Dumb’s The Word

10 Mar
The Word Logo

Image via Wikipedia

What are your favorite slang words?

I don’t have a favourite that I’m aware of, though I may use some inadvertently; but I have one I abhor.  My hatred of it is such that I actually wince when I hear it, and I want to clap my hands over my ears, squeeze my eyes tight shut and sing ‘lalalalalalalalalalalala’ until the whole sordid experience is over.  But, as you know, I’m not at all given to exaggeration in any form whatsoever at all no siree, so I don’t.

What is this awful word?  And there we have a problem: I hate it so much, I can’t tell you.  Instead, I’m going to send you some clues and you can figure it out for yourself.

*

Go here first: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291928/

*

The last illustration represents the biggest half of the word and also the whole word.

It is possible that my non-Brit readers may not have heard of the word, so you can check it out here, if you like.

This word is the reason I lost interest in politics, doing the job that the sleaze and scandals and pocket-lining and sheer incompetence could not: when I heard it used in Parliament, I knew then there was no low a British MP would not sink to.

 

29 Responses to “Dumb’s The Word”

  1. vivinfrance March 10, 2011 at 10:21 #

    I needed cheering up this morning, and what do I get? Bad words. I am amazed, incredulous, astonished, astounded, shocked, stunned, surprised, dumbfounded, staggered, taken aback and flabbergasted (my favourite).

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 10:22 #

      Yes, but did you get the answer?

      Like

      • vivinfrance March 10, 2011 at 11:01 #

        I decline to type that, on the grounds that it might incriminate me.

        Like

  2. Cindy March 10, 2011 at 10:42 #

    I’m quite gobsmacked!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 10:46 #

      Aren’t you supposed to be serving, not surfing?

      Clever girl 🙂

      Like

  3. kolembo March 10, 2011 at 11:01 #

    Great treasure hunt…got it! The tennis cartoon is hilarious.

    Thanks for the question by the way, and the opportunity to answer it on the blog.

    Much appreciated.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 19:24 #

      Thanks for considering it. I’ll reply tomorrow.

      Like

  4. Pseu March 10, 2011 at 14:13 #

    Crikey.

    Like

  5. JOnKEnna March 10, 2011 at 15:00 #

    Yup that’s annoying all right. My annoyances aren’t so much slang as laziness; I hate it when people say ‘pacifically’ instead of ‘specifically’ and when people use the word ‘basically’ 3 times in a minute I come out in boils!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 19:26 #

      Now you’ve made my blood boil! I’d forgotten those. Another of my pet hates is pro-ven for proo-ven (proven). That’s a fairly recent thing and if I could find the source I would track them down and prove not all housewives are meek. 🙂

      Like

  6. Tinman March 10, 2011 at 17:06 #

    I looked at the last picture and thought “slapper”. Then I spent three or four minutes looking at the tennis cartoon trying to figure out the connection.
    Possibly I should start working again now.

    Like

  7. gigihawaii March 10, 2011 at 17:49 #

    no, I don’t know what word sets you off, but for me, it is the F-word. Hate it! But, I hear Brits say it all the time without thinking!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 19:28 #

      Oh, you shouldn’t believe everything you hear. We Brits hear all Americans have perfect teeth and I know for a fact that’s not true. Beware sweeping generalisations, I say.

      Like

  8. slpmartin March 10, 2011 at 18:06 #

    Well you’re right…I would have never guessed that word…actually I’ve only heard it once or twice in a movie. 🙂

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 19:28 #

      Well, that’s some comfort: I’d hate for the disease to spread.

      Like

  9. alienhippy March 10, 2011 at 21:01 #

    Well I’m totally Gobsmacked Tilly,there’s me thinkin our worse slang word is “innit-like”….giggle.
    Love and hugs. xx 🙂

    Like

  10. nrhatch March 10, 2011 at 22:17 #

    I peeked so I shall have to disqualify myself from the drawing of a winner.

    No malteasers for me. 😦

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 10, 2011 at 23:11 #

      It wasn’t a fair challenge because it is such an English word. Is there a word you don’t like?

      Like

    • nrhatch March 10, 2011 at 23:20 #

      Well, it’s not really a word, but I hate “haz.”

      When someone says “I haz a happy” . . . it’s like hearing a grown adult using baby talk when no babies are in the vicinity. Ack!

      Ack!, by the way, is a word I love!

      Like

      • Tilly Bud March 11, 2011 at 10:31 #

        I haven’t heard that one before, and I’m so glad 🙂

        Ack! is a word I can get behind.

        Like

  11. kateshrewsday March 10, 2011 at 22:40 #

    I agree with your hated word, Tilly. It’s right up there with flabbergasted and gobbledegook.
    Me, I have a journalist’s disdain for jargon. I love to lay into it with a battering ram at meetings. Normally I’m not confrontational but I’ll pick a fight with anyone who asks whether I use APP or have contacted the SENCO recently. And don’t get me started on Blue Sky Thinking or Thinking Out Of The Box…

    Like

  12. flo March 10, 2011 at 23:21 #

    Pants. My favourite, but no longer fashionable, so just right for me! Least favourite, shan. Hate it.

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 11, 2011 at 10:32 #

      I haven’t heard shan. What’s that?

      Like

      • flo March 11, 2011 at 20:27 #

        Embarrassing or unfair depending if you are 49 ( 50 in June, I expect a poem!) or 12 or 14 and drifting in, and already in the depth of teenagedom.

        Like

  13. granny1947 March 11, 2011 at 07:43 #

    It took a lot of restraint but i have zipped my mouth!!

    Like

    • Tilly Bud March 11, 2011 at 10:33 #

      I admire your restraint but I’m dying to know what you would have said 🙂

      Like

I welcome your comments but be warned: I'm menopausal and as likely to snarl as smile. Wine or Maltesers are an acceptable bribe; or a compliment about my youthful looks and cheery disposition will do in a pinch.

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

%d bloggers like this: