What the Heck is Ebenscraw?
Today we continue with Made-It-Up Mondays where I throw out a 100% made-up word and ask you to:
- define the word
- provide its part of speech, and
- use the word in a sentence that indicates how the word could be used.
Why? Because someone gave me the book The Meaning of Tingo: And Other Extraordinary Words from Around the World that has a lot of cool words in it.
For example:
“Kummerspeck” is a German word used to describe excess weight gained from emotional overeating. Literally, “grief bacon.”
We don’t really have a word for that, do we?
This book appeals to me because when I can’t find the right word on the word-shelf to fit my mood or predicament, I often make one up.
The last time we did this the word was “derpy” and that ended quickly when the fabulous Christian Emmett schooled me and told me that derpy is, in fact, a word in urban dictionary. Herp a derp!
I quickly revised my post and implored people to tell me the derpy-est thing they had done recently. And I got some good answers. But, it was still… embarrassing.
I felt like my panties were showing or something.
So I feel I must assure you. In preparation for today’s festivities, I Googled and searched.
And I am sure this word is all mine in its makeupedness.
The first person to use the word the way I love the best shall receive cyber-love. And by that, I mean I will announce your identity in the next Made-It-Up Monday post. If you are a blogger, I will link to your blog, so folks will head over and check out your stuff. (To check out Christian Emmett, click HERE.)
If you are not a blogger, don’t worry. I will highlight your name in bold and let everyone know how smart you are. If you are looking for a job, you can put “uncanny ability to define 100% bogus words” on your resumé and direct prospective employers here. I will totally back you up.
Continuing alphabetically, this week, the made up word is:
EBENSCRAW
What the heck is that? When would you say it? Define it and give me a sentence in which you show me how you would use it.
You know, if it were a real word. 😉
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Ebenscraw is a vegetable from Sicily. It is a leafy green hybrid, kinda like a cross between spinach and celery. Most often eaten lightly boiled with pinch of garlic and a drizzle of olive oil. Also eaten raw in salad as well. Good source of Vitamin K (should mention there is no K in Latin alphabet because you should use the S for the S sound and the C for the K sound only, eliminating the need for a K letter for the hard C sound).
Example usage: “Hey, Mario. Ma’s makin’ ebenscraw tonight, so don’t be late.”
Carl, when you say things with such authority I actually have to look them up to be sure that you aren’t right. 😉
I can sure sling it, eh?
A “social” disease.
Ex. “I think I have ebenscraw.”
“Dude, they have clinics for that.”
Hahahaha! I love a good morning laugh! 😉
“Ebenscraw” (noun) is a new type of writing. It’s not print or cursive; it’s a hybrid of the two.
Please write “I will not put little hearts over my ‘i’ in my name.” 20 times on the board in ebenscraw.
Teachers hate when students use hearts in lieu of the dots in their i’s. They also hate flower punctuation. Nails on the chalkboard. Well played.
Been there. As a teacher, not a heart-flower-drawing student.
Ebenscraw: (noun, verb) A method of making sweaters, socks, etc, by entertwining yarn with three needles.
I just love my new ebenscraw sweater.
You can crochet with one needle or knit with two, but it takes three needles to ebenscraw.
David: That would take mad skills. Do you need to grow an extra arm when you ebenscraw? 😉
Either that or else work really fast.
Ebenscraw: (noun) An amorous encounter gone wrong.
I am so not a morning person; when I try to get up for it, I just rack up another ebenscraw.
Outstanding. Or some other position. IYKWIM.
Ebenscraw (noun)
A word used for sloppy handwriting.
“James dear, you will never grow up and be hired for a real job with your ebenscraw.”
“I can’t translate your ebenscraw; therefore, you will be writing this paper again.
Ebenscraw is also sometimes used as slang to define other things deemed sloppy.
“I swear, if Justine doesn’t wash her ebenscraw hair by class tomorrow, we’ll wash it for her.”
“Ebenscraw is to this generation what grunge was to the 90’s!”
“He uses instagram to cover up his ebenscraw photos.”
So you can use it as an adjective, too. Nice.
The portion of underwear that people can see when someone’s panties are showing. “Man, that chick in Wal-Mart, when she bent over she was showing like 3 inches of Ebenscraw!”
Oh yuck. At first I pictured a cute little thong, but then I thought of my local Wal-Mart and the picture changed dramatically.
Well-played.
Scrawish, indeed.
That reminds me of in Seinfeld, when Kramer thought the word quone was a real word. That grief bacon thing is hilarious. That sounds like a fun book.
Ebenscraw: (noun) A wild dance that involves booty shaking and strutting about like a chicken. “Jane can really dance the ebenscraw.”
I LOVE that episode. I wonder if I can find it on YouTube. That would be great. The book is a lot of fun. If you like language, i highly recommend it. It is amazing how many words we don’t have to describe emotions.
I think I’d enjoy dancing the ebenscraw.
Like you couldn’t get me off the table. 😉
Ebenscraw is the cross-hatching patterns used for shading in pen and ink drawing. “Rembrandt’s vellums were filled with ebenscraws.” Really!
See, Susie. You are another one.
When you say things with such authority, I actually have to look things up to make sure that I’m not crazy. You got me.
Point for making me Google search Rembrandt and vellum. 😉
Hahaha! Gotcha!
Ebenscraw – a particularly nasty bird, of the variety found in a sixpence pie. (They’re especially bitter that the blackbird gets all of the credit, so the name is based on the merging of crow and Ebenezer Scrooge.)
Those ebenscraws are bastards, aren’t they? And they are noisy. And their poop is huge!
Ebenscraw – noun; this is the emotional center of the brain often associated with irritation or frustration. It was said that when a person had an irritated reaction that one had gotten something in their ebenscraw. This has since been shortened in modern vernacular to “craw”.
“You sure are out of sorts. Who got stuck in your ebenscraw?”
This was surprisingly fun. Thank you for the Monday diversion.
Hi Shawnadee!
I’m glad this was fun for you. And i hope that nothing gets stuck in your ebenscraw this week. 😉
An appropriate comment is forthcoming. Thoughtsy happened to think of my thought before I thought it myself, so now I have to think of a new thought…
Thanks so much for the mention by the way; now I really need to get back to the blogging so that I can truly deserve my appearance here!
🙂
I hope some people came over to visit. You are a wonderful writer. And maybe they will discover Passenger because of the link. 😉
I’ve had a few visitors thanks to you.
As far as the writing goes, I don’t hold a candle to you or the other bloggers & writers I follow! But I do it my way and I enjoy it; that’s the point really, isn’t it?
🙂
I’m glad some people have bopped over. And as far as your writing, um…I think you have some very good insights. I enjoy your posts, and your cyber-friendship.
For me, I will always write, but the bonus are the cool people in the blogosphere! 😉
Ebenscraw – verb: The act of carving scrimshaw. Old George is the best at ebenscraw. You should see his designs.
Is that the stuff that whalers used to carve pretty pictures on? Like whale parts and stuff?
That’s kind of creepy, Eric. 😉
Yes. Yes it is.
Ebenscraw: (noun) the debris (mostly leaves) that comes through the back door when the dogs go in our out, generally showing up in the fall and reproducing exponentially when it is windy out.
I just swept yesterday, and you should already see the ebenscraw covering the floor by the back door!
😉
Ebenscraw is the stuff that you scrape out from under your fingernails.
That is awesome. In an utterly disgusting kind of way! I hope you don’t chew on your ebenscraw.