Anagram swarms, mapped by state: E-L-E-C-T-I-O-N F-R-A-U-D, #3

 

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As of July 20, 2025, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

OCT 15 (2023): ReDUPLICATONS, first echoing [5]

 

This post represents the continuation of a collection of verses about the grammatical device, REDUPLICATIONS, as displayed on this blog on October 15, #2023 (claptrap #1).

previous poetic posts (Note that captions are available for poems displayed on "Daily Illustrated Nonsense" as of 2024).

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#1 -- October 15, 2023)

Cootchie(-cootchie)-coo
Claptrap
Dilly-dally
Fuddle-duddle
Fuddy-duddy

Authors' Note: Cootchie coo, sometimes cootchie cootchie coo, with its many spelling variants, has evolved as a (re)duplication voiced when tickling a baby, or possibly other targets, as described [[47817:here]]. Bloviation, and the blowhard are described in other verses.

poetry lyrics: / What's its origin: Gobbledegook?/ (Form of bafflegab,
 Google says -- look!)/ Guy named Maverick invented/ This term that's resented/
 Verbal clap-trap, not something you cook/ Mirthful? Hogwash seems best
 in my book. 

Authors' Note: The disparaging term gobbledegook was first used in 1944 by a Texas politician named Maverick (scion of the original staunchly independent thinker). Its meaning — pompous, overinflated language — gave rise a few year later to the equivalent bafflegab. These expressions, employing repetition of sounds, have a musical and amusing quality, as do their venerable synonyms --hogwash, poppycock, balderdash, bunkum and tommyrot, but only their close cousin claptrap (alternatively clap-trap) -- would qualify as a reduplication.

Authors' Note: The essential appended line (L6) of this verse is acknowledged by the author to have a puzzling rhyming scheme, although the latter is partly offset by the action taking place near the palpitatingly iconic Palindrome Valley. Another redeeming feature is that, unlike the other half-dozen or so other OEDILFian poems on this topic, it is gratifyingly concordant with the normal conversational stressing of DIL-ly-dal-ly on its first syllable.

Another view of wordplay competitions in Palindrome Valley can be found HERE.

HERE is an example that we have published, involving the synonymous expression shilly-shally. 

poetry lyrics:/ Trudeau (pere) got our heads in a muddle/ When he mumbled,

 (he claimed),"Fuddle-duddle"./ (Then curmudgeons would cluck/ "In the House,

 he said f***!"),/ Back in days when our language was subtle. 

poetry lyrics:/ Got in touch, after years, with a buddy;/ Found his judgement
 displeasingly muddy./ With his biases rigid/ Our reunion was frigid -- /
 He'd become an old gruff fuddy-duddy.

SONGS about REDUPLICATIONS!

The authors of the above poetic verses got so enthused about reduplications that they composed a series of patter-songs (in the style of Tom Lehr) dealing with this intriguing linguistic curiosity. If you follow along these links you can learn more grammar, and see dozens of surprising and enlightening examples of this phenomenon. Grab your ukulele, your guitar, or just your larynx, and enjoy singing along!

1)  Lyrics for Singable Satire: "A LESSON ABOUT REDUPLICATIONS" 

2)  A Lexicon: "Examples: Reduplications, A to K"

3)  A Lexicon: "Examples: Reduplications L to Z"

For more intriguing verses about "(re)DUPLICATIONS", please proceed to part #2 by clicking HERE.

OCT 10 (2023): Gift Suggestions, NOVEL COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS [6]

Authors' Note:  The gecko, a non-threatening species of lizard imported accidentally into the United States (with range expanding in the last few decades), has entered the popular consciousness due to advertisements by GEICO (acronym for the Government Employees Insurance Co.) which feature a British-accented lizard, who gives advice on purchasing auto and other insurance.

   Voice-activated assistance (for humans) on Apple cellphones is provided by a persona known as ‘Siri’. As saurian is a synonym for reptilian, (and the suffix ‘-saur’ is well-known in regard to current and ancient lizard species), you won’t be surprised that we have developed an assistant named ‘Sauri’ for the high-tech gecko community. 

                                                                                                           final approval: #120270, Apr 2023.

Authors' Note: This verse deals with a nonsensical 'tall tale' prevalent in the author's family. Our children grew up in the 1980s in a universe in which 'remotes' (remote controllers) miraculously helped manage elements of their computerized daily lives. With its expandable dimensions and the ability to either hide or display, the Cyber Box offered a digitized but imaginary solution to logistic problems, worthy of attribution to Aladdin. Unfortunately, no one could ever find the misplaced 'remote' for the mythical device.

Authors' Note:  The principal ingredients and other details of Dust, the indispensable furniture protector, are left to the reader's imagination.

Authors' Note:  A garden gnome is an ersatz creature, often assumed to be of below average intelligence and technical sophistication. Here the author reimagines the garden gnome as a technically adept home protection device, suited to the western American setting.

Authors' Note: The male turkey's facial snood is an erectile caruncle that plays an important role in his ability to attract females. Unfortunately for domestic toms, commercial turkey breeders see it as advantageous to remove these facial appendages at an early age. The process of desnooding, and its devastating effect on turkey romance, have been versified by the author previously. Commercial development of a prosthesis to assist males in adult life, as described in this verse, is apocryphal.

Authors' Note:  Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, on the St. Mary River, is known casually by its English-speaking inhabitants and visitors as ‘the Sault’ (pronounced SOO). (A smaller town, similarly named, is also present on the American side of the river). French colonists had referred to the rapids on the river as les saults de Ste Marie (SOH).

   A classic limerick, dating from 1902, concerns family economics and stressful relationships of a resident of the island of Nantucket in the state of Massachusetts:

     There once was a man from Nantucket ...

   A series of limericks by the present author provides satirical variations on this iconic tale. 

   The technically advanced bucket and safe combination imagined in the above verse might have been of use to the famous Nantucket protagonist.

Authors' Note: Shotgun-wielding hunter Elmer Fudd was the cartoon-world nemesis of the beloved character Bugs Bunny. Elmer was notable for his lisping speech, for his hatred of 'wascally wabbits', for his oversized weaponry and, fortunately for Bugs, for his rather poor eyesight and aim.

   Currently (2017), weapons can be legally web-purchased by residents of the U.S.,without  prior background checks of the purchasers.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

To resume your review of the sequence of daily titillations on our related blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense", click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings at the bottom of the page, and check the daily offerings for any month from the start of 2020 until July 2025. 

As of July 20, 2025, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

OCT 5 (2023): Exemplary EXEMPLIFICATION -- second list (off-date)

 This blogpost represents the collection of poems 'Exemplary EXEMPLIFICATION) as displayed initially on this blog October 15, 2022).

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#2 -- October 5, 2023)
Malarkey (Donald Duck) 
Synonymous
Possessives (3 verses, a 'brief saga')
Ablaut and Past Tenses (3 verses, a 'brief saga')

Authors' Note: The term malarkey for "nonsense"  is likely of Greek origin, but does not appear to relate to mallard ducks.

(Note that the three verses of this "brief saga" can be found with more photos and in more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE.)

(Note that the three verses of this "brief saga" can be found in more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE.)