10 Words We Learned From Literature
Taken from the pages of your favourite books, these made up words are just as useful for daily conversation.
Think about all the words you’ve ever glanced over. Every page, every chapter, every book – the number is staggering, especially for bookworms. Most of the words you’ve read once, you’ll read again – in new sentences and new meanings – but the same old word choice (a mere one million plus for English speakers) can get so drab. That’s why we’re thankful that writers take it upon themselves to coin new terms, play off of old ones, or combine them as they please simply because they can.As a little thank you to our creative wordsmiths, we’ve put together a few of a favourites to vamp up your vocab. Some of these author-coined terms may surprise you!George Orwell 1984Bellyfeel – a gut instinctConversational uses: When you probably shouldn’t order another margarita, when you probably shouldn’t sample the expired milk, when the skies are grey but your phone says sunny and 75 – listen to your bellyfeel!William Shakespeare, William VI pt. IIIClangor – the sound of a loud clamourConversational uses: Use this term to describe the sounds that give you a headache (because you didn’t trust your bellyfeel and went for another margarita), the sound of the neighborhood kids banging pots and pans together as they sing the soundtrack to Frozen, or the sound of your dog as he runs into the sliding glass door.Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork OrangeDroog – friend; companionConversational uses: Use this term to address acquaintances, co-workers, and any close buddy.Roald Dahl, The BFGGloriumptious – glorious and wonderful!Conversational uses: Use this term when you’re extremely excited, when something positive happens, or sarcastically when something terrible happens and you’re feeling snarky.Lewis Carroll, Alice through the looking glassFarfarren – travel safe; bon voyage; fare well under fair skies.Conversational uses: Use this term when your droog leaves the room.John Milton, Paradise lostLovelorn – forsaken by one’s loverConversational uses: Use this term at the end of a relationship: after the initial breakup but before the ice cream and tears.Charles Dickens, David CopperfieldMicawber – an optimistic personConversational uses: Use this term to describe all the lovelorn droogs who still know life is gloriumptious!J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter seriesMuggle – non magical personConversational uses: Use this word as a more pleasant alternative to ‘basic.’Rudyard Kipling, Just so storiesSvengali – evil, and with malicious intentConversational uses: Use this word to identify the evil doers making all the clangor.James Joyce, Finnegan's wakeQuark – the cry of a gull.Interesting fact: the physics term, quark, was actually taken from this literary context, specifically from the line, “three quarks for Mister Mark.” The link between the term and the number three seemed suited to the way quarks operate in the universe and the theory that they come in three different ‘flavors’: up, down, and strange.Conversational uses: When you want to confuse people, point up at the flock of birds above and yell ‘quark!’ People with either think you’re a physics genius or slightly deranged.Full Article: https://www.thereadingroom.com/article/10-words-we-learned-from-literature/1547
Think about all the words you’ve ever glanced over. Every page, every chapter, every book – the number is staggering, especially for bookworms. Most of the words you’ve read once, you’ll read again – in new sentences and new meanings – but the same old word choice (a mere one million plus for English speakers) can get so drab. That’s why we’re thankful that writers take it upon themselves to coin new terms, play off of old ones, or combine them as they please simply because they can.As a little thank you to our creative wordsmiths, we’ve put together a few of a favourites to vamp up your vocab. Some of these author-coined terms may surprise you!George Orwell 1984Bellyfeel – a gut instinctConversational uses: When you probably shouldn’t order another margarita, when you probably shouldn’t sample the expired milk, when the skies are grey but your phone says sunny and 75 – listen to your bellyfeel!William Shakespeare, William VI pt. IIIClangor – the sound of a loud clamourConversational uses: Use this term to describe the sounds that give you a headache (because you didn’t trust your bellyfeel and went for another margarita), the sound of the neighborhood kids banging pots and pans together as they sing the soundtrack to Frozen, or the sound of your dog as he runs into the sliding glass door.Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork OrangeDroog – friend; companionConversational uses: Use this term to address acquaintances, co-workers, and any close buddy.Roald Dahl, The BFGGloriumptious – glorious and wonderful!Conversational uses: Use this term when you’re extremely excited, when something positive happens, or sarcastically when something terrible happens and you’re feeling snarky.Lewis Carroll, Alice through the looking glassFarfarren – travel safe; bon voyage; fare well under fair skies.Conversational uses: Use this term when your droog leaves the room.John Milton, Paradise lostLovelorn – forsaken by one’s loverConversational uses: Use this term at the end of a relationship: after the initial breakup but before the ice cream and tears.Charles Dickens, David CopperfieldMicawber – an optimistic personConversational uses: Use this term to describe all the lovelorn droogs who still know life is gloriumptious!J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter seriesMuggle – non magical personConversational uses: Use this word as a more pleasant alternative to ‘basic.’Rudyard Kipling, Just so storiesSvengali – evil, and with malicious intentConversational uses: Use this word to identify the evil doers making all the clangor.James Joyce, Finnegan's wakeQuark – the cry of a gull.Interesting fact: the physics term, quark, was actually taken from this literary context, specifically from the line, “three quarks for Mister Mark.” The link between the term and the number three seemed suited to the way quarks operate in the universe and the theory that they come in three different ‘flavors’: up, down, and strange.Conversational uses: When you want to confuse people, point up at the flock of birds above and yell ‘quark!’ People with either think you’re a physics genius or slightly deranged.Full Article: https://www.thereadingroom.com/article/10-words-we-learned-from-literature/1547
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