I have always loved words and language, and as a writer, feel very privileged to have English at my disposal.
It’s hard to pin down exactly, but according to some sources, English has a vocabulary of over 500,000 words, compared to 100,000 in French, whose vocabulary tends to be more standardised and streamlined, as it is regulated by organizations such as the Académie Française.
Diversity of language is one of the fabulous results of being an island nation, subjected to invasions by just about everyone! The Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Romans, Vikings and Normans all left their mark. Then, later, the British got their own back and invaded everyone else. At one time, the sun didn’t set on the British Empire, and we absorbed words and culture from Africa, Asia and the Americas, as well as exporting English to just about every corner of the globe.
One of my earliest adventures was four months backpacking around the Antipodes. A highlight for me was what the Australians had done with the language. When a chap told me, “I’m off to siphon the python,” I thought it a beautifully expressive metaphor. Likewise, when you hear an Aussie saying, “He’s got kangaroos loose in the top paddock,” or, “My throat’s drier than a dead dingo’s donger,” you’re left in no doubt as to the meaning.
This diversity within the same language can lead to confusion too, though. Apparently, George Bernard Shaw said, “England and America are two nations divided by a common language.”
Americans will talk unembarrassedly about their fanny packs (bum bags), much to the amusement of Brits. Over the Pond in Blighty, ‘fanny’ is a slang term that refers to an entirely different part of the exclusively feminine anatomy. When a South African gives you directions, they might instruct you to turn left at the robot. If you’re expecting to navigate by R2D2 or C3PO, you’ll be surprised to find that ‘robot’ simply means a traffic light. And if you ask for Durex in Australia or New Zealand, don’t be surprised to be presented with a roll of sticky tape rather than a male contraceptive.
English is such a rich and expressive language, with so many closely nuanced words. For example, although they both convey intense feelings of joy, ‘ecstatic’ isn’t fully interchangeable with ‘elated’. ‘Calm’ isn’t quite the same as ‘serene’. And you might be confounded when you contemplate why perplexity is not the same as confusion.
The many different dialects around the country add even more colour and expressiveness. For example, ‘mizzle’ is a delightfully evocative way to describe that not-quite-mist-but-not-quite-rain, while also bringing to mind the word ‘miserable’. In Scotland, a ‘blatherskite’ talks a lot of nonsense, and ‘clart’ is thick sticky mud. And ‘bumfuzzle’ is yet another expression for being discombobulated, befuddled, flummoxed, or baffled.
And if all this wasn’t enough to help you get your experiences and feelings down on paper, you could always do like The Bard and make up words of your own.
Shakespeare added around 1,700 words to the English language! Without Shakespeare, you couldn’t swagger, bedazzle, hobnob, or anchovy. (I know, anchovy isn’t really a verb – but following Shakespeare’s rules it could be if I wanted!)
As a child, I loved the TV programme Call My Bluff, hosted by Robert Robinson. Two teams, each composed of two celebrity guests and a regular team captain, took turns to read out three definitions of some obscure English word. The opposing team had to guess which was correct. It was a ‘gallimaufry’ (confused jumble) of ‘codswallop’ (nonsense) that was a great way to ‘lollygag’ (spend time aimlessly or idly).
Mark and I gave up work to travel. I can sum up exactly what we do in one word: ‘coddiwomple’. It means ‘to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination’. It’s wonderfully whimsical expression which conveys journeying with enough of a sense of adventure to explore new places and experiences, without necessarily having a specific plan or direction in mind.
So, if you’re ready for a lollygag filled with laughter, insight, and perhaps a few unexpected twists and turns, I invite you to coddiwomple with me through the pages of my books.
English has provided me with endless inspiration and opportunities for expression. I hope it will enable you to embark on an armchair adventure where words on a page come alive, and every sentence is a new discovery!
My books about our coddiwomples through Europe!
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Jackie with The Fab Four in Monte Rosa, Italy
Jacqueline Lambert 