReplyDeleteBut your daughter has a point - the language is always evolving, new words being added, new meanings being created. Look at "literally", for instance: it used to mean "in actual fact"; so many people have been using it wrong that it now has an officially recognized OPPOSITE meaning "not in actual fact". I don't like that, but I have to live with it!
Words certainly evolve and sometimes very quickly.
DeleteI dunno -- now that you've invented the word, if we all use it and are persistent, maybe we can get it to catch on!
ReplyDelete(You could have told me that "scrumbly" was Canadian slang and I'd have believed it.)
There are projects that push for the inclusion of a word in the language.
DeleteIt may not be in the dictionary, but I like the sound of scrumbly and I knew just what you meant!
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if it's spelled correctly?
DeleteI didn't comment on the last post because I had trouble fitting the word "scrumbly" with the photos. Even though autumn was pictured as uneven, the photos were all pretty, not scrumbly at all.
ReplyDeleteWell , you could have commented and given me the gears!
DeleteLol. Good one red! You have the work out there so you never know!
ReplyDeleteWho said, "Sometimes words don't describe it.?"
DeleteI'm enjoying these bits of history from your teaching career.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that it's always on your mind. I'm sure you have the same experience to some extent.
DeleteStill freeform, Red. Not conforming. Improv!
ReplyDeleteAll three things you mention were fun.
DeleteI've read a couple of his books, but something about his general style doesn't work for me.
ReplyDeleteThere's another similar writer...Gavin Menzies.
DeleteI really enjoyed the idea of what you did with the exam paper. Now you've created the word 'scrumbly' I'm making it my job to find a meaning for it.
ReplyDeleteI was also thinking about it's forms and how it fit in with grammar!!!
DeleteI think 'scrumbly' should be added to the dictionary ;) Fun read!
ReplyDeleteHey, I also should get a patent.
DeleteI thought "scrumbly" sounded like a word relating to food and I also thought I should look it up but in the end I was too lazy :)
ReplyDeleteIt got you thinking!
DeleteAs Lewis Carroll once said:
ReplyDelete"’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
I like your new word, it should be in the dictionary.
ReplyDeleteTake care, enjoy your weekend!
i was bit puzzled at first when saw the title of this post ,very first thought came into mind with which i can so relate lol and it was forgetfulness that occurs to me often due to hurry but post explained everything nicely :)
ReplyDeleteas a teacher you have confidence to invent words on other hand i think every word that we invent must have some meaning if not exact shape of existence because our brain takes raw material that is available already in our data :)