From time to time, while reading, I come across a word that I am not familiar with. Usually I can get the gist of it’s means from the context of the sentence but other times I am totally stumped. If I am reading an E Book on my Kindle with it’s built-in dictionary, I am in luck and actually look up the meaning. Other times, I stick a book mark in and many times that is as far as it goes. So when Bonnie gave me a set of Knowledge Cards, I was intrigued. I now have 45 new “Rarefied Worlds for the Well Rounded Reader” to learn, most of which I could not use in a sentence if my life depended on it. To be fair with myself, these words are from the Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary of 1755, and many are Latin, which unfortunately I never took in school. I thought I would start with the word JIGGUMBOB! What a great word! Although I could not find it in the dictionary, according to the card it means exactly what it sounds like!
jiggumbob– A trinket; knick- knack; a slight contrivance in machinery.
He rifled all his pokes and fobs
Of gimcracks, whims and jiggumbobs.
Hudibras, p. iii (Samuel Butler, 1612-1680, satirical poet-ed.)
If I were to clean out my top desk drawer, I would find all kinds of jiggumbobs!
Does anyone know what EPITHALAMIUM means?
Thank you, Cristine!
Epithalamium– A nuptial song; a compliment upon mariage.
I presume to invite you to these sacred nuptials; the epithalamium sung by a crowned muse.
Sandys’s Paraphrase. [George Sandys, 1578-1644, poet and translator-ed.]
Friday Morning Bookclub 
We grew up with the word ‘jig-ga-muh-bob’ but I’ve never seen it in print. And then there’s the French ‘bidule’ that means the same – like ‘thinga-muh-bob’……..love it! I have no idea what epithalamium means…….
Comment by Nancy Delcher — April 21, 2011 @ 9:44 am |
Eputhalamium is a song or poem in honor of a bride and bridegrrom.
-Merriam Webster
Comment by Cristine — April 23, 2011 @ 5:28 pm |
Thank you Cristine! Lets see how we can use this word in an upcoming post!
I presume to invite you to these sacred nuptials: the epthalamium sung by a crowned muse.
(George Sandys, 1578-1644, poet and translator-ed.)
Comment by susanbright — April 24, 2011 @ 3:14 pm |