Make Your Point > Archived Issues > GALUMPH

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"GALUMPH" Pronunciation: guh LUMF Part of speech: Intransitive verb. (Like “sleep,” “skydive,” and “succeed,” all intransitive verbs show complete action on their own and do not do action to an object. You sleep, you skydive, you succeed, and that’s it. You don’t “sleep a bed,” “skydive a plane,” or “succeed a plan”. Likewise, something or someone galumphs.) Meaning: To galumph is to move in a heavy, clumsy way. Galumphing is often done joyfully. Where it came from: The author Lewis Carroll invented this word for his poem "Jabberwocky," in which a boy kills a monster and comes "galumphing back" with its head. It's been suggested that "galumph" combines "gallop" and "triumph," which is why you're often happy when you galumph. Other forms: galumphed, galumphing How to use it: You can galumph around, galumph across something, galumph down a street, galumph through something, galumph into or out of something, and so on. And you can just plain galumph: "As a reluctant runner, I don't really sprint so much as galumph." "Galumphing" can also be a noun or an adjective: "Her galumphing in the playroom can be heard throughout the house." "We love to watch those galumphing manatees." Though it's generally people or animals who galumph, you can use the word to personify things: "Yeah, thanks, but I think I'll stay out of your galumphing old minivan." "Galumph" is also endlessly useful in an abstract way when you want to describe movement or activity that's humorously awkward: "How did this silly pancake-cutting device even galumph into the stores?" Now that she can walk and has her first real pair of shoes, Taylor loves to galumph around the park and will pop back up instantly after falling. My little family and I pretty much galumphed into Hawaii without understanding its culture, but now that we've lived here almost a year, we fit in a little better. Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "galumph” means when you can explain it without saying “clomp" or “walk loudly and clumsily." Think of a clumsy entrance or exit you made or witnessed, and fill in the blanks: "(Person) (came/went) galumphing (into/out of/through) _____, (looking for/hoping to) _____." Example: "The customer came galumphing into the store, clutching a defective item and looking for someone to yell at." Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game and quote below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Playing With Words:   This month's game content is protected by a copyright, so I can't reprint the trivia questions here--but check out the thoughtful and thorough reference book that I got them from: Last Words of Notable People! A Point Well Made: Henry Hazlitt: “A man with a scant vocabulary will almost certainly be a weak thinker. The richer and more copious one's vocabulary and the greater one's awareness of fine distinctions and subtle nuances of meaning, the more fertile and precise is likely to be one's thinking. Knowledge of things and knowledge of the words for them grow together.”  1. The closest opposite of GALUMPH is A. GLISTEN B. ENRAPTURE C. GLISSADE 2. We came galumphing down the slopes, _____. A. eventually landing as a pile of hats, flailing limbs, and equipment B. avoiding the icy patches and slower skiers with smooth turns C. lightly skimming over each mogul Answers are below. To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each day for free by Mrs. Liesl Johnson, M.Ed., a word lover, learning enthusiast, and private tutor of reading and writing in the verdant little town of Hilo, Hawaii. For writing tips, online learning, essay guidance, and more, please visit www.HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. A