Non-Words . . .

I've always been interested in words and language. Foreign languages, slang, dialect, quirky words, origins of words, philology, linguistics etc.

I am very grateful to @Londiniensis on Twitter for his tweet on a recent article in the Telegraph about the ''Non-Words' that are stored in a vault at Oxford English Press. These are words that have been submitted for use in the OED but haven't made it yet. They are kept dormant lest they come into common usage at some time in the future in which case they would be included in a later edition.

The article includes a long list of non-words. Here are a few of my favourites:

Dringle – the watermark left on wood caused by a glass of liquid.

Espacular – something especially spectacular

Furgle – to feel in a pocket or bag for a small object such as a coin or key

Lexpionage – the sleuthing of words and phrases

Museum head – feeling mentally exhausted and no longer able to take in information; Usually following a trip to a museum

Nonversation – a worthless conversation, wherein nothing is explained or otherwise Elaborated upon

Optotoxical – a look that could kill, normally from a parent or spouse

Peppier – a waiter whose sole job is to offer diners ground pepper, usually from a large pepper mill

Percuperate – to prepare for the possibility of being ill

Polkadodge – the dance that occurs when two people attempt to pass each other but move in the same direction

Scrax – the waxy coating that is scratched off an instant lottery ticket

Vidiot – someone who is inept at the act of programming video recording equipment

Whinese – a term for the language spoken by children on lengthy trips

Wibble – the trembling of the lower lip just shy of actually crying

Xenolexica – a grave confusion when faced with unusual words

I can actually hear myself using some of these.