Balderdash
An entry for the The A-Z of Unusual Words Challenge (Part B)
My chosen word: Balderdash meaning senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing; nonsense.
I love this word. I love the sound of it as it rolls off the tongue; I love the fact that it is tied up with Britishness; I love using it in the way that it was meant, to say in one word "I don't know what you're talking about, you absolute buffoon", although that sentence in itself is one that makes me smile. When researching the word, the internet also stated this: "Balderdash is a rather out-of-date and archaic word now, with very British overtones. The sort of word a P.G. Wodehouse character might use. Use it in a light-hearted way, therefore, and about something that's pretty trivial." I take umbrage at the "rather out-of-date and archaic" description of this magnificent word. It may not be in general use but I'm keeping it alive and will continue to spout it at every available opportunity.
In fact, to that statement from dictionary.com, I say "Balderdash!" Seems fitting somehow.
My poem - Balderdash
A shiny headed man stuttering before running;
An eagle, one more typical of its breed, in a rush for the bus;
A carpet with less pile having its hopes thwarted.
To these images, I say nonsense
Because that's what they are.
But to Balderdash, I say
You are splendid!
A word surviving in the mouth of me
And long may it continue, my lexicographical friend.
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65 words
This was for Penny Fuller's unofficial challenge which you can read about here:
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'20/20'
"Do It Again" the track that would ultimately open the Beach Boys final album on Capitol Records which was released on February 10th 1969 had originally been released as a single in August of 1968. The track was the first of many post-Pet Sounds era throwbacks to the early Beach Boys sound which would become continually more cliched and eventually lead the Beach Boys to the level of self-parody they would eventually succumb to in the 1980s while their closest contemporaries The Beatles nearing the end of their run in 1969 would go on to be viewed as the most influential band of all time. However, the song itself is not bad on its surface, and it opens with a futuristic sounding (for 1969) drumbeat captured by then-Beach Boys engineer Stephen Desper using tape delays on the drums performed by Dennis Wilson and John Guerin. The song has been re-recorded numerous times over the years on various Beach Boys-related projects most notably the 2011 re-recording at Capitol studios featuring the five surviving Beach Boys at the time backed instrumentally by various members of both the Brian Wilson Band and Mike Loves touring "Beach Boys" to promote the then upcoming Beach Boys 50th Anniversary reunion tour in 2012. The hammering and power drill sound at the end of the song was an excerpt from a track called "Workshop" that was to be a part of the uncompleted "SMiLE" album.
By Sean Callaghan6 days ago in Beat
Comments (14)
These are my favorite lines of your piece "But to Balderdash, I say You are splendid! A word surviving in the mouth of me" I loved how you loved this word so much.
I love this word and the game sharing the name… a great game of bluffing for a family keen on vocabulary and imagination 🤩😍✅
Love this!!!! I am a dual citizen and my mum used to say Balderdash a lot when I was growing up. You just took me down memory lane and gave new life to a word, I haven't heard in a while, but I always chuckle when I do. 🥰
This is such fun, Rachel. You Brits have the best B expressions. Bollocks, bugger, bonnet, boot. Balderdash! See also poppycock!
I first came across the word balderdash in the fourth Harry Potter book, Goblet of Fire. It was one of the passwords used to enter the Gryffindor tower. Loved your poem!
Haha. That was fun. And it's still a great word.
Love how much you love this word!! What a fun little poem to capture it’s essence and your enjoyment of the term!
Buffoon is one of my favorite words, so balderdash quite nicely reiterates that sentiment. I'm with you as far as the out-of-date and archaic slang....ring it loud and clear at every opportune moment!
It IS a magnificent word
Rachel this was so clever and funny, how you played wth the words meaning. Even breaking kit apart a little and then putting it back together! Also... is it wrong that it doesn't shock me, that you would love a word simply because it's an insult to some degree? 😅
Yeah! Here's to balderdash! It's one of my absolute favorite words. Balderdash has one of the best mouth feels to any word. Just begs to be exclaimed. Keep it alive!
I can see you took the exact same word I have already started working on but other challenges and life stuff got in the way. Hmmm, what shall I do now? Tempted to stick to my initial idea (quite different than yours) but I'll probably have another look at the word list first...
Damn you, chum! Wanna know a funny thing, though it kinda shows how much we are on the same wavelength at times - that was the word I had kinda earmarked as a potential! lol. I have a few other options, but I love Balderdash. It's soo stupidly British and reminds me of Jabberwocky and Spike Milligan and Wodehouse and being clever with silly words and puns. Love your poem - a delightful little ditty and a fantastic tribute to a wonderful word. Well done, chum. Back to the old drawing/poeting board for this dashing chap! To that, I say Balderdash!
Love it. Great job, Rachel.