Skip navigation to main content

Kitchen Table Lingo

Written by jen, 29th June 2008

You're not going to get far just thingying your wotsit, madam, and, sir, I'm afraid the door policy means your whatchermightcallit is out of the question. Once upon a time you could have gained acceptance by gyring and gimbling in the wabe, but too late now. Time races fast in the fluid world of language.

It is of course virtually impossible to find passwords/usernames/email addresses that have not already been taken, but The English Project's new initiative, 'Kitchen Table Lingo' takes the inventiveness of the English language's resources even further, and is looking for your made up words. Words for your whatchermightcallit, for example, or baby words, or that grunting syllable that uniquely expresses bafflement in your close circle of friends. What do you shout instead of 'Goooooaaaaal!"? Follow this link to read more and to register your new-fangles.

Their only stipulations are that words have to be new-coined, not included in the OED, or at least, not with the usage that you give to them, and your new words have to be currently used by three or more people, and have been used for more than a month. (Don't just make them up for the occasion, for truly truly God is watching with Dr Johnson on his right hand side.)

They'll start publishing contributions in their Databank on the 1st of July, and there is even the tantalising mention of an Award for some lucky contributor.

Here's the link again.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Contact us

Get in touch and be part of the story
You can also speak to us on: 0151 729 2200
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.