In his 1871 poem “Jabberwocky,” Lewis Carroll famously coined a variety of nonsensical words that essentially sound like gibberish. While Carroll brilliantly came up with those terms on his own, he could’ve simply consulted a dictionary to achieve the same effect. Open any English dictionary and you’ll find a laundry list of words that sound as if they were made up, even though they’re 100% legitimate. Let’s look at 11 of those examples.

Don’t be confused — “bumfuzzle” is a real transitive verb meaning “perplex” or “fluster.” It can also be written as the adjective “bumfuzzled,” defined as being “in a state of bewilderment.” As noted by Merriam-Webster, the word’s earliest use can be traced to 1873, though its precise etymology is less clear. It may be an alteration of other English terms such as “befuddle” and “dumbfound.”

The fantastical term “snollygoster” refers to “an unprincipled but shrewd person.” By the 1850s, it was popular among those in the American South, who used it to refer to politicians in a humorous manner. President Harry S. Truman used the word in a 1952 speech about his colleagues across the aisle, saying, “I wish some of these snollygosters would read the New Testament and perform accordingly.”

No, it’s not a misspelling of the word “friendly,” nor are we discussing your friend Lily. This singsongy term is the adverbial form of the word “friendly” and can be used to highlight how nicely a person is behaving. For instance, you can use it in reference to a kind act: “He pulled me aside and friendlily told me I had toilet paper on my shoe.”

Rabbits hop and horses gallop, but what do deer and gazelle do? They “pronk” — a term borrowed from the Afrikaans language, in which it means “to show off.” Pronking is when a deer, gazelle, or other quadruped jumps into the air with straight legs and an arched back.

From 1996 to 2018, the word “embiggen” was indeed completely made-up. It was coined by the writers of the TV show The Simpsons, appearing in a 1996 episode titled “Lisa the Iconoclast.” In 2018, Merriam-Webster officially added the word to the dictionary, with a definition meaning “to make bigger or more expansive.” Seemingly overnight, the term went from made-up to legitimate. 

Merriam-Webster would be the first to tell you that the etymological origins of the word “taradiddle” are impossible to pin down. In fact, someone claiming to know its origins would be spouting a taradiddle, as this word is essentially a synonym for “fib.” It was coined no later than 1796, when it appeared in print in a book about colloquial speech.

To many Americans, “wabbit” is what comes out of Elmer Fudd’s mouth when he sees Bugs Bunny. But to the Scottish, it’s a term meaning “weary” or “exhausted.” It’s derived from the earlier Scots term wobart, meaning “withered” or “feeble.”

While Mary Poppins may have flown using a “brolly” in her native England, umbrellas are rarely called that here in the U.S. Instead, Americans have been using a different whimsical slang term for umbrellas since the late 1800s: “bumbershoot.” According to Merriam-Webster, the bumber- prefix is likely an alternation of the umbr- prefix.

“Crapulent” might sound like a new curse word, but this odd term actually means “suffering from excessive eating or drinking.” It comes from the Latin crapula, meaning “intoxication.”

“Fartlek” is a Swedish noun that refers to a period of endurance training in which the runner alternates between sprinting and jogging. The fart- portion is derived from the Middle Low German word vart, meaning “pace,” and -lek comes from the Old Norse leikr, which essentially translates to “game.”

The term “borborygmus” dates back to the 1720s. Odds are, you’d have no reason to use it unless you’re a professional gastroenterologist, as it’s a medical term that refers to the rumbling in your stomach caused by moving gas. To most laymen, it’s essentially a synonym for an upset tummy.

GI Joe is one of the most familiar characters in the world of Americana, but the initials “GI” are somewhat perplexing. What does “GI” mean, and why do we use it as a term for soldiers? Much like the fog of war, the answer isn’t clear, but there are some reputable theories as to its origin.

Despite an oft-repeated claim, “GI” doesn’t stand for “general infantry.” Language expert Hugh Rawson claims the initialism originally had to do with items made from galvanized iron that were in an army’s inventory (e.g., buckets, cans, pipes, etc.). In this context, the earliest known use of “GI” dates to 1906.

A few years later, during World War I, “GI” underwent an etymological evolution. Many took it to mean “general issue” or “government issue,” referring to the toiletries, clothes, and weapons issued to soldiers. According to WordOrigins.org, one theory for this change is the idea that soldiers may have seen “GI” (meaning “galvanized iron”) printed on certain items in the inventory, and assumed it meant “government issue.” They then applied the initialism to any military-supplied items, and the descriptor acquired its new meaning. 

The use of “GI” as slang for a soldier only goes back to 1935, arguably implying that the men were also part of a military production line. According to a 1946 article, “GI” was initially somewhat derogatory, suggesting “a man who was GI was crude or uncouth.” In time, “GI” shed that inherent derogatory connotation, becoming a more general slang term for soldiers.

Have you ever noticed that some words and names seem to promise one thing, only to surprise you with something entirely different? For example, consider the confusion of a non-native English speaker when learning that “eggplant” refers to an oblong, purple fruit. The same can be said about grapefruit, which belongs to the citrus family, or navy beans, which are white. Let’s explore the history behind the words to discover why these cleverly named foods aren’t a case of mistaken identity.

Where would modern cuisine and its global inspirations be without chickpeas? Cultivated for at least 10,000 years, this legume has long been a staple in Mediterranean diets — though it has nothing to do with chickens. The word “chickpea” ultimately derives from the Latin word for “pea,” cicer. This is also the origin of the renowned Roman statesman’s name: “Cicero” originated as a surname of someone who grew or sold legumes. 

Based on this etymology, the name of this legume translates to “pea peas” (similar to how the incorrect usage of “chai tea” translates to “tea tea”). The modern English word “chickpea” developed in the 18th century from the French pois chiche (the same food), which came from the Latin cicer. Over time, chiche was folk etymologized as “chick” in English, giving way to the current form. Another common name, “garbanzo bean,” is Spanish, deriving from the Basque phrase garau anztu, meaning “dry seed.”

Dragon fruit, with its spiky skin and vibrant pink hue, looks like something from a fantasy novel. But it doesn’t come from dragons (obviously) — it grows on a vining cactus native to Central America. Its scientific name, Hylocereus undatus, refers to its appearance: hyle (Greek for “woody”), cereus (Latin for “waxen”), and the Latin undatus, referring to the wavy edges of its stems. The dragon fruit is also called “pitaya” in many countries around the world. 

Its English name, “dragon fruit,” has a mythical backstory. Cultivated in tropical areas around the world, dragon fruit is especially popular in Asia. In the early days of the fruit’s cultivation, merchants spun tales of fierce battles and fire-breathing dragons wherein the fruit would sprout from their final breath. The fruit was a symbol of triumph, presented to emperors as a gift of honor. The name likely stuck around because of the dragon fruit’s scaly appearance.

A versatile staple in dishes such as ratatouille, eggplant parmesan, and baba ghanoush, this glossy purple fruit belongs to the nightshade family. But how did something purple come to be named after an egg? The English name dates back to the 18th century, when a different variety of the fruit — small, white, and oval-shaped — was commonly grown in Europe. These early cultivars looked just like hen’s eggs, and the name stuck.

In British English and some European languages, the purple fruit is called “aubergine,” derived from the Arabic word “al-badinjan,” meaning “the eggplant.” This term originates from ancient words for the fruit, including the Persian “badin-gan” and Sanskrit “vatigagama.” It’s unclear when American English speakers began calling the purple fruit “eggplant,” but seed catalogs in 1825 listed both white and purple versions with that name. At some point in the last 200 years, the white version dropped out of popularity, although it can still be found as a specialty food.. 

The grapefruit is a large citrus fruit known for its tangy flavor; it’s a natural hybrid of the pomelo (the largest of the citrus fruits) and the sweet orange. It was first discovered in the Caribbean, possibly originating from Barbados during the 17th century. The fruit gained popularity during the 18th century and was soon cultivated throughout tropical regions, though the true origin of its name remains a mystery.

There were many early names for the new citrus; often, names were confused because oranges, grapefruit, pomelos, and other citrus fruits looked so similar. According to the horticulture department at Texas A&M University System, by the 19th century, Jamaican farmers knew the fruit as “grapefruit” because it grows in clusters on trees, much like grapes. However, other sources suggest that the association with grapes originated not from its appearance, but from a Dutch physician named Wouter Schouden, who visited Barbados in 1664 and described the sour fruit as tasting like “unripe grapes.” 

What do you call small, white beans commonly used in dips, stews, and soups? One of the most common names is “navy beans,” but their creamy shade is far from blue. As it turns out, the name comes from their long association with the military. These nutrient-dense beans have saved many soldiers and sailors from starvation thanks to their long shelf life, making them a staple in the armed forces’ diet. During the late 19th century, they became closely associated with the U.S. Navy, earning the legumes their contemporary moniker.

But navy beans have been around for thousands of years, long before the U.S. Navy commandeered them. They’re also known as haricots (French for “beans”), pea beans, Yankee beans (in Australia), and Boston beans. The bean was a staple of American Indigenous diets, often prepared with maple syrup and lard. New England colonists modified the recipe to include pork and brown sugar — similar to the modern recipe for Boston baked beans — and soon, giant crocks of baked beans were found in hearths around colonial Boston, earning it the appellation “Beantown.”

Crab apple trees have been cultivated for thousands of years, originating in Central Asia. They gained particular popularity in medieval Britain (and later, colonial America), where their small, tart fruit was used to produce hard cider — a safer alternative to drinking water at the time. During the Middle Ages, the fruit’s English moniker emerged, likely from the adjective “crabbed,” meaning “perverse, wayward” in Middle English, which describes the crab tree’s gnarled and spiny appearance. 

Today, “crabbed” is still used as an adjective to describe ill-formed and hard-to-decipher handwriting (“His signature was crabbed and illegible”) or something that is contorted and difficult to understand. So, while the name may evoke thoughts of crustaceans, it actually reflects the tree’s appearance.