Family Words and Weirdness!
A selection of mostly made up words used so regularly in our family that they occasionally made it into the real world, where they often had to be explained. Also some additional weird stuff that you did not ask for.
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Words
"Frutsle" - a small piece of detritus/dust
"Peefy" - any little thing that sticks out and possibly should not
"Urgle-Purge" - a cat (also some times "Urgle Purgle")
"Snooble" - a cutie
"Toot-la-manis" - a kiss (Tine's word from childhood in Indonesia)
"Cro-dee" - an unidentified (possibly gross) small thing, somewhat like a Frutsle, but more suspect...
"Nurfle" - to nuzzle or snuggle; also a noun.
“Borderpuntbijmekaarhoudertje” - roughly translated as “collar tip together holder”. (This refers to a now antiquated men’s clothing accessory, most likely in the same category as “cuff link”)
"Fernt" - a short sound like that made by a trumpet, or more commonly, a brisk passing of wind.
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Weirdness
The Russian salute
When were kids, my father showed us what he claimed was a Russian army salute.
He did it with such solemnity and fluid purpose that I was initially convinced beyond a doubt that this was the authentic Russian salute.
I will now attempt to describe this salute.
It was a smartly executed, multi-position affair that essentially described a cross on the face with a final flourish.
It began at the bottom of the face with the right hand held vertically below the nose (imagine shushing somebody but then with the whole hand instead of just the finger).
The hand then moved smoothly to a horizontal position also just below the nose.
The hand then moved again up to a vertical position directly between the two eyes.
The final flourish was a smooth transition slightly down the face with the thumb and forefinger ringing the nose.
And as I write this, I can’t believe I actually even for a moment thought this was a real salute.
Pop, I salute you!
(possible video on the way)
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