Tumbarumba

[watervole]

I came across a lovely word today while wandering around the web. Tumbarumba.  It's when one word is inserted into  another like Sheridan's 'Abso- fragging- lutely' , and, as one might expect, it has an Australian origin.  I rather liked the poem that is the likely derivation for it.

Comments

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

:) I've been doing it for years without knowing there's a word for it...

Have also been to the rather nice town of the same name.

[vjezkova.livejournal.com]

English is full of surprises! :-)

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

I thought that was a tmesis?

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

Ah, just looked it up. Yep, it was originally called a tmesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tmesis), but tumbarumba has recently come to mean the same thing. Nice word!

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Both terms mean the same thing.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

So I discovered, hence the other comment.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Hello, would it be all right if I Friended you?

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Feel free. I won't friend you back as I only friend people I've met in real life, but you're very welcome to drop by and join in the conversation.

[sammason.livejournal.com]

Ok I'm going now to Friend you. I hope you won't be offended if that turns out to be temporary. I do prefer mutual-Friending. My whole LJ is Friendslocked so, this way, you get a chance to see what I'm like in case you decide to reconsider.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

No problem. The other reason I limit my friend's list is because I have RSI and it limits the amount I can read. I took a quick peek at your journal and it does look very interesting. I might add you when I've more free time (a month or two post-Odyssey)