Douglas Adams and John Lloyd wrote a book called The Meaning of Liff that used existing place names to give names to commonly recognised feelings, experiences and objects that didn't already have a word for them.
For example:
Cotterstock - a piece of wood used to stir paint and thereafter stored uselessly in a shed in perpetuity.
I was thinking last night, as I stood behind my 3.5 year old daughter sort of herding/hooshing her upstairs to the bath avoiding a variety of potential distractions, there ought to be a word for this.
And then I thought, there are probably loads of commonly recognised parenting phemonema that could be 'Liffed'.
I browsed google maps this morning and came up with the following place name/ definition combos but would love to know yours too...
Kirtling - benign kettling required to keep small child going in the direction you need them to.
Poxwell - act of knowingly covering up of active chicken pox spots in order to make a quick dash into shop for milk or make an international plane flight home.
Ousden - constant flow of greeny/silver snot from small boys, the trail said snot leaves on the shoulders of all of your clothes; 'ooh, hang on, you've got a bit of ousden on that shirt'.
I am sure there must be good definitions for:
Two Mile Bottom
Throop
Weeley
Little Clacton and Great Clacton
And good place names for:
The poo that takes out an entire outfit.
The child-related objects (spare pants, raisins, playmobile duchesses) that fall out of your handbag in important business situations.
The face that teenagers pull when you suggest a healthy walk after lunch.
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The MN meaning of Liff
AuntieBulgaria · 12/05/2011 14:39
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