Utter Nonsense!: The art of made-up words

My kids are amazing mess-makers.  A few years ago, they coined this term to describe their most impressive messes: “disasterpiece.”  It’s a masterpiece of a disaster, an amazing mess.  The term made me laugh and has stuck.  We use it in our house all the time whenever there’s a big mess (too often).   Kids are especially good at making up words and phrases and I know we’re not the only family who has had a made-up word become part of our everyday speech.

It’s no surprise that a good author will have a way with words, but I’ve always been especially impressed by authors who make up their own words.  Some words we use all the time were originally made up by authors.  The word “nerd” for instance, first appeared in the 1950 Dr. Seuss book If I Ran the Zoo.  J. R. R. Tolkien is credited for first using the word “tween,” although he was using it to refer to hobbits in their “irresponsible twenties,” rather than preteens as we do today.

     There are many authors whose made up words might not have caught on in daily use but are a joy to read.  Roald Dahl, author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG and many other beloved tales, was a master at made-up words.  In The BFG he uses “biffsquiggled” to mean confused and “fizzwiggler” to refer to a mean person.  Lewis Carroll also expertly weaved nonsense words into his writing.  His poem “The Jabberwocky” is the perfect example with phrases like:

“’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”

     Books with made-up words are enjoyable for both adults and children.  There is also some benefit to reading these books with children.  They help them learn about symbolic meaning, to use contextual clues to discern meaning, and spark imagination.  Enjoy one of these books yourself or with your kids and then try to come up with a “disasterpiece” of your own.

Taming of the Shrew

By William Shakespeare














Really any work by Shakespeare could be on this list.  So many of his original words and phrases have become a part of our lexicon that we take them for granted.  He brought us words and phrases such as, “new-fangled,” “swagger,” “break the ice,” and “in a pickle.”  One of my favorites - “bedazzled” - comes from The Taming of the Shrew.

The Complete Nonsense of Edward Lear

By Edward Lear













An inspiration for future authors such as Maurice Sendak, Lear wrote lots of “nonsense.”  This collection includes one of his most well-known poems “The Owl and the Pussycat” which contains what seems like one of Lear’s favorite nonsense words: “runcible.”

“They dined on mince and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon,
They danced by the light of the moon.”

The Jabberwocky

By Lewis Carroll














This classic nonsense poem originally appeared in Through the Looking Glass, but is published on its own as well.  Carroll created a lot of “portmanteau” words (two words put together to make a new one), such as “chortle,” which is combination of “chuckle” and “snort.”

The BFG

By Roald Dahl













The BFG, along with Dahl’s other books, are filled with fun, made-up words like those mentioned above.  They make a great read-aloud!

Du Iz Tak?

By Carson Ellis














This picture books features insects communicating entirely in a made up language.  It provides a great opportunity for kids to use contextual clues and creativity to figure out meaning.

Frindle

By Andrew Clements













This chapter book tells the story of a boy who decides he’s going to make up a new word - “frindle” - and how its use takes off in unexpected ways.

- Christine C., Hollowbrook Branch

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