Buzz
As previously noted, the English language is packed with oddities that enable the construction of bizarre, grammatically correct sentences—even if they appear to be glaring errors. In this piece, we delve into a related concept, showcasing 10 instances of words, phrases, and writings that seem to serve no purpose other than highlighting the absurdity of language.
10. The Lengthiest Word in the English Lexicon
To be frank, our spellchecker completely failed when we attempted to type “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis,” and we don’t blame it. With an astonishing 45 letters, this word stands as one of the longest in the English language, surpassing the more familiar “antidisestablishmentarianism” by a staggering 17 letters.
So, what does it signify? Technically, the term refers to a highly specific medical condition caused by inhaling fine silica particles, though it’s unlikely you’ll find a doctor familiar with it, as the condition is more commonly known by its shorter name: pneumoconiosis.
The word “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” was invented in 1935 by Everett Smith, who aimed to create an exceptionally lengthy term. Smith constructed it by merging various Latin roots and introduced it during a talk to the National Puzzlers’ League (NPL) on the topic of “the increasing length of medical terminology.” As the NPL president at the time, Smith omitted the fact that the word was fabricated and not a genuine medical term. Despite this, the term managed to find its way into a dictionary years later, cementing its status as a legitimate word—much to the frustration of those outside the NPL. This sparked unverified rumors that the league was behind its inclusion.
9. Gadsby
In literature, there’s a method called “constrained writing,” where authors impose specific limitations on their work, such as rhyming every other line or starting each sentence with a unique letter. Gadsby stands out as a renowned example of this technique, as it entirely avoids using the letter “E” across its 50,000-word span.
Earnest Wright, the author of Gadsby, penned the novel in 1936 after his friends claimed such an achievement was unattainable without ruining the English language. Motivated by their doubt, Wright disabled the “E” key on his typewriter and completed his unique masterpiece in less than six months. Tragically, Wright passed away two months after finishing the book, and a fire destroyed nearly all copies of his work.
Fortunately, a handful of copies survived, and due to copyright expiration, the book is now in the public domain. This allows anyone to read it for free, and we strongly encourage it—especially for the section where a wedding cake is described as “a remarkable loaf of culinary artistry.” Brilliant.
8. Semordnilap
A semordnilap is essentially defined as “a word, phrase, or sentence that takes on a different meaning when read backward.”
For instance, reversing the word “dog” results in “god,” a completely different term, unless you’re part of the cutest religion imaginable. The term was created by word enthusiast Dimitri Borgmann to describe a unique category of words that aren’t palindromes (words or phrases that read the same backward and forward) but still serve as a fascinating linguistic oddity.
Observant readers might have already realized that “semordnilap” is a semordnilap of “palindromes,” making it a self-referential term, or one that defines itself. To add to the confusion, despite semordnilaps being exceedingly rare in everyday English, there are at least four terms to describe them, such as “anadromes,” “volvograms,” “heteropalindromes,” and our favorite, “backwords.”
Nothing highlights the absurd complexity of the English language more than having five distinct words to describe a type of word that transforms into a new word when reversed, with one of those words also becoming another term when written backward.
7. ‘Lion-Eating Poet In The Stone Den’
Shifting focus from English, let’s explore an intriguing Chinese riddle titled “The Lion-Eating Poet in the Stone Den.” Created by linguist Yuen Ren Chao in the 20th century, this riddle highlights the absurdity of phonetically translating Classical Chinese into English.
While the poem is coherent in written Classical Chinese, a traditionally text-based language, reading it aloud and transcribing it into English results in the repeated use of the word “shi” with varying intonations.
This phenomenon occurs because the riddle employs homophonic characters, each carrying different meanings based on pronunciation. However, since the entire piece relies on multiple pronunciations of a single word, it becomes incomprehensible when spoken aloud, except to those fluent in the language. This effectively demonstrates Ren Chao’s argument that Classical Chinese demands a more nuanced translation approach than mere phonetic transcription.
6. That That Is Is That That Is Not Is Not Is That It It Is
The sequence of words above was crafted primarily to challenge one’s understanding of proper punctuation. At first glance, it may appear as though an editor overused the copy-paste function, but with strategic placement of periods, a comma, and a question mark, it transforms into a coherent sentence: “That that is, is. That that is not, is not. Is that it? It is.”
This string of words serves two purposes: to highlight the critical role of punctuation and to make others feel inadequate for failing to decipher it. A notable example of the latter is seen in the 1968 film Charly, where the titular character uses the sentence to showcase his intellectual dominance following a surgery designed to enhance his intelligence.
5. Esquivalience
A common joke asks: “If a word in the dictionary is misspelled, how would anyone notice?” While this is intriguing, we pose a more compelling question: If dictionary editors secretly inserted a fabricated word, how could we identify it?
As bizarre as it may seem, this exact situation occurred in 2005 when Henry Alford, an editor for The New Yorker, heard rumors that the New Oxford American Dictionary contained a fabricated word in its “E” section. After a thorough investigation and consultations with leading lexicography experts, Alford identified a suspicious entry in the second edition of the NOAD: “esquivalience.”
The NOAD defines “esquivalience” as “the deliberate shirking of one’s official duties.” When Alford inquired about the word’s origin, he discovered it was created by one of the NOAD’s editors to trap plagiarists. The logic was simple: since “esquivalience” only existed in their dictionary, its appearance elsewhere would indicate plagiarism of their definitions.
In essence, the NOAD crafted a word to catch plagiarists and defined it as a term for neglecting one’s duties, adding insult to injury if the culprits were ever exposed.
4. ‘I Am The Walrus’
In 1967, John Lennon received a letter from a young fan that amused him greatly. The letter, sent by a student from his former high school, revealed that entire classes were analyzing Beatles lyrics to uncover their meanings. Seizing the chance for mischief, Lennon set out to write the most deliberately confusing song possible, resulting in “I Am The Walrus.”
The song includes absurd lines such as “sitting on a cornflake” and “yellow matter custard dripping from a dead dog’s eye,” the latter inspired by a tune Lennon used to sing in school to irritate his teachers. It also incorporates a soundbite from a King Lear performance, which Lennon insisted on adding simply because it was playing on the radio during the recording session. To top it off, Lennon requested the sound engineer heavily distort his voice, making the lyrics even more difficult to decipher.
Predictably, fans immediately analyzed the song, uncovering numerous supposed hidden meanings in lyrics that Lennon intentionally crafted to prevent such interpretations. It seems people forget that, alongside his lyrical genius, John Lennon also had a sharp sense of humor. After all, this is the same man who, when asked “What’s your favorite type of girl?” replied, “My wife.”
3. Cromulent
Fans of The Simpsons will likely recall “cromulent” as one of the show’s most famous and lasting invented words. It debuted in the 1996 episode “Lisa the Iconoclast,” where it was used to define another Simpsons creation, “Embiggen.” The term was invented by longtime writer David X. Cohen, who chose it because it sounded plausibly real.
Ironically, while the word was created to frustrate fans by making them check if it was genuine, its popularity has since cemented it in everyday language, effectively making it a real word. And, if we may say so, that’s a perfectly cromulent note to end on.
2. Hiybbprqag
Unlike other entries on this list, “Hiybbprqag” has no definitive pronunciation, as it was designed purely as a nonsensical term with one clear purpose—irritating Microsoft.
Since Bing’s launch in 2009, Google has accused the service of copying its search results but lacked concrete proof. Determined to expose this, Google employees crafted nonsensical terms like “Hiybbprqag” and linked them to entirely unrelated webpages, ensuring that a Google search for the term would direct users to a single, irrelevant page.
As Google anticipated, Bing soon began displaying identical results for “Hiybbprqag,” despite the pages having no connection beyond Google’s artificial link. Predictably, Microsoft denied allegations of copying, convincing almost no one. The story gained media traction and even appeared on The Colbert Report. Adding insult to injury, searching “Hiybbprqag” on Bing now yields a Wikipedia page detailing the accusations against Bing as one of the top results.
1. Zzxjoanw
The creator of this word claims it is pronounced “shaw.”
The term was initially defined in 1903 by Rupert Hughes in his book The Musical Guide, where he claimed it referred to a Maori drum. Hughes’s definition, spelling, and pronunciation remained unchallenged for seven decades, even appearing in dictionaries before it was uncovered that Hughes fabricated the word to test people’s gullibility.
The humor is amplified by the fact that the word’s first three letters don’t exist in the Maori alphabet, meaning Hughes’s prank should have been exposed immediately. Yet, it endured beyond his lifetime, and to this day, some dedicated Scrabble enthusiasts still argue it’s a legitimate word.
