“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.” – Roald Dahl
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was published 50 years ago today! Roald Dahl’s darkly whimsical tale of a little boy’s adventures in Willy Wonka’s magical factory has become one of the most beloved children’s books in the English-speaking world.
Some of the most delightful parts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (and all of Dahl’s young adult novels) are the crazy made-up words and names, like Oompa-Loompa, Augustus Gloop, and snozzwanglers (they’re savage fictional beasts who prey on Oompa-Loompas).
In honor of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’s 50th anniversary, check out 10 of the most swishwiffling words Roald Dahl ever invented, from snozzcumber to phizz-whizzing!
1. Gloriumptious: Gloriously wonderful (The BFG)
2. Snozzcumber: An imaginary foul-tasting cucumber-like vegetable (The BFG)
3. Scrumdiddlyumptious: Delicious and lovely
4. Oompa-Loompas: Very small, mischievous beings from Loompaland hired by Willy Wonka to work in his sweets factory. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
5. Whangdoodle: A terrible beast (this word also used by Julie Andrews in The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles)
6. Phizz-whizzing: Really, really good (The BFG)
7. Dandyprat : Some sort of rare delicacy that Centipede says he has eaten in James and the Giant Peach (“Like jellied gnats and dandyprats and earwigs cooked in slime…”
8. Tomfiddling: Similar to ‘tom foolery’ (The Witches)
9. Gobblefunk: Play around with, as in, “Don’t gobblefunk around with words.” (The BFG). Gobblefunk was also the name of a language Dahl invented for the Big Friendly Giant, which includes many of his most whimsical words.
10. A notmucher, a squeakpip: Derogatory terms used to describe the unfriendly giants in The BFG