Jabberwocky

Posted by Smokey Stover 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.

I'm probably wrong, but I'm thinking "manxsome" and Gelett. Trivial, I know. Of course, I don't wish to accusnmje Lewis Carroll of misspelling his own words. SS

• Jabberwocky Lotg 19/September/04
  • Oh what a farrago this has become... Lotg 19/September/04
    • Oh what a farrago this has become... Bob 19/September/04
      • Manxome foe. Smokey Stover 20/September/04