Make Your Point > Archived Issues > RUMPELSTILTSKIN
Send Make Your Point issues straight to your inbox.
pronounce
RUMPELSTILTSKIN:
Say it "RUM pull STILT skin."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
As we'll see in a moment, the "Rumpel" in "Rumpelstiltskin" may be related to our words rumple and r__ple, a poetic word meaning "a fold, a wrinkle, or a ripple." Can you recall that one?
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
You're probably familiar with the word "stilt," which can mean "a tall, thin post."
"Stilt" appears in the German language, too. And in German stories, a "rumpelstilt" or a "rumpelstilz" is a "post-rattler:" a kind of goblin that shakes posts. (Yes: the German "rumpel" might be closely related to our word "rumple"--even though shaking and creasing aren't quite the same thing.)
So, take "rumpelstiltz," add the German suffix -chen, meaning "little," and you get the name Rumpelstilzchen. A little post-rattler.
Then, make the spelling a bit more Englishy: Rumpelstiltskin.
And there's the name of the goblin from Grimm's Fairy Tales. Here he is, about to destroy himself in rage, next to the Queen who's just cheated him out of their deal, even after he cut her some slack:
Ugh, just look at her! She seems to be saying, "Ah yes, how convenient for me."
Is it weird that I'm sympathizing with Rumpelstiltskin, rather than cheering for the queen?
Well, you be the judge. I'm sure you know the story, but if you'd like to read it in full, it's here. (It'll take about 3 minutes.) Or, just review the summary, courtesy of BookRags:
"A miller brags to the king that his daughter can spin straw into gold. She cannot actually perform this feat, so she employs a little man to do the work for her. On the third day she has nothing to pay the little man with, so she promises her first child. The girl is married to the king and the two soon have a baby. The queen's sorrow at losing her baby makes him give her a chance to keep the child. He gives the queen three days to guess his name. A messenger discovers the man's name. When the queen correctly guesses the man's name, he becomes so angry that he stomps his foot into the ground and then pulls himself in half."
The images from that story have really stuck with us! And so, if you call someone Rumpelstiltskin, you mean that person seems to magically turn common stuff into very valuable stuff, or does favors for you at a terrible price, or seems to destroy themselves with their own rage.
This can work as both a noun ("He's a Rumpelstiltskin") and an adjective ("He's so Rumpelstiltskin").
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Most often a noun: "He stomped his feet in anger, like a Rumpelstiltskin."
Sometimes an adjective. Here's H. G. Wells: "the Rumpelstiltskin magic of names."
I haven't yet seen anyone use "Rumpelstiltskin" as a verb, but don't let that stop you from doing it. "They took his most bone-headed ideas and polished them up, making them wildly profitable, Rumpelstiltskinning their way into his good graces."
Other forms:
Probably just the plural: "Rumpelstiltskins."
how to use it:
Because most of us are familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin, we can feel free to plop his name--colorful and fascinating--into just about any context. People will get it.
You might call someone Rumpelstiltskin, or call someone a Rumpelstiltskin. Or you might say that someone is making magic, making a deal, or foaming with rage like Rumpelstiltskin.
Or, use it as an adjective and talk about Rumpelstiltskin magic, trickery, deal-making, fury, destruction, etc.
examples:
"The termite [is] a sort of biotech Rumpelstiltskin, able to spin straw—or grass, or wood by-products—into something much more valuable. Offer a termite this page, and its microbial helpers will break it down into two liters of hydrogen, enough to drive more than six miles in a fuel-cell car."
— Lisa Margonelli, The Atlantic, September 2008
"But by loathing his world and his characters and all that they do so much, Will Self ends up like Rumpelstiltskin stamping himself into a meltdown tizzy, a writer who can't figure out if he's a moralist, an immoralist, or both."
— Carolyn See, Washington Post, 17 January 2003
has this page helped you understand "Rumpelstiltskin"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "Rumpelstiltskin" without saying "someone who spins 'straw' into 'gold'" or "someone whose anger is self-destructive."
try it out:
Above, we saw an example about Rumpelstiltskin termites turning wood byproducts into valuable hydrogen.
See if you can make your own example about some figurative Rumpelstiltskin turning raw material into something valuable.
Here are a few more examples to inspire you:
1. From the Guardian: When a group of high school kids used only recycled materials to stage an intricate and beautiful performance of Ridley Scott's Alien, "their Rumpelstiltskin act [earned] them the approval of Hollywood professionals such as Rosario Dawson and Elijah Wood."
2. From Scientific American: "Our Eat Mo Carp project works its own Rumpelstiltskin magic to spin the straw of the carp invasion into healthy protein gold for hungry people."
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is "Polygon of Predestination!"
With a high five to TheWordFinder.com for its puzzle generator, I'm Pat-Sajacking that spin-the-wheel game from TV. Apply your alliterative acumen to solve the puzzle. The category all month long is: "Beastly Blunders and Criminal Capers."
From the previous issue:
If someone's been swiping Amazon boxes right off your doorstep, you know the frustration of porch pirating. It may be as old as porches themselves, but the term first appeared online around 2011, according to Dictionary.com.
Try this one today:
Not sure yet? Need to see a bit more? Click here.
review this word:
A. ONE WHO STEERS STRAIGHT AND TRUE.
B. ONE WHO SERVES THE PUBLIC AT NO COST.
C. ONE WHO SEES THE GOOD IN EVERY PERSON.
2. She's a paradox, a Rumpelstiltskin, at once _____.
A. attractive and repellent
B. creative and destructive
C. ancient and contemporary
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
As we'll see in a moment, the "Rumpel" in "Rumpelstiltskin" may be related to our words rumple and r__ple, a poetic word meaning "a fold, a wrinkle, or a ripple." Can you recall that one?
You're probably familiar with the word "stilt," which can mean "a tall, thin post."
Part of speech:
Because most of us are familiar with the story of Rumpelstiltskin, we can feel free to plop his name--colorful and fascinating--into just about any context. People will get it.
"The termite [is] a sort of biotech Rumpelstiltskin, able to spin straw—or grass, or wood by-products—into something much more valuable. Offer a termite this page, and its microbial helpers will break it down into two liters of hydrogen, enough to drive more than six miles in a fuel-cell car."
Explain the meaning of "Rumpelstiltskin" without saying "someone who spins 'straw' into 'gold'" or "someone whose anger is self-destructive."
Above, we saw an example about Rumpelstiltskin termites turning wood byproducts into valuable hydrogen.
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
|
