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Saturday 21 September 2013

Saturday Rave: nonsense from Lear.

Just how much nonsense Shakespeare's hero King Lear speaks is something that could be fretted over for years.

And, indeed, some people have.

But this post is about another Lear, Edward. Whether his need for nonsense came as a result of his lack of success as a landscape painter, whether it was a desperate reaction to having been obliged to try to teach Queen Victoria to draw, or whether it was because of some strange but joyful tangle in the synapses of his brain I cannot say.

 
A loud hurrah, anyway.
 
This letter was written from Lear to Lord Cromer in 1850. I don't think that either of them would mind my sharing it.
 
Thrippy Pilliwinx,-
 
Inkly tinky pobblebockle able-squabs? Flosky! Veebul trimble flosky! Okul scratch abibblebongibo, viddle squibble tog-a-log, ferry moyassity amsky flamsky crocklefether squiggs.
Flinky wisty pomm.
Slushypipp
 
And I'm sure that Lord Cromer was very glad to hear it.
 
Word To Use Today: abibblebongibo. A very cheering word when you've just dropped something. Mind you, a good rant at that flamsky crocklefether eases the burdened soul, too.
 
These words both come from a great and overflowing desire to be utterly silly.
 
Well, why not.
 
 

5 comments:

  1. I love Edward Lear's nonsense literature.
    How can you not smile at the very least while reading it!
    I do believe abibblebongibo would make a wonderful euphemism for just about anything!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes indeed. But I feel I must sound a WARNING: overuse of this word may result in the arrival of men in white coats.
      'No, no, I was just quoting Lear. Honestly. No, I'm not getting mixed up with the foul fiend flibbertigibbet, I...Put me down! Put me DOWN!'

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    2. Too late! The men in white coats visited my little corner of the earth many moons ago! :)

      I was rather proud of myself today.
      Went to the garden to get some carrots for supper, and on the way back tripped over the hose (who left that there!!), and me and bowl of carrots went flying.
      Guess what came out of my mouth?
      Yep, it surely did! And in full stereo mode too!
      "ABIBBLEBONGIBO!"
      It's probably a good thing we live in the boonies! :)

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    3. The abibblebongiboonies, surely.

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