whangdoodle
/ˈwæŋ.duː.dl̩/
whangdoodle · noun — A whimsical monster in folklore and children's fiction; a bugbear. It carries an Arena rating of 1377, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, whangdoodle ranks #153 of 17,177 for Most Whimsical Words, #619 of 17,165 for Most Satisfying to Say, #3,639 of 17,166 for Most Vivid Words, #4,242 of 17,130 for Most Ponderous Words.
whangdoodle is pronounced /ˈwæŋ.duː.dl̩/.
Why “whangdoodle” is a great word
An undefined but potent imaginary creature, invented to frighten or delight, existing in the space between child's fable and folklorist's joke. Of American origin, an arbitrary or fanciful nonsense formation; first attested c. 1856 and popularized in a sermon parody published in 1858. Unlike the moralizing 'bugbear,' a persistent nagging dread, or the precise anatomical composite of the classical 'chimera,' the whangdoodle thrives in its own delightful vagueness. It is the shadow-shape at the bottom of the garden, the hollow-eyed shadow cast by a jack-o'-lantern, the rustle in the bushes that vanishes when you turn the flashlight on—a testament to the human need to give a silly, shambling name to the formless things that go bump in the night.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Of American origin. First use appears c.1856. Popularized by appearing in a sermon parody attributed to William P. Brannan as "Where the lion roareth and the whangdoodle mourneth for her first-born," published in The Harp of a Thousand Strings: Or, Laughter for a Lifetime (1858). Roald Dahl uses the term in at least three stories of his: James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Minpins. In at least two of those stories, namely Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Minpins, the whangdoodle is stated to be a vicious monster.
noun
- A whimsical monster in folklore and children's fiction; a bugbear.e.g.“"I'm n-n-not a tor-tor-tortoise," stuttered the curious creature, "I'm a wha-wha-whang-whang-doodle."
"A whangdoodle! What's that?"” — 1901, Charles M. Snyder, Runaway Robinson, page 53:
- A term of disparagement.
- A ruling in which the opening stake limits are doubled for the next play after the appearance of a very good hand.e.g.“It is sometimes agreed in advance that after a hand of certain rank, such as Four of a Kind or a Full House, is shown, a Whangdoodle or Jackpot must be played[…]” — 1940, Clement Wood, Gloria Goddard, The Complete Book of Games, page 296:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.