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Jabberwocky

Posted by Bob on September 19, 2004

In Reply to: Jabberwocky posted by Bob on September 19, 2004

: : : In the latest book I'm reading (American author this time), upon finally arriving at a destination she'd been longing for, she joyously exclaimed 'O frabjous day!'.

: : : Clearly that's an exclamation of joy at her achievement, but I hadn't remember ever hearing it before. Furthermore, 'frabjous' appeared to me to be a strange conglomeration.

: : : But when I surfed about I found the following:

: : : frabjous (FRAB-juhs) adjective

: : : Wonderful, elegant, superb, or delicious.

: : : [Coined by Lewis Carroll in "Through the Looking-Glass"; perhaps meant to
: : : suggest fabulous or joyous.]

: : : "Ah, my friends, rejoice. These are frabjous days."
: : : Ivins, Molly, Needed: one strong stomach, The Progressive, 1 Mar 1995.

: : :
: : : It must be over 35 years since I read Alice through the Looking Glass - so I don't feel too bad about forgetting this one.

: : : Still, it's as though it's a nice new phrase I can now use.
: : : O frabjous day!!!!!!!

: : Here is a word I discovered recently: farraginous. Having to do with farrago, a confused mixture.

: One of the great poems of the English language,
: Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll:

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

:
: "Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
: The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
: Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
: The frumious Bandersnatch!"

: He took his vorpal sword in hand:
: Long time the manxome foe he sought --
: So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
: And stood awhile in thought.

: And, as in uffish thought he stood,
: The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
: Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
: And burbled as it came!

: One, two! One, two! And through and through
: The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
: He left it dead, and with its head
: He went galumphing back.

: "And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
: Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
: O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
: He chortled in his joy.

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

And I would be, indeed, a frumious bandersnatch if I did not point out that few people have ever invented a better word than "galumphing." Maybe Gelette Burgess, who invented a whole book of new words, including "blurb," comes close ... but the mother lode is in Jabberwocky.

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