List No. 036

GOBBLEFUNK

Roald Dahl

Early 1980s

In 1982, The BFG was published – a magical and wildly successful children’s book in which a Big Friendly Giant blows pleasant dreams through the windows of young children. As he was creating the story, renowned author Roald Dahl set about creating a new vocabulary for the enormous protagonist: a 238-word language that he ultimately named, “Gobblefunk”. Words that made the cut included, “humplecrimp”, “swallomp”, “crumpscoddle” and, most memorably, “snozzcumber”. The list you see here was written by Dahl as he brainstormed, and offers a snapshot of “Gobblefunk” in its infancy.

The Fleshlumpeating Giant

a notmucher, a squeakpip.

cronky

crinky

corky

blivver(ing)

stoching

protching

mickering (aww)

swish

manhugging giant

fizzlecump

bottle wart

gumplewink

swigfiddle

squiffsquiddle

flushbuckling

whopsy-waddling

pongswizzler

scumscrewer

bagblurter

fizzwiggler

spitzwargler

spitzwoggler

buzzbunger

bizzfizz

buzzfuzz

baghangar

bophanger

wash-hinger

spongewiggler

codswallop

muckfrumping

splatchwinkling

crodscollop

shardlelly

spatchwinkle

swishfiggler

swogglewop

gunzleswipe

pifflemutter

troggy

paggle

pibbling

dibbling

ristling

blunketing

pranky

filking

pilching

scoddling

slidger

squiggling

squibbling

squinkling

squeakling

squmping

scumping

scuddling

swiddling

squiffling

slunging

grobbled

squiffly-jumpsy

rag-rasper

rotrasper

scrumplet

squiffler

sludge

pong-ping-pong

jumpsy

dropsy

swipsy

kicksey

fruggler

grobswitch

crodswitch

kickswitch

grobby

lickswitch

dissible

sliggy

bunkledoodle

grob fatch

grobswitch

wimplesquiffer

snipply

grilky

gronky

grouty

cream puffnut

snog winker

ring beller

phizz-whizz

chidler or tottle = child

schweinwein

squinky

scud

squeakpip