While I was inspecting the plumbing the other day the thought occurred to me that some words are entirely monogamous.
Take "blithering" for example. You're sat in the psychiatrist's chair doing the word game and he says "blithering" and you say "idiot". What else is there to say? It's entirely monogamous.
While "idiot"'s free to couple with any adjective in the farmyard ("stupid", "big", "Lancashire" etc) "blithering" stops at home doing the ironing.
And what about "squib". Noun, of couse, but yoked so physically in perpetuity to "damp" that it needs a bucket of water throwing over it. "Blunt squib", "blithering squib", "Lancashire squib"? I don't think so.
So what else? I thought about doing a poem about monogamous words but then hit The Wall.
Anyone else offer any other ideas for monogamous words?

I'm going to be awake all night trying to think of one now John! What an interesting idea! All I can think of is Alphabetti Spaghetti, but Alphabetti isn't realy a word! You could write a poem about a woman called Alpha Betty I suppose. ;-)

Ann
I got chucked out of Sweaty Betty's Chippie in Durham when I was a student, and tried to get Bendy Wendy to go out with me. Does this count?

Great idea John. Can quo go with anything other than status? (Excellent band as well)

quid pro....?
Cx

Darn. Well how about 'bon'? Does that go with anything other than 'voyage'?

Is 'bon voyage' within the English language?

Bon mot

okaaaaaaay. How about 'het'? Is that ever used without 'up' attached?

Well erm 'Het' isn't really a word is it? As I understand it, it's slang derived from 'heat'. One can see that some one who is agitated could be described as 'heated up' and that could, over time, be contracted to "het up" particularly up North - lol.

Come on John, you started this. You're not going to let it be suggested that 'het' isn't a proper word are you? What would they say about that up your way?

Anyway, how about prima and donna? Both monogamously faithful to each other. Kebabs are 'doner' aren't they

Well, the prima facie evidence suggests that "prima donna" is a corruption of the original italian "prime donne".

Donna and Blitzen, I think I'll have me Shish Kebab now - lol

OK, Donna has stumped me - Madonna?

Dave et al
I have to say I'm with you with "het" - it's in my Concise Oxford (I can't believe I looked it up!).
Not happy with "Bon" though - it had those flings with "voyage" and "appetit" as well as a bit of onanism (far be it far from yours truly to be judgemental) with "bonbon".
Not sure about "prima" or "donna". "Prima" slipped one into "facie" and "donna"s been under the pier with "bella", "kebab" and "mara".
The best I've been able to come up with is "Nil" - it always seems to follow Tottenham Hotspur.

Thoughts just occurred to me - if it wasn't for that Welsh b*st*d Dylan Thomas we could have had "sloe" = "gin", but he spoiled the game with "sloe" = "black"

Trying not to get obsessive about this and failing, is there ever a tock without a tick?

Cor-blimey

I think there is a very serious point being made here. Many words immediately imply a partner and this is one of the most pernicious sources of cliches for the poet. I, for one, can never hear the word 'complete' without wanting to add the word 'arsehole'. Maybe it's just me?

Joking aside, the 'twinning' of words happens so often on WOL that I have long since given up railing against it. Most folks don't appreciate you pointing out that eyes 'see', ears 'hear', hearts 'break, beat, pound and stop', skies have a tendency to assume a small variety of colours...dark, blue, azure, grey...and don't talk to me about clouds, or throbbing, thrusty knoblike things...let alone lips, which, somehow, are always 'soft' or tasty in some way. I mean, lips are tasty...but usually of last night's dinner, or toothpaste...and never honey, unless you happen to have been munching upon honey sandwiches last night...and haven't brushed your teeth.

It is the obligation of the aspiring poet to avoid (like the plague) these pit (falls) and man (traps)and give us something new.

IMHO

: )

Jx

Can't see it, myself.
So - any other monogamous words?

Tittle is an interesting one. It is only ever found with tattle, but should they be hyphenated?

If we find enough monogamous words, could they be stuck together to make a poem? It could be about....er.....monogamy?

John - your discussion, your rules - is the animal kingdom allowed? Mistle thrush, cirl bunting,greylag goose, hammerhead shark - it's endless.

I've been following this thread with interest.
I have difficulty in deciding what defines the term cliche in poetry. John's theory is quite interesting for me. There are several people who seem to feel that using a line of a song or widely used, common phrases are a big no-no because of the cliche aspect but this has made me think it has far wider implications.

Some of the thread is pointing in the direction of word associations, like being in a psychiatrists office. I think it would be interesting if someone wrote a poem, jumbling and mixing up the usual ones.
Might be quite funny.

Oh, how we cried,
like drains. We’d shut the door after the rocking horse and the cat with two tails had bolted-
holding our nuts,
gathered in,
casting ne’er a clout
till
May the night of long shadows,
spent stitching one in time
and playing on the
swings and arrows
Of outrageous fortune smiles on those
reading Dylanthomashardyamies.


There y'go Janet,I couldn't resist....I don't know why I had to put the name list at the end but it just seemed to fit. A silly poem messing around with cliches...someone do a cleverer one now!Please!
Rach
x

Time flies like an arrow....but
fruit flies like a banana!

:)

jx

Rachel and John- you're nutty as fruit cakes.
Believe it or not that is a well known phrase where i come from.

See? It is funny!

Ive got one! Yes, Ive got one for the record;
I told it to our Gert to entertain her;
But strictly speaking not found in the COD -
Leastways not in mine - a blue-"veiner".

Dave - I can scarcely offer "veiner" and then deny you your set of animals!

hoi only ever goes with polloi in English adopted phraseology. Spongiform only ever seems to precede encephalopathy.

There are also words whereby it's almost like they reference an adjective that only exists in a form that says that the object or subject can no longer be described in that way. For example, you can be disgruntled, but prior to becoming disgruntled, were you ever truly gruntled to begin with?

What about spongiform cardiomyopathy? or spongiform dermatitis?

Dermot - that's all Greek to me! (Well, some was). In fairness it does make the dictionary , unlike (sadly) "veiner". So I think you can have that one.
Chris - that's easy for you to say!

Usually, the prefix dis- implies a loss of something, as in disease, disgust and disgrace. Very occasionally, as here, it means "entirely" or "very". So disgruntled means something like "extremely gruntled ". So, what does gruntle mean? It is a variant of the word grunt with the obsolete meaning of "grumble". The word appeared sometime around 1680 but was originally a transitive verb meaning "to give [someone] extreme cause to grumble". Incidentally, a word formed by lengthening another (like gruntle from grunt) is called a frequentative form of the earlier word

Isn't the internet wonderful giving us gems like the above :)

Chris - everyone knows you can't possibly be as high as a fondue - but you could be as high as a soufle!

High as a fondue - doesn't it all depend on which cheese you use?
Cx

I was going to suggest 'peasy' as in 'easy peasy' but was then shocked to discover that 'peasy' is not in the dictionary. What are the lexicographers of this once great nation about?

One advantage of being a student is that you have access to the OED on line - here's how it defines 'Peasy'.

Adjective...

1. Resembling or reminiscent of peas or peasemeal. Chiefly in peasy whin (see WHIN n.2

1760 in J. H. Rieuwerts Gloss. Derbyshire Lead Mining Terms (1998) 118/1 The Dirt and base Minerals are separated from the Orewhich remains when so dressed is called Peazey Ore. 1794 J. ANDERSON Agric. Aberdeen 28 Pacey whin. A name for granite or some other stone in Aberdeenshire. 1812 D. SOUTER Gen. View Agric. Banff 57 A granite, called peasywhin, is found in large blocks near the surface of the moors. 1832 A. BEATTIE Poems 136 The gudeman stared,amaist grew blin'Stood like a rock o' paizy whin. 1929 Aberdeen Press & Jrnl. 28 Nov. in Sc. National Dict. (1983) IV. at Pease, The granite industry has for long been a staple one in Aberdeenshire. The dialect name for granite in those days was ‘pacey whin’. 1991 Internat. Trade Forum (Nexis) July 16 Major off-flavours [of coffee beans] that cause ‘fluorescence’ under UV light are: over fermented, ‘foul’ (i.e. rotten taste) ‘peasy’ (i.e. very green unpleasant taste) or ‘erbsig’ (‘potato’ flavour).


and as a noun...

Lead ore in the form of small grains (see quot. 1760 at PEASY adj.1 1).

1778 W. PRYCE Mineral. Cornubiensis Gloss. s.v. Jigging, In the Lead Mines, the Jigged Ore goes by the name of Peasy. 1811 J. FAREY Gen. View Agric. & Minerals Derbyshire I. 375 This washed-ore, or Peasy, is carried to the Peasy-heap in the Ore-Coe. 1824 J. MANDER Derbyshire Miners' Gloss., Peasy, a Mineral term, being a lesser assortment of Ore, that may by the hand be poised, so as to determine its weight and value as to dressing by the hand. Bing and peasy ore, a round lump or piece of Ore. 1896 L. E. HALL Hathersage vii, The paltry pittance earned by beating ore with a bucker, or making peasy in a sieve over a vat full of gritty water. 1961 Peak District Mines Hist. Soc. Bull. Oct. 6 He..saw several women sitting on a heap of smitham which he knew had previously been dressed as bing and peasy.


Change your dictionary Dave!

Bing & Peasey - sounds like a firm of dodgy solicitors!

Er.....right....well, it looks like point proved (and online dictionary removed from favourites). Peasy is a monogamous word, apart from extremely rare adulterous flings when it is used for arcane and/or archaic purposes

Dave et al
Can I have the "bandy" twins? Each, pillars of monogamy.
Adj. Bandy = "legs" - never arms, Pandy etc
Verb Bandy = "words" - never voices, etc.

While I'm at it - what about "argy"?

Is Ménage à trois monogamous?

Or even doubly monogamous?

Or trebly?

John

Speaking of 'high' - which we were yesterday - how about 'faluting'?

Falutin' - brilliant!

derring do

Dave - equally brilliant.

"Monty"
"Tenter"
I was tempted to slip "namby" in, but it's hyphenated.

Can you have hankey without a bit of pankey though?

You're right Ann - fancy forgetting - I wrote a poem called No Pankies and even read it out at Liverpoetry's Valentines Day bash last week

http://www.writeoutloud.net/public/blogentry.php?blogentryid=6370

It's interesting how different bits of the mind fail to deliver information to other bits isn't it

'Can you have hankey without a bit of pankey though?'

In my youth I was fond of inviting young ladies back to my place for 'cocktails'...but, 'without the tails'.

It never worked then, and my guess is it wouldn't work now...but, my, did I think I was funny!

Can you have rumpy...without pumpy?

:)

jx

If you're not in the mood it would be grumpy rumpy pumpy!

And if you're a bit overweight it would be lumpy rumpy pumpy.

Under lock hankey?

or if you've a bit of flatulence: pumpy rumpy pumpy

or if it's the last shag in a relationship: dumpy rumpy pumpy

or rough sex: thumpy rumpy pumpy

Or if you have a bit of turbulance -

bumpy rumpy pumpy...

Or if you are worried about the kids bursting in -

jumpy rumpy pumpy...

So...if you were upset and anxious because the kids had burst in just as you were having rather rough 'break up sex' with your lover, on a lumpy sofa, 'cos they were too flatulent and fat...it would be...?

:)

jx

It would be Frumpy rumpy pumpy wouldn't it?

Well, if your partner were concerned about their encroaching middle age...I would think it could be...

Frumpy, grumpy, jumpy, lumpy, dumpy, humpy, rumpy-pumpy....

(but, what if you only had one leg....?)

: )

Jx

Well, i suppose if the one with only one leg is female it would be a less gangly affair unless of course the males middle leg is missing in which case there would be no contest.

Well, I was thinking that might make it.....

Stumpy, frumpy, grumpy, jumpy, lumpy, dumpy, humpy, rumpy-pumpy....?

: )

jx

For the unadventurous, yet loving, we have
comfy-rumpy-pumpy

And for those who are very adventurous and like to be tied up in unusual circumstances (not that I've every known anyone like that of course) - you could have uncomfy rumpy pumpy...

Or, for the fuller figured...

Plumpy, stumpy, frumpy, grumpy, jumpy, lumpy, dumpy, humpy, rumpy-pumpy....?

: )

Jx

Hang on Paul - when did comfy rhyme with rumpy! There are rules applying here you know! ;-)

Sorry, up North it's pronounced 'cumfy' not the southern 'camfy'. Well maybe not everywhere up North, maybe in the Northwest? Bolton? our street? our house? oh alright, you've got me, I pronounced it 'cumfy' just so I could get a joke in. OK not much of a joke...
Mea Culpa ;)

Don't you think we've bashed, banged and screwed the hell out of this one anyway? Though I'm quite sure Akkers could carry on...

And Ann for a West Country lass I'm very surprised you never managed to get scrumpy in there...

Mmmm . . .Scrumpy Jack! Now you're talkin!

Stopping? Trouble is fresh words keep popping up e.g. umbrage is always with take or some derivative of take.

How about pyrrhic victory? Or is it Scrabble rules and proper names are out?

There's more posts on this thread than for Ernesto's poem, with all the big fuss that caused. Maybe that says we prefer a bit of harmless fun to lobbing verbal grenades at each other.

Isobel...you're a genius! So, cider fuelled, uncomfortable, break-up sex with a less than pulchritudinous, but amply proportioned, if somewhat discomfited monoped could be...

Scrumpy, plumpy, stumpy, frumpy, grumpy, jumpy, lumpy, dumpy, humpy, rumpy-pumpy....?


Well, it works for me!

: )

jx

Maybe if I say Abra Cadabra it will all be gone! But . . hang on a minute . . can you have an abra without a cadabra?

It was my wife's habit of going without abra that first drew my attention to her.

: )

(That's not actually true...but I claim that truth should never get in the way of a poor pun).

: )

jx

Spot on Chris - pyrric, pirrik, phirk - what you said!

"zig" = "zag"
"zag" = "zig"

Bit of a helter skelter reading all this lot?

Graham
I started to get parsommonious, parsononions, parsnips - stingy, thinking helter skelter was one hyphenated word, but I can scarcely say that and put forward zig zag.
So good call.

You lot sure have had fun with this subject.

I am intrigued with 'pease'. That town somewhere in the south on the way to London, called "Pease something', is a reference to ore mining? I only ever saw the sign as I was whizzing past. I could never figure out the peculiar nursery rhyme 'Pease porridge hot ....' and had wild imaginings of the origin of the town; but no one I knew could tell me how this hamlet got its name.

My kids(students) used to love my saying of nearly everything: 'Oh, come on ... think about it......it's easy peasy.' (I dropped 'Japan-eesy' as not PC.)

Cynthia
I hadn't thought that there could be pease porridge, only - pudding. So it looks like pease doesn't make it. In any event my dictionary offers peasecod ( a pea pod).
Can't offer any explanation of its derivation as a place name though.

Incidentally I've just realised, the word "gullible" is missing from my dictinary

Cynthia, are you referring to the sign on the M23 from Brighton to London that signals Pease Pottage service station?

The origin of pease is an old English word "pise", plural "pisan" referring to peas as we know them today.

Pease pudding is mashed dried peas and carrots/onions etc, a peasant dish that Sainsbury's et al now sell in a tin for a fortune.

Of course if you love these, you'll love cheesy peas etc etc.......

I'm sure I invented cheesey peas in a previous existance!