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I have a vocabulary of nonsense words I only use when talking to my dog.
It's an old trick I learned long ago on our ranch. When there are a lot of working dogs around who are all very eager to do a job when only one dog is needed, the nonsense words work very well to key one dog to go do the job.
It works because the single dog understands the word. When the word is consistently used for a specific action the human wants from the dog, any word will do.
Working dogs love the work more than anything, so if someone gives a command they all understand, 4 dogs could all go after the same cow in a corral, and ruin an afternoon's work in a minute.
The single word they all learn in English is "Stay!" Anyone can yell it, and all the dogs will drop in their tracks instantly if they are well trained.
Almost all human speech is only blather to a dog. They all learn what a few words mean, but dogs all connect actions to words much better, as that's the time when 'good dog' really means something to them the most. As does 'bad dog'.
I used to make up silly word combos. I used to say, "Hey! Let's go! It's almost noon o'clock!" For midnight or really really late, I would say, "It's almost 100 o'clock."
I'm sure there were other ones, as you can see they aren't that brilliant so I won't bother trying to dredge them up.
If anyone recalls the early days of Chat and a program called IRC- A Chatroom would have text flying. It was hard to follow conversations as they were varying topics. Finally one day a few of us ( who felt terribly left out) decided to make up nonsensical words. Naturally in order to be believed it would be on topics such as physics or engineering. With words that were long and seemed like they would fit into a well versed persons vocabulary. I never laughed so hard at the text we created and the dialogue that ensued. From: Hey Chad! Our current Medlificator is ejecting some joliconoil, can you advise how to filgestulate it?
Yes chad, You'll need some bronticonizer.
There's a visual equivalent to made-up words:
Made-up music notation scores.
They all either sound like a bored 3-year old banging on every pan in Mom's kitchen, or are impossible to play at all.
They're made up to be a joke, and some are ancient.
Here's a link to one of the funniest of them all. Even if you can't read notation, enlarge it until you can read all the instructions that surround the notes.
The title is quite noble:
"Fairie's Aire and Death Waltz
(from ‘A Tribute to Zdenko G. Fibich’)”
based on a Cro-Magnon skinning chant
The funniest thing of all about this piece is it actually was played once.
Achtung: Das machine ist nicht fer gerfingerpoken und mittengraben. Ist easy snappen der springenwerk blowenfusen, und corkenpoppin mit spitzensparken. Ist nicht fer gewerken by das dumpkofen. Das rubbernecken sightseeren keepen das hands in das pockets. Relaxen und watchen das blinkenlights.
I realized after I posted that many of my dog words aren't made up. By me, anyway.
I picked them up from other people and have been using them for so long I forgot the sources.
One in particular has an odd history; I got it from an Irish guy who was my Dad's pal for a while when I was young. He grew up in a Jewish neighborhood and the word I took from him is Yiddish.
"Ish Pidou!" (I spelled it phonetically. I have no idea how it's spelled correctly.)
I use it to snap my dog to attention. Apparently, the Jews, according to Mr. Kelly, used it as a kind of reverse curse word, sort of spat out, much the same as I say it.
It actually translates as "You nice man." Or something like that.
My work culture uses "idea-ate" as a synonym for brain-storming. I continuously receive "invites" (invitations) to meetings.
I guess this is how the English language evolves. It comes across as laziness to me - type as few characters as possible because you're using your thumbs. (Don't get me started on "ur".)
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