December 29, 2007

Worterbuch, Ordbok

fa-so-la-la

For those of you in the frame of mind in which one likes to overanalyse subtle shades of meaning, here are the actual definitions of three words often used and sometimes used interchangeably.

Cheesy: "Inferior or cheap; chintzy."

Campy: "Providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities."

Corny: "Old-fashioned, trite, or lacking in subtlety."

On a side note, I find the Dutch word for Dictionary rather interesting: "woordenboek" -- sounds like 'word-book,' doesn't it? And in the title of this post we have the German and Swedish versions.

2 comments:

Mockingbird said...

I really enjoy reading y'all's blog (our mothers know each other).

Nice post! I have to agree with you about that Dutch word. Sometimes I run into Greek and/or Latin words that sound so much like their English derivitive that it makes me smile!

Lynn Bruce said...

Funny you should post this particular item whilst visiting at the B's house, as I once had to borrow APB's dictionary to look up the word "campy" for Melissa over breakfast, because I had used it in an attempt to explain my affection for my beloved jammies adorned with silly garden gnomes, which I was at that moment wearing. To be honest, I don't know whether it was the word "campy" or just the jammies that caused Melissa to look at me so quizzically, but regardless I find a dictionary is often the best distraction in those moments when folks are gawking at your gnome jammies all quizzical-like.

So, dear girl, did you perchance pack some campy jammies to wear on your visit? Or what?