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| Rowan Atkinson as Edmund Blackadder Image from BBC |
Today I would like to take some examples from a classic BBC sitcom, my Number 1 favourite on my favourite TV show list -- The Blackadder series.
First, let's take a look at the best of the best scene in Blackadder II -- Ink and Incapability.
Blackadder: Every single one, sir? Dr. Samuel Johnson: Every single word, sir! Blackadder: Oh, well, in that case, sir, I hope you will not object if I also offer the Doctor my most enthusiastic contrafribularities. Dr. Samuel Johnson: What? Blackadder: "Contrafribularites", sir? It is a common word down our way. Dr. Samuel Johnson: Damn! [writes in the book] Blackadder: Oh, I'm sorry, sir. I'm anispeptic, frasmotic, even compunctuous to have caused you such pericombobulation. |
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| Image from fjcdn.com |
Okay, so what was Blackadder really talking about? Well, he's using really advanced wordplay no other than portmanteau.
Reviewers' Choice has a really clear explanation of Blackadder's creativity, well, I have made some amendments for easier understanding.
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| Image from everythingexpress |
Anaspeptic: Ana- meaning up / again / back, peptic pertaining to the stomach, thus vomit or upchuck.
Frasmotic: Possibly a portmanteau, frazzled + spasmodic. Meaning so tired and nervous that one goes into a spasm.
Compunctuous: A variation of compunctious, slightly influenced by contemptuous. Meaning having a bad conscience because one has harmed somebody one really despises.
Pericombobulation: peri- means around + discombobulation. Meaning disturbance and confusion because someone has been running circles around one.
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| Image from tumblr.com |
We can easily guess that "interfrastically" mean quickly, but could it be a portmanteau of inter- + frantic + drastic?
Have a Happy Portmanteau Monday!
Vocabulary:
contra -- (prefix) against or opposite
fibula -- (n)[C] specialized the outer of the two bones in the lower part of the human leg
pull sb's leg -- informal to try to persuade someone to believe something that is not true as a joke:
contrafribularity -- (n) pulling your leg -- informal to try to persuade someone to believe something that is not true as a joke:
ana -- (prefix) 1. up; upwards: anadromous; 2. again: anagram; 3. back; backwards: anatropous
peptic -- (adj) The peptic areas of the human body under normal circumstances are the stomach and duodenum.
pertain to sth -- (phrasal verb) to be connected with a particular subject
upchuck -- (vb) [T or I] to throw up
anispeptic -- (adj) wanting to vomit
frazzled -- (adj) informal extremely tired in a nervous or slightly worried way after a lot of mental or physical effort:
spasmodic -- (adj) happening suddenly for short periods of time and not in a regular way:
spasm -- (n) [C or U] an occasion when a muscle suddenly becomes tighter in a way that cannot be controlled:
frasmotic -- (adj) so tired or nervous causing spasm
compunctious -- (adj) causing or feeling compunction; regretful.
contemptuous -- (adj) expressing contempt:
compunctuous -- (adj) Having a bad conscience because one has harmed somebody whom he really despises.
peri -- (prefix) a prefix meaning “about” or “around” ( perimeter, periscope ), “enclosing” or “surrounding” ( pericardium ), and “near” ( perigee, perihelion ), appearing in loanwords from Greek ( peripeteia ); on this model, used in the formation of compound words ( perimorph ).
discombobulation -- (n)[U] informal mainly humorous to confuse someone or make someone feel uncomfortable
pericombobulation -- (n)[U] disturbance and confusion because someone has been running circles around one.
inter -- (prefix) among, between, amid, during, within, mutual, reciprocal
frantic -- (adj) done or arranged in a hurry and a state of excitement or confusion:
drastically --(adv) ( especially of actions) severe and sudden or having very noticeable effects:
interfrastically -- (adv) quickly, with haste.
Resources:
Vocabulary: Do You Wordplay? -- Portmanteau @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2012/12/vocabulary-do-you-wordplay-portmanteau.html
TV Drama: The Black Adder (for English lovers) @ Locky's English Playground
http://lockyep.blogspot.hk/2009/12/tv-drama-black-adder-for-english-lovers.html
C is for contrafibularity - Blackadder - BBC @ YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08&feature=player_embedded
Blackadder II @ IMDb
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088484/?ref_=sr_1
Reviewers Choice Reviews The Forever Year
http://www.reviewers-choice.com/blackadder_the_third.htm
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/contra?q=contra
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/fibula?q=fibula+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pull-sb-s-leg?q=pull+sb%27s+leg
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ana-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peptic
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/pertain-to-sth?q=pertain+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/frazzled_1?q=frazzled+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/spasmodic?q=spasmodic+
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/spasm?q=spasm
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=upchuck
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/compunctious+?s=ts
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/contemptuous?q=contemptuous+
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/peri?s=t
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/discombobulate?q=discombobulation
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/inter-
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/inter-
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/frantic_2
http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/drastic?q=drastic
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=interfrastically
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