Make Your Point > Archived Issues > CHORTLE

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connect today's word to others: Let's enjoy the opening lines of Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky:"      "'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves        Did ___e and gimble in the wabe:      All mimsy were the borogoves,        And the mome raths outgrabe.'" (The word in the blank above means "to twirl" or whirl." Can you recall it?) Now let's cut to the peak of the poem's action:       "One, two! One, two! And through and through        The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!      He left it dead, and with its head        He went _______ing back." (The word in the blank above means "to move in a heavy yet joyful way.") And here's the boy's father, bubbling with pride, describing his son with a word that means "bright, cheerful, and hopeful:"      "'And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?        Come to my arms, my _____sh boy!      O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'        He chortled in his joy." That brings us to the delightful word chortle. Let's explore it! (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "CHORTLE" The word "chortle" was invented by Lewis Carroll, possibly by combining the words "chuckle" and "snort." Here it is in his 1871 novel Through the Looking Glass: "'O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!' / He chortled in his joy." To chortle is to chuckle happily. (It can also mean to sing happily or to chuckle and snort at the same time, but those meanings are less commonly used.) Pronunciation: CHOR tull (Or, soften the "t" sound: "CHOR dull.") Part of speech: Verb, usually the intransitive kind: "he chortles," "she chortled," "they chortled over their coffee mugs." Other forms: Chortled, chortling. "Chortle" can also be a noun, the countable kind. How to use it: Usually, "chortling" is soft laughter, controlled laughter, laughter you're trying to hide or tame: it's not nearly as loud or unrestrained as guffawing, howling, or cachinnating. Talk about people chortling, often at or over something funny, with joy, to themselves, among themselves, etc. It's less common, but you can use "chortle" in a transitive way: "he chortled the song," "she chortled the comment." And although you can use "chortle" to tag your dialogue ("he chortled 'no way,'" "she chortled a quick 'oh my goodness'"), I don't recommend doing that. It just sounds awkward to me. To use the noun, talk about someone's chortle(s), or about people who say or do something with a chortle: "he agreed with a chortle." For an adjective, use "chortling:" "the chortling audience," "their chortling glee." examples: I knew she'd just set up a prank when I saw her covering her mouth, chortling with anticipation. "He chortled to himself, rocking and bouncing as if he were a lanky, bearded, drunken volcano preparing to erupt with delight at his own brilliance."    — Neil Gaiman, American Gods, 2001 study it now: Look away from the screen to define "chortle" without saying "to titter" or "a sensible chuckle." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) chortles, (retelling how, remembering how, or pointing out that) _____." Example: "He chortles, remembering how he and his friends would drive through McDonald's and order a small water with cheese." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is "A Doodad Named After a Thingamajig." If I give you two categories, X and Y, can you think of an X that was named after a Y? We'll start off easy--these first few questions will have lots of correct answers each that you might think up--and we'll work our way toward harder questions that, as far as I know, have only one correct answer each. From the previous issue: Can you think of an athletic company named after a Greek goddess? The only answer I know of is Nike, named for the goddess of victory. (If you know more, please share them!) Try this one today: Can you think of a vehicle named after a French province? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of CHORTLE is A. SULK. B. RELEASE. C. SNIGGER. 2. He elicits a few chortles from the audience, _____. A. easing the tension B. adopting a serious tone C. briefly answering each one Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's 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. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A