A Homerkin, anyone?
Did you know that 90% of what people say is conveyed through just 7000 words? I didn’t, and it seems like such a waste that so many words in the English language lie unused, fading away as the years go by. Oxford Dictionary’s attempt to change this is through the ‘Save the Word’ initiative that allows everyone to adopt a word from the many published on the site.
I chose two words in keeping with the giggle water theme, and am now on a mission to spread the word and use them as extensively as I can (even if they don’t completely apply!). I’m still awaiting my certificate though!
Here’s what I chose:
Homerkin: Liquid measure for Beer
Usage: Innkeeper! Six homerkins of beer and a packet of crisps.
Most online sources say ‘Homerkin is an extinct word’. Correction: Homerkin WAS an extinct word (drumroll!!) but has now been adopted and will be used henceforth to refer to large amounts (approx. 75 gallons??) of beer.
Was Homerkin the inspiration behind the naming of a certain bald, yellow man who loooovvvveeesss his beer?? Hmmmm….. possible, no? What do you think?
Beer, the cause of, and solution to, all of life problems. -Homer Simpson
Alabandical: Barbarous; stupefied from drink; savage
Usage: The hotel room was wrecked following the band’s positively alabandical behavior
You can adopt your own word at http://www.savethewords.org/
It really is a great feeling to adopt! 😀
Let me know all the ways you use Homerkin and Alabandical, and in the same sentence, coz of course after downing a homerkin it would be pretty normal to expect alabandical behaviour, yes?
Homer image courtesy: protias.com
Yo Karina!
I didn’t add the glorious word “Firkin” to my vocabulary until last year, and now you’ve exposed me to “Homerkin”! Brilliant and beer related! Who says you can’t learn anything on the internet?
Un-Firkin-Believable! 🙂
Cheers!
G-LO
I’m always game to save the English language, seeing as it’s constantly being murdered. So in support I adopted ‘Gipseian’ – obviously related to Gypsies and ‘Jobler’ – one who only does small jobs.
A “homer” is an old Hebrew word for a unit of measurement for liquids, equal to 10 “baths,” or approximately 55 gallons. The suffix “kin” is an old English addition to denote diminutive. So a homerkin is likely a unit of liquid measure equal to half of a homer; or, approximately 27 gallons.