Some of the silliest words in the English language

The English language is full of twists and tricks wherever you look, but sometimes the quirks make sense if you look at the roots. English is influenced by foreign words and cultures, as well as shifts in society and technological advancements. Some words are just plain silly, though. Let’s take a look at some of the strangest, funniest, and most bizarre English words in the lexicon.

Lollygag

To fool around, dawdle, or procrastinate

“Lollygag” was first documented as “lallygag” in 1862. The exact origins are unknown, but it likely came from merging the colloquial “lolly,”meaning “tongue,” and “gag,” or “trick.” Perhaps it was originally a tongue-twister, but now “lollygag” is a verb meaning “to dawdle or procrastinate.”

Quit lollygagging and get ready for school. We're leaving in 10 minutes!

Collywobbles

Stomachache, nausea

Here’s another one from the 1800s: “Collywobbles” is most likely a mashup of the not-so-fun “colic” (a medical condition involving severe abdominal pain) and the slightly-more-fun “wobble.” It’s basically the old-fashioned version of a tummy ache.

I have a big presentation this afternoon and I've had collywobbles all day.

Diphthong

A linguistic phenomenon when two vowels work together in a word to produce a sound that neither of them makes on their own

Linguists started talking about diphthongs in the 15th century. Some prime examples of diphthongs in action are in the shifting vowel sounds of “sound,” “noise,” and “annoy.

Choir, hold the second vowel sound in the diphthong until the end of the note.

Borborygmus

The sound of a stomach rumbling

Everyone has experienced borborygmus. This technical-sounding word is perhaps a more polite description for what you might call “tummy rumbles.” Let’s just hope your next borborygmus doesn’t lead to collywobbles.

Please excuse my borborygmus — I skipped lunch today.

Widdershins

Counterclockwise, a contrary direction

This 16th-century Scottish slang means “a direction contrary to the sun’s course, considered as unlucky.” It’s basically the original way of saying “counterclockwise,” or “in the wrong direction.”

Excuse me, I believe you're turning widdershins and you want to go that direction instead.

Hobbledehoy

A clumsy or awkward young person

The mid-16th century was a tough time. There was no running water, wars and religious disputes were breaking out all over Europe, and even tomatoes were thought to be poisonous. But times must have been particularly tough for teenagers — so much so that a new word was coined to describe the clumsiest of the bunch: “hobbledehoy.”

John was a hobbledehoy for a few years, but he's gained a lot of confidence in his twenties.

Mugwump

A person who is independent on the political spectrum

This term was adopted from the Algonguin word for great chief, “mugquomp,” but the evolution of the definition has been a bit of a rollercoaster. It became an insult for someone who considers themself to be very important, and was then used against independents in politics in the 1880s — but those independents embraced it. The Mugwumps were an unofficial party of activists in the 1880s who were against political corruption.

With all the mudslinging going around, I prefer to remain a mugwump.

Troglodyte

A person who lived in a cave

In the prehistoric context, a troglodyte was someone who lived in a cave. The term can still be applied to a modern hermit, but they don’t have to reside in a cave. Additionally, you can probably imagine this being used as an insult in an ’80s comedy flick — “What a troglodyte!” In that usage, you’re calling someone deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned. It’s a fun word to say, but we’re of the opinion that if you can’t say anything nice, well, you know.

I don't want to date any troglodytes — I need someone who will go to the theater and concerts every weekend.