“Poppysmic” & 10 More Words Coined By James Joyce

When you read or hear or see the name James Joyce, what comes to mind? If you ask me, I immediately think of his novel called Ulysses (which I still have yet to read) and his love letters to his darling wife Nora, or his “dirty little fuckbird.”

Yes, that’s what he called her in those very intimate love letters. I’ll share with you more about his love letters next time. For now, we’re going to talk a bit about this Irishman and the words he came up with. Because he coined plenty of words, and it’s time we get to know some of them.

Who is James Joyce?

James Joyce was an Irish novelist and a modernist writer. He is recognized as one of the most important writers of the 20th century, well known for his unique writing style and special use of literary methods. One of his most popular works, Ulysses, is a novel about the experiences of three people in Dublin in a single day, totaling about 265,000 words.

Some of James Joyce’s Works

• Dubliners – a collection of short stories
• Ulysses – a novel about three Dubliners
• A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man – a novel about Stephen Dedalus
• Finnegan’s Wake – a famously complex experimental novel
• Finn’s Hotel – a collection of short narrative stories
• Pomes Penyeach – a collection of thirteen short poems

A Short List of Words James Joyce Coined

1. poppysmic: the sound made by the smacking of the lips
2. weggebobble: aka vegetable
3. mrkgnao: aka meow
4. umbershoot: aka an umbrella
5. smilesmirk: a cross between a smile and a smirk
6. bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunnt-rovarrhounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk: the sound of a thunderclap
7. pelotheered: aka very, very, very drunk
8. chiseller: a nickname for a young child
9. tattarrattat: the sound made when knocking on a door
10. smellsip: to smell and sip something simultaneously
11. pelurious: something hairy or furry