Hello friends. I hope your 2022 is off to a good start. I have only a few days left until my next manuscript is due, so today’s post will be short and sweet.
As a historical novelist, I spend a fair amount of time checking to see if words were in use during my time period and sometimes end up discovering new words along the way. For example, I recently consulted my favorite online etymology dictionary to see if I could describe a child as “rambunctious,” only to discover that word did not come into use until 1834. Before that time, a person might be called rumbunctious (1824) or rumbustious (1778).
So, when I opened one of my Christmas presents from my husband to find The Little Book of Lost Words by Joe Gillard, I was delighted. I have already read through it, and have enjoyed learning some new-to-me old words.
The books specifies when the words came into use and gives brief definitions and (often humorous) sample sentences and illustrations. If you love words as I do, you might want to order a copy for yourself.
On New Year’s Eve, some members of Inspirational Regency Readers (a group on Facebook) played a game where we took turns coming up with a sentence using one or more of these example words. (If you haven’t joined this fun group yet, please do!) You might like to try it here as well (feel free to comment with your sentence below). Or, if you are an author, I challenge you to incorporate one of these into your next book….although that may prove difficult for contemporary writers. 😉
Apanthopy: the desire to be alone; a distaste for the company of others
Blatteroon: a person who talks or boasts incessantly
Smatchet: an ill-tempered, despicable person
Pingle: to work in a useless unhelpful manner that only interferes.
Honneyfuggle: to compliment someone to get what you want.
Pamphagous: will eat anything
Collywobbles: stomach pain or sickness (I’ve used this one.)
Snollygoster: a corrupt, unprincipled person
I have incorporated at least one word from this book into the manuscript I’ll turn in soon, fabulosity: an exaggerated statement or completely made-up story. (Now to see if it survives the editing process.)
That’s all for today, because I am in a state of betweenity (between two things), enjoying my time here, yet needing to finish my draft. Have a great day!
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Do you have to make a note in your manuscript for your editors that it’s a real word and true to the time period so they won’t “pingle” your story?
Ha ha! Good one, Joy. Thankfully my editors are not smatchets and only want the best for my novels. 🙂 (And yes, I often leave [notes] in my manuscript about dates for my editors and they create a “style sheet” to keep track of unusual words and spellings as well as character descriptions, etc.)
That is so much FUN!!!
I’ve heard about these old words before. Thank you for being careful about the words you use in your novels. I like it when authors use time appropriate words and not words and expressions of today that wouldn’t have been used long ago. Looking forward to reading new words in your books!
Thank you, Traci. Yes, more than 100,000 words coming to you late this year. 🙂 I try my best not to let any modern words slip through. Wish I were infallible, but sadly, no. 🙂
What a fun book, Julie! Such colorful words rich in personality. I love that you’ve already used one in your current manuscript.
Thanks, Karen. I’m sure you could work in a snollygoster or blatteroon among your characters. 🙂
That is so fun! I didn’t realize that in writing historical fiction that some words might not have been in existence. I have honneyfoggled a time or two in my life! So interesting. Thanks for writing such an enlightening blog post. As they say, ‘ you learn something new every day. ‘
Thank you, Linda. Yes, words are always, slowly, changing. So glad you found the post enlightening. May all your honeyfuggling be effective!
That does look like a useful and fun book! 🙂 And a fun bit to look for in your forthcoming novel.