Grandpa Greg's Advanced Grammar: (re)DUPLICATIONS, part #1

CURRENT CONTENTS

Clap-trap

Cootchie-(cootchie-)coo

Dilly-dally

Fuddle-duddle

Fuddy-duddy

Hanky-panky

Harum-scarum

Helter-skelter

(for continuation, see the link below)

Authors' Note:  Reduplications as they are best known, sometimes also called duplications, are language forms (morphs), usually for nouns, in which an element of the word is repeated with little or no change; they figure prominently among the most musical elements in English and in other languages. To this author, the more commonly used term seems redundant. 

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 (alternately clap-trap) -- would qualify as a reduplication.

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.

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 poems on this topic at the collaborative online site OEDILF, 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.

Authors' Note: (usually, FUD-uhl-dud-uhl, or with a French lilt, as here, fud-uhl-DUD-uhl)

fuddle-duddle: an infrequently used (re)duplication, voiced dismissively in dealing with opinions that the speaker rejects.

In 1971 Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, father of current PM Justin Trudeau, unleashed a minor scandal by using unparliamentary language in the Canadian House of Commons (parliament). A portion of the ensuing brouhaha, deftly sidestepped by Trudeau, revolved around whether he had actually spoken or merely mouthed the inappropriate words.

Web discussion:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuddle_duddle

Authors' Note: 

(FUD-ee-dud-ee, or as a possibility here, fud-ee-DUD-ee). Another example of a (re)duplication.

Authors' Note: Reduplications as they are best known, sometimes also called duplications, are language forms (morphs), usually for nouns, in which an element of the word is repeated with little or no change; they figure prominently among the most musical elements in English and in other languages. To this author, the more commonly used term seems redundant. Many other examples begin with the letter 'h', e.g. harum-scarum, helter-skelter, higgeldy-piggeldy, hillbilly, and hubba-hubba.

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. 

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