Funny Words!

It’s Thursday, July 31, 2008 and as Yogi Berra said, “I give 100% in the first half of the game and if that’s not enough I give whatever is left in the second half.” Different people have different ideas about which words are funny in and of themselves. The words chicken, pickle, and Alka-Seltzer are thought to be funny by one well-known author. Some think ‘k’ words are funny, like Kalamazoo, Hoboken, Yonkers, and Brooklyn. Other location words that might bring a smile include Walla Walla, Cucamonga, and Seattle.

I suppose it comes down to personal taste and it’s likely there are some words that are funny to you. W.C. Fields liked to get laughs by using the words kumquats, succotash, and guacamole. He claimed these sounds made them too funny to eat. Others might think chainsaw, weasel, or prune to be funny. Often, I think it depends on your own particular connection to a word or sound that makes it funny. One thing is for sure. There’s plenty of material out there if we are interested in finding a smile now and then.

Add to funny words the wide use of malapropisms where folks use the wrong word in a sentence that just flat out makes it funny. I worked for a fellow once who was a master at doing this. He said once, “We are so crowded in our floor space we are bouncing at the seams.” Another time he told me, “You are in trouble now, in fact, you are standing on thin shoes.” I carpooled with a lady once who gave me this little jewel, “My brother told us last night that he feels called into the ministry and is even thinking about attending cemetery.”

There are some noted winners from public faces that are quite funny as well. Mike Tyson had this to say, “I might just fade into Bolivian, you know what I mean?” Tonya Harding came up with this one, “I’m not going to make a skeptical out of my boxing career.” Probably the most memorable mangler in recent times was the fictional character Archie Bunker on the TV sitcom, “All In The Family”. He had some great near misses that were hilarious. Here are a few of my favorites from Archie: “Like ships that clash in the night.” “I got bigger fish to fly.” “Up there in his ivory shower.” “When the whole neighborhood turns into a smelting pot.” “Grab the bull by the corns.” And, the beat goes on and on and on. I know I’ve had my fair share of word mishaps and I can get numerous witnesses to testify to that fact. Just ask my Bible study class because there have been times when the thoughts were there but the words, they just wouldn’t fall into place. The main point is to first, last, and always, learn to laugh at yourself and then look around because there’s smiles everywhere, if you just take time to see or hear them. Have a great day! ……More later.