JoJo’s Words of the Week

Hello, my Wonderful Wordies! In continuation of the wonderful Sofie Wilson’s legacy, I provide you all with fun flippancies to add to your lexicon. Here are four splendiferous words to spruce up your week, courtesy of the brilliant Susie Dent. This article is inspired by the esteemed lexicographer, Susie Dent’s Instagram word of the day posts, where she educates the community by introducing her followers to new and intriguing words to incorporate into their vocabulary. 

Gubbins (noun): If flibberty gibbet, thingamabob, and doohickey weren’t enough for you, here’s one more word for that thing you can never remember! The word gubbins comes from British English and is used to describe objects of little importance or whose name is forgotten or unknown. What are all these gubbins doing on my desk? Who knows! But now you have a word to describe them.

Trumpery (noun/adj.): Many trinkets and gubbins would be considered trumpery. Something trumpery is superficial, and the word is often attributed to objects, excessive adornments, and garments. It can also be used to describe beliefs and ideas that are misleading or shallow–beliefs that appear to be appealing on the surface, but have little value once examined further. 

Betwattled (adj.): If these words, along with our current events, have shaken you to your core, you may be betwattled. I know many in the Sequoyah community have been betwattled beyond our senses at our country’s current political climate. To be betwattled is to be perplexed, bewildered, and overall out of it, to be in a distressed state of mind. With final projects piling up, the deadline for committing to colleges having come and gone, and the school year somehow coming to an end so soon, I certainly am feeling betwattled. 

Fernweh (noun – German): As we near the end of the spring semester, many seniors are getting ready to fly the coop and explore the world during the next step on their academic journeys. Many students pondering where to go to college experience fernweh, a desire to be as far away from home as possible. Fernweh is an antonym of homesickness and is when one longs to get away, adventure, and explore the world beyond one’s home. So if you’re feeling fernweh, remember that summer is near and enjoy these last moments before the school year comes to a close. 

I hope you enjoyed these words of the week and will incorporate them into your vocabulary. Tune in next time, my Wonderful Wordies!