Strange words ............

[mrs.chappie]

Gobsmacked. Do ya think it was thought up after somebody got smacked in the gob?

And flabbergasted. What's all that about?

[chrisrob]

I find the site, World Wide Words, useful for this sort of information.
The origin of gobsmacked may be found here
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-gob1.htm
and the origin of flabbergasted may be found here:
http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-fl a1.htm

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks for those links chris. Can you think of any more strange words?

Abbreviation is another. It means to shorten something, yet the word itself is so long! lol

[stewey]

Apart from 'gobsmacked', another Britishism I noticed on this site is the way you use the word 'hoover' or 'hoovering' to indicate the vacuum-cleaning of carpets, rugs, etc. Isn't "Hoover" a trade name for a particular type of vacuum-cleaner?

[mrs.chappie]

I think you're right there, stewey.

[Lore]

You're spot on there stewey but most of us don't know how to spell..... Vacc...vacume...Hoover!! :p

what about Dumbfounded?

[pips1]

It's the same with people referring to a ballpoint pen as a Biro, the manufacturers must love it!

[scotgal]

My pa used to say he was discomeknockerated - sounds like a Ken Dodd ism.

[crisgal]

in italy when they tell you a secret, they say, "Keep water in yer mouth!" so that you won't pass it on. I always thought it was a good expression!