Frazz by Jef Mallett for August 25, 2011

Well, how would we get any new words if no one ever made any up?

Good point perceptor3. Besides, ambiguossify sounds like it SHOULD be a word.

Why make up the word “ambiguossify” when “ambiguate” means the same thing? Because, according to the dictionary, there is no word “ambiguate” either. But there should be, because the word “disambiguate” is in the dictionary. Not only does http://dictionary.reference.com say that, but Google Chrome’s built-in spelling checker agrees.

I find opening my dictionary and using my word of the day often at work endears me with my co-workers.

He copied this from Ramona and Beezus.

and whelmed! “Everybody is always overwhelmed or underwhelmed. Why not just whelmed?” Robin, an episode of Young Justice

Ambiguossity. Hmm…well, it’s better than refudiate.

Why not? Garson Kanen brought “couth” back from obscurity.

My dad would refer to being ignored with the phrase, “If there is anything I can’t stand, it’s ignorance” and leave them befuddled as to what the correct word would be.

Wonderful comic today! And… Principal Spaetzel makes another showing!!!! Wonderful. He is such a great character in this strip. I hope that Jef will feature him more.

Does that mean that since none of our employees have come in shooting, That they thoroughly “gruntled”?

Also , if Jesse Jackson can do it. Why can’t anyone elese for that matter?

ambiguaossify = ambiguous + ossify.

I believe so and yes.

No one has mentioned that Caulfield misspelled it

Ambiguous has two u’s, to make the 4th syllable “ous”, not “os”..

Caulfield’s word should be “ambiguo*u*siffy” — otherwise it might have something to do with bones.

@Lewreader – I don’t have a word of the day, but I understand.

I’ve been told my own pedantry is sooo endearing….

Words are being made up today left and right, mostly by people texting. And according to spellcheck, texting is not a word, and neither is spellcheck, ha! And I don’t want to be a reactionary, but the idea of new words from texting definitely scares me.

Yes, I love that spellcheck gets redlined by Spellcheck.

hippo, actually, was truer to the original meaning of the word, as opposed to the colloquial meaning of the word that it has evolved into. The root word of ignorance is the verb to ignore. Especially willful ignorance. If you willfully ignore something, you are ignorant. For some reason it has come mean stupid. Not in appropriate however, because it is as much stupid as it is ignorant, that republicans don’t believe in the evidence of science, from global warming to evolution…and the do it willfully. People who willfully ignore things are by definition, ignorant…

Some of us just don’t proof read well….

After you take an engine apart, then you have to mantle it.