Jellicle Cat and Boojum Snark on a Frabjous Day

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Some nonsense adjectives (and nouns) are so well-known that people start using them outside of references to the original work.

I’ve seen “jellicle cat” used without reference to T. S. Eliot’s poems 9and long before the musical Cats showed up) .

I’ve seen “Boojum” used occasionally, and “snark” many times* in cases that have nothing to do with Lewis Carroll.

And Paul Brickhill used “frabjous” in his book The Great Escape (upon which both the movie and a TV miniseries were based.

Carroll is a great source of nonsense words, many of which (like “galumphing” ) have entered everyday language.

Any other such cromulent words out there?

*“Snark” is thought to have been a sort of portmanteau of “snail” and “shark”. The word seems to have nothing to do with “snark” indicating sarcasm. In the original pre-production sketches the landing craft from the Nostromo in the movie Alien was called the Snark. (Both Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo and Carroll’s The Hunting of the Snark involve an unseen entity picking off members of a ship’s cew one by one

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This is a perfectly cromulent thread. It embiggens us all.

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“Runcible Spoon” comes from Edward Lear’s poem “The Owl and the Pussycat.” I’ve seen it used in reference to a piece of cutlery that’s more commonly known as a “spork” (i.e., a spoon with fork-like pointy tines at the tip), particularly if one edge of the spoon is sharpened. And, in fact, The Perfect Master has addressed this term in a column.

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Paleontologists have adopted the word “thagomizer” from The Far Side.

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I couldn’t remember where “quark” (the subatomic piece) came from, had to Google it: Murray Gell-Man by way of James Joyce.

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“Grok” maybe hasn’t completely disappeared.

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Some cats in shelters have been called Professor Jiggly

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Caroll invented the word chortle, which has entered general usage.

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Like “galumphing”, this is in “Jabberwocky”, a wonderful source of nonsense words that have escaped into common usage (including also “whiffle” and “beamish”)

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So I was taught 50 years ago but the only use of the work I’ve ever heard was as an example of an invented word that entered general usage.

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“Yeah, he’s off to the Chamber of Secrets for a cup of tea with his fanged servant,” said George, chortling .
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

Connor chortled, “Good luck with that.”
Music of Souls - Joanne J. Kendrick

Miss Mamie chortled while my son and his wife reddened.
Queen Bee Goes Home Again - Haywood Smith

He almost chortled at the ridiculous thought, wishing someone was there with him to tell.
Damian’s Assassin - Lizzy Ford

Bengal hopped up and down and chortled with anticipatory glee.
The Camp Fire Girls at Camp Keewaydin, Or, Down Paddles - Hildegard G. Frey

Steve said he guessed the engine needed a good overhauling, and Perry chortled and offered his services to Joe to help take it apart
The Adventure Club Afloat - Ralph Henry Barbour

“Your face!” he chortled.
Essence of the Archers - Caitlin-Rose Owens

She chortled and said, “There’s no comparison.”
“What to Do if You’re Terrified of Getting Older” - column by Dan Harris in the February 2019 issue of Men’s Health

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Not sure what you mean, but I’ve read “chortle” several time in written works. I may have heard it spoken, as well, but I can’t recall a case.

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ISTM I’ve seen several mentions of Mitch McConnell “chortling” every time he torpedoes some Democratic bill.

Jabberwocky also gives us: brillig, slithy, tove, wabe, mimsy, borogove, mome, rath, outgrabe. (All that’s just the first four-line verse!)

frumious, vorpal, uffish, frabjous.