frabjous

(thing) by nicky_d Tue Aug 12 2003 at 16:44:37

"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

A portmanteau word coined, alongside many others, by Lewis Carroll in the poem-within-a-book, Jabberwocky (from Through the Looking Glass). Frabjous appears to be the result of leaving fabulous and joyous in a motel room overnight with a bottle of champagne and some oysters. To convey the essence of the word more effectively, you might define it as fabulous multiplied by joyous. It is truly a frabjous word.

(Martin Gardner devotes seven pages of marginalia to Jabberwocky in The Annotated Alice, but doesn't mention frabjous. This is probably because its meaning is clear and direct enough. A shame to dissect something so... well, frabjous.)

Y'know, if you log in, you can write something here, or contact authors directly on the site. Create a New User if you don't already have an account.