Words I have made up

I've always made up words. In my family growing up, words could be elastic. If we made up a word, as long as we could explain what it meant, and and it was within the realm of what my mom, the grammar stickler, could tolerate, we were allowed to use the word. Even in public. As long as it didn't sound like a swear word.

In some ways, I think Mom was relieved we made up words, instead of referring to things as "thinga-ma-bobs" or "whatsits", as our dad sometimes referred to his belongings. Often, when he requested his "doohicky", we would know exactly what he meant; remote control, or napkin, or whatever it was he wanted us to fetch for him.

We also had family words for things. The "Dirty Socks" for example. Imagine the embarrassment of visiting a friend's home when Italian food was served, and asking, at the table, for the Dirty Socks. The odd looks might have given you the urge to slide underneath the table, and ooze out the door. However, if you asked for Dirty Socks at the table in our house, you got the Kraft Parmesan Cheese. So named because my as a young child my sister took a whiff of the open container and said "Eww, smells like Dirty Socks". You know, the faux cheese in the green container, (I don't care what they say) with the handy yellow shaker top. Forever after, Dirty Socks.

As an adult, I do have a fondness for words. To me they sing, and dance, and when strung together adeptly they are a kind of magic.

I'm certain I have made up thousands of words. The Saint and I have lots of family word-jokes. For example, the stealers. Stealers is a word the dogs would use, if they could talk. Dogs are not not grammatically correct; they don't give a sniff of a clean fire hydrant for grammar. Stealers; those guys who arrive every week and steal things out of those tall plastic dog-food bags. They steal the best stuff - the most yummy smelling, the most played with, THE KITTY ROCA. What's worse, you can hear them coming from blocks away, the loud beep beeping as they approach, but no matter how hard you try to warn the people you live with by barking and trying to SHOW them the stealers - you still just get yelled at. Poor dogs.

Here are a few other words, not from a dog's point of view.

Cryful. It's not tearful, a restrained and ladylike feeling. Cryful is the boo-hooing, bawling, getting red eyes and a runny nose feeling. It's also a word I don't use in public - too childish, and a little too private.

Squicked. It's not quite as strong as furious, but it's stronger than piqued or irritated. It's also the feeling you get right before you want to climb on a soap box and start ranting about the last stupid thing the government officials did.

Skittering. Also, Skitter. I am not sure if this is a word or not. Spell Checker doesn't think so. It's what water bugs do on water. Also, spiders on anything, if they are moving fast. Mice, too. Also, cats on ice; they have traction, but not quite enough. Not a scamper or even a run - those are controlled - skittering is almost out of control.

Creeped. The grammatically correct word is crept. But creeped is so much more evocative, and, well, creepy. Moving silently and slowly. Maybe with bad intent, perhaps to catch the dog eating the cat food, perhaps for something much more sinister....