For today’s Weird Word Wednesday, let’s look at three words that are downright funny to say: Bumfuzzle, winklepicker, and cattywampus.
Here’s what www.merriam-webster (unabridged edition) says about these funny-sounding words:
Pronunciation: [ ¦bəm¦fəzəl ]
Part of speech: Verb
Definition: To confuse, perplex, or fluster.
Language origin: Probably an alteration of English dialect for the word dumfoozle, probably alteration of the English word dumfound
“Bumfuzzle.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/bumfuzzle. Accessed 11 Jul. 2022.
winklepicker
Pronunciation: [ ˈwiŋkəl ˈpi-kər ]
Part of speech: Noun
Definition: A shoe or boot with a sharp-pointed toe. Language origin: From the notion that the point is sharp enough to be used for picking winkles out of their shells. Winkles are any of the various whelks, especially of the genus Busycon.
“Winklepicker.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/winklepicker. Accessed 11 Jul. 2022.
cattywampus
Pronunciation: [ kateewahmpus ]
Part of speech: Adjective
Definition: A dialectal variant of the word catawampus which means askew, awry, or cater-cornered.
Language origin: Probably by folk etymology from the word catercorner.
“Catawampus.” Merriam-Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://unabridged.merriam-webster.com/unabridged/catawampus. Accessed 11 Jul. 2022.
What words do you think are funny to say? Let me know in the comments.