Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Tuesday Tidbits: 10 FUNNY-SOUNDING WORDS


Words can be very interesting, especially the ones that sound funny to our ears. I love words like these because they make me smile and make my insides happy. Here is a list of words that sound funny to this author's ears.

10. Diphthong = two vowel sounds joined in one syllable to form one speech sound, e.g. the sounds of "ou" in out and of "oy" in boy

9. Gubbins = dialect Britain : fish parings or refuse; broadly : any bits and pieces

8. Collywobbles = pain in the abdomen and especially in the stomach; a bellyache

7. Widdershins = in a left-handed or contrary direction; counterclockwise

6. Snickersnee = 1 archaic : to engage in cut-and-thrust fighting with knives 2 : a large knife

5. Billingsgate = coarsely abusive language

4. Taradiddle = 1 : a fib 2 : pretentious nonsense

3. Gardyloo = used in Edinburgh as a warning cry when it was customary to throw slops from the windows into the streets

2. Cattywampus = askew, awry, kitty-corner

1. Bumfuzzle = confuse; perplex; fluster


But why does one word sound funny to us and another one doesn't? I think part of the reason is if they are uncommon or out of use words.

Studies have been done that show words which diverge greatly in appearance and sound from real words are funnier. This was tested with made-up words. Words that resembled and sounded like real words weren't funny. Though my list above is full of words, though real, don't sound or look real. Ah, so that's why they are funny. =0D

What words sound funny to you?

RECENT RELEASES!
THIMBLES AND THREADS: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted Into Broken Lives

Love Stitched into Four Women’s Lives
Enjoy four historical romances that celebrate the arts of sewing and quilting. When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love? #thimblesandthreadscollection
Click HERE to order yours today.
FREE Preview
#thimblesandthreadscollection
“Bygones” by Mary Davis
Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Now she doesn’t even know she holds his heart. Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

Other stories in this collection:
“The Bridal Shop” by Grace Hitchcock, “Mending Sarah’s Heart” by Suzanne Norquist, and “Binding Up Wounds” by Liz Tolsma


THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT (Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series)
FREE Preview
Can a patient love win her heart?

As Isabelle Atwood’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams. While making a quilt for her own hope chest, Isabelle’s half-sister becomes pregnant out of wedlock and Isabelle--always the unfavored daughter--becomes the family sacrifice to save face. Despite gaining the attention of a handsome rancher, her parents are pressuring her to marry a man of their choosing to rescue her sister’s reputation. A third suitor waits silently in the wings, hoping for his own chance at love. Isabelle ends up with three marriage proposals, but this only further confuses her decision.

A handsome rancher, a stranger, and an unseen suitor are all waiting for an answer.  Isabelle loves her sister, but will she really allow herself to be manipulated into a marriage without love? Will Isabelle capitulate and marry the man her parents wish her to, or will she rebel and marry the man they don’t approve of? Or will the man leaving her secret love poems sweep her off her feet?




Love Is One of Life’s Greatest Adventures 
Seven daring damsels don’t let the norms of their eras hold them back. Along the way these women attract the attention of men who admire their bravery and determination, but will they let love grow out of the adventures?

Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure, a 1904 road-trip
Zola Calkin sets out on an adventure to be the first woman to drive across the country. Will the journalist tasked to report her presumed failure sabotage her efforts? Or will he steal her heart?

#ChristianRomance #HistoricalRomance #Romance

MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection (January), Courting Her Amish Heart (March), The Widow’s Plight (July), Courting Her Secret Heart (September), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection (December), and Courting Her Prodigal Heart (January 2019). Coming in 2019, The Daughter's Predicament (May) and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads (July). She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.
Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

No comments:

Tuesday Tidbits: GARDEN NEWS & REMINDER

Once again, I’m going to try to grow a vegetable/fruit garden. I think I’m a glutton for punishment, but I was excited that my feeble attemp...