Vocabulary Lesson #3: Dogs, N through Z

In my last post, I introduced some dog vocabulary; these are words that aren't included in Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, but perhaps should be. Or maybe not. 

Inspired by my dogs, my family has created words to describe them, their activities and their personalities.

After the last entry, I realized I had left a few words out. I'll have to add them in a future post. I'm sure I'll have more dog--and cat--terms by then.

Below are the N through Z in the dog lexicon. Enjoy.

nyng  (nyng) verb
For dogs, the act of chewing an itch, usually on a foot, sometimes on another dog. Features small bites with the front teeth.
Usage: Lilah must have itchy feet; she's nyning her paws.

Lilah nyngs her foot. I just love that crinkly nose that goes along with nynging.

pelt  (pelt) noun
What’s left of a stuffed animal after a dog has disemboweled or defuzzicated it; one of the Best Toys. The smaller, the better.
Usage: Tucker and Jasper, why are you playing Tug with that tiny pelt when there are two larger pelts right here?

Lilah and Jasper play tug with a pelt. It's all that's left from what once was a plush emu.

puff muzzle  (puf / muz / ul) noun
The expression a dog makes when his or her cheeks are puffed up a little above the teeth, kind a like a smile. Usually seen when the dog is really interested in something.
Usage: You heard me say the word "outside," didn't you Lilah? That's why you're giving me puff muzzle.

Lilah demonstrates puff muzzle.

pupster (pup / stur) noun
A cute smallish dog: Rosie; she was a pupster her whole life. She was the original--and only--pupster.
Usage: The pupster is requesting that you play ball with her. 

Rosie, the one and only pupster; she was only about 4 months old here.

pupstrating (pup / strayt / ing) verb
The act of hanging around and looking cute, probably planning some kind of mischief. Can only be done by a pupster.
Usage: Rosie is pupstrating under the desk.

Rosie pupstrating at the top of the stairs. Possibly she is pondering the problem of a ball that went bouncy bouncy down the stairs. Or maybe she's contemplating mayhem. You never knew with Rosie.

run mucks (run / muks) or run some mucks (run / sum / muks) verb
Playing exuberantly outside.
Etymology: From “to run amuck”
Usage: Rosie, do you want to go outside and run some mucks?

Rosie loved to go outside and Run Some Mucks.

shlorb (shlorb) noun or verb
That particular type of slobber that gets all over a dog toy after serious playing, usually seen on a ball, and generously shared by pups who want to give you doggy kisses.
Usage (noun): Oh yuck, this ball is covered with shlorb!
Usage (verb): Rosie shlorbed the rubber ducky so much that it lost its squeak.

You can just make out the glimmer of shlorb on Rosie's Ball.

shlorby (shlor / bee) adjective

The condition of an object after it has been shlorbed.
Usage: Rosie could always tell when someone didn’t want a shlorby ball dropped in someone’s lap, which I’m sure is why she chose to give the ball to that person in particular.

sleepy tongue (slee / pee / tung) noun
A particular licking or smacking by a dog’s tongue, usually as he or she stretches or moans, in preparation for a nice nap or snooze.
Usage: Lilah is doing sleepy tongue; she  must be tired out from a long day playing with Tucker.

stealth dog (stelth / dawg) noun
A dog that disappears when it is dark; Lilah at night.
Etymology: from stealth aircraft, that are hard to detect using radar and other technology.
Usage: I forgot to put the light on Lilah’s collar when I took  her outside last night, and of course, the stealth dog disappeared; I had no idea where she was for more than five minutes.

Obviously, I couldn't show a picture of Lilah as Stealth Dog at night, because you wouldn't see her. But she does tend to hide in the garden now and again. You can just imagine how she would disappear when it's dark out.

stretchy belly (strech / ee / bel / ee) noun
One of the best kinds of dog bellies to rub; appears only when the dog stretches, creating a tight, incredibly rubbable belly.
Usage: Ooh look; Jasper has stretchy belly and I’m going to rub it right now!

This isn't quite a stretchy belly; the best ones include all paws stretched out as well--and they're kind of hard to catch with a camera. But Tucker's belly is quite rubbable at any time.

tayul (tay / ul) noun
A very cute tail, usually waggy.
Etymology: tail
Usage: Look at those cute, happy tayuls, wagging their greetings.

I love this picture; three pups havin' a confab, complete with happy tayuls.

teef (teef) or teefs (teefs)  noun
Teeth, only cuter.
Usage: Watch those teefs, Tucker; bite the Tuggy, not me.

vortex of doom (vor / teks / uv / doom) noun
A spot on Jasper’s chest, where the fur swirls together...kind of like a dog version of a cowlick. It’s possible the vortex of doom has special powers.
Usage: Jasper loves to be petted, particularly near his vortex of doom, and will paw at you if you attempt to stop petting.

A close up of Jasper's Vortex of Doom. I just want to poke it and pet it sometimes. It is irresistible.

whisper woof (wis / pur / woof) verb
A short, quiet bark. Not loud enough to be a bark. Almost a whisper. Used when you think there's something to bark about, but you're not sure...almost like a test woof.
Usage: What do you hear, Kelsey, that's making you whisper woof? 

Kelsey, the originator of the Whisper Woof.

whissle fuppy swippers (wis / ull / fup / ee / swip / urz) noun
Pasha’s fuzzy paws.
Etymology: From little fuzzy slippers--only cuter.
Usage: It’s time to trim Pasha’s whissle fuppy slippers; they’ve grown so furry that snow keeps getting caught in them.

Pasha had the furriest feet I've ever seen. Corinne coined the term whissle fuppy swippers, and it is exactly what they are.

zipper (zip / ur) noun
The white stripe on Rosie’s chest, a good place to pet her.
Usage: What’s behind that zipper, Rosie? (Answer: a brave and beautiful heart.)

My Rosie, showing off her white zipper.

Vocabulary Lesson #2: Dogs, A through M

I’m not sure what it is about pets, but I think living with them affects the part of the brain that centers on language. They inspire us to create words--alternative names, as well as new terms that describe them and what they do. At first, I thought my family was the only one that made up words relating to the dogs and cats and other creatures with whom we share our lives. But talk to anyone who lives with animals and you’ll find, that while their dog actually has an official name, he is actually referred to by his people by no less than 15 nicknames. Or the family has a special word for the sound the cat makes when she is disturbed. (Our cats “merp.”)

Earlier this year, I created a post featuring Cat Vocabulary. Today, I’ll offer some dog-related terminology inspired by past and present pups. As it turns out, there are a lot more words than can fit in one post, so I’ll split it into two.
ears (earz) verb
The act of looking at someone or something expectantly, with ears so far forward that they seem to speak, usually because a dog Really Wants Something. Can also be used by humans when making a request, putting hands on top of the head to mimic ears.
Etymology: Inspired by Pasha who made “earsing” an art form.
Usage (dog): Pasha is earsing at you, Aaron. He wants your donut.
Usage: (human): Corinne, stop earsing me; I cannot take you to New Zealand to tour the set of The Hobbit.

Pasha "earsing" at a turtle we found.

defuzzicate (dee / fuzz / i / kayt) verb
To remove the stuffing from a plush toy--a joyful and fulfilling activity.
Usage: Jasper had defuzzicated the emu--with Tucker and Lilah’s help--which explained why there were drifts of white fluff scattered on the floor of the family room.

Lilah defuzzicating a skunk toy.

Jasper amidst the results of the defuzzification.

Dinkus (Din / kus) noun
Another name for Pasha. Corinne decided he was a “dinkus.” A Pasha Dinkus. Don’t ask me why he was a Dinkus or what it means. But he was a Dinkus.
Etymology: Ask Corinne.
Usage (dog): Aww, Pasha Dinkus, do you need more loving?

Pasha Dinkus.

donut nose (do / nut / noz) noun
The white circle of fur around Kelsey's nose. 
Usage: Sweet Kelsey, let me pet your donut nose.

While chewing on a stick, Kelsey shows off her donut nose.

drooble (droo / bul) noun
The water that drips off a dog’s face or beard after a nice drink of water. Nearly always shared with the nearest human.
Etymology: Dog dribble: drooble
Usage: Lilah left a trail of drooble as she walked away from the water bowl.

Jasper and Lilah drinking; note the drooble path from the drippage.

drooble face (droo / bul / fays) noun
When a dog’s muzzle is dripping with drooble.
Usage: Thank you, Tucker, for sharing that lovely drooble face with me; now I have a lovely wet splotch on my pants.

Tucker demonstrates drooble face, fresh from the water bowl.

eye bawls (i / bawls) noun
Looking at humans or other dogs from the side, or from under furry eyebrows. The whites of the eyes show, and there is usually some hint of a devious plan being hatched.
Etymology: Inspired by Rosie who had the original eye bawls.
Usage (dog): Look at those eye bawls on Tucker; he’s obviously planning to chew on another pair of my shoes.

Tucker giving eye bawls.

floppity (flop / i / tee) noun or verb
For a dog, the act of flopping his or her head back and forth real fast, often used to flip ears back in the right position or to remove water from fur. Often starts with the head and continues right back through the tail.
Usage: Stand clear unless you want a shower; Rosie just came out of the pool and she’s about to floppity.

Rosie performs a perfect post-swim full floppity.

happy butt dance (hap / pee / but / dans) noun
A special kind of prance done when a human is petting on dog on the part of his back toward his tail. Involves all kinds of wagging and wiggling.
Usage: Look, Pasha is doing the happy butt dance, because Brian is petting him in just the right spot.

After Pasha was injured on his back, petting the bald spot would inevitably inspire him to do the Happy Butt Dance.

horf (horf) verb
Onomatopoeia. The sound made by a dog who wants something: a heavy breath, expelled swiftly, and aimed at a human. Usually several in a row are used for best effect.
Usage: I guess it’s dinner time, because Pasha is horfing at me.

Not sure what Pasha wants, but he is asking for it politely. You can just about hear the horf.

Lilah fish (lie / lah / fish) noun
Lilah, when she's playing in her pool, swooshing her nose under the water.
Usage: Lilah Fish loves swimming in her pool; on a hot day, it's her home base, since neither brave Jasper or hardy Tucker like getting their paws wet.

Lilah fish, in her pool.

macaroni dog (mak / uh / roh / nee / dawg) noun
A particular greeting behavior where the dog is so happy to see someone that he (Jasper or Tucker) curls himself into an elbow macaroni shape and rubs against the person. If the greeting is especially enthusiastic, the dog spins in circles.
Usage: Jasper was so excited to see Corinne that his macaroni dog nearly knocked  her off her feet.

Jasper greets Aaron as macaroni dog while Tucker jumps up to give puppy kisses.

mouf (mowf) noun
Mouth, only cuter, and usually hiding something that isn’t supposed to be there.
Usage: Rosie, what’s in your mouf? And don’t tell me nothing. Drop it!

Rosie, with her favorite Ball in her mouf--in one of her favorite places: a box.

Vocabulary Lesson #1: Cats

In our family, we have an unusual vocabulary. We make up our own words. And after awhile we forget that other people don’t use those words, because they so specifically describe and define our own little world. For example, we have a word for the ucky end part of a banana (the cokey part) or a family member’s extra happy expression (rice pudding face). It would come as no surprise, then, that our pets inspire us to ever-increasing heights of creativity, as there truly are no known words or phrases that quite capture the special attributes of our menagerie. At least, we think so.

Today I present some of our terminology--specifically the words that are cat inspired. From time to time, I will offer more, eventually building an absolutely useless (but totally unique) family pet dictionary.

bakery (bay / ker / ee) noun
The place where Athena makes muffins (see making muffins entry). A dog bed placed conveniently in front of a heating vent, which is so soft that a cat has to knead it.
Usage: Where’s Athena? Oh, she’s sleeping in the bakery.

capt (kapt) noun
Cat. But cuter. And more apt to get in trouble. Thus, capt.
Usage: The capts just knocked the plant off the table.

Dawn, a "capt."

hidey face (hie / dee / fays) noun
The particular expression Dawn gets when she believes she is well hidden.
Usage: Though the back half of her body, including her twitching tail, is sticking out from under the pillow, Dawn has hidey face because nobody can see her.

Dawn demonstrates "hidey face."

feedy face (fee / dee / fays) noun
The specific look a cat gets when she is really, really hungry and hasn’t had a meal in days, maybe weeks, and needs to be fed, now, before she wastes away to nothing.
Usage: Though she doesn’t wear a watch, Athena will usually put on a feedy face about 5:30 in the evening because it is half past cat dinner time.

Two "feedy faces."

kitteh (kit’ / uh) noun
Another word for kitten or cat.
Usage: Used mostly when announcing dinner time, as in, “Kitteh noms!” Results in kitteh stampede followed by performance art featuring Dawn. (See Feeding Time at the Zoo.)
Etymology: See icanhascheezburger for original usage. 

Athena, "kitteh."

kippum (kip’ / um) noun
Another word for kitten or cat. There are many. Derived from “kitten.” Somehow cuter.
Usage: Awww, a sleepy kippum.

Sleepy "kippum."

kittum (kit’ / um) noun
Yet another word for kitten or cat. Derived from “kitten.”
Usage: The kittum is hungry. Actually the kittum is always hungry. Don’t believe anyone who says the kittums have already been fed.

Hungry "kittums."

make muffins (mayk/ muf / inz) verb
Kneading. When a cat puts on a beatific expression and kneads her paws into something--or someone--soft and likable.
Usage: It’s okay when Athena makes muffins in the bakery or in the dog bed; my only objection is when she tries to do it on my arm.

meatloaf (meet / lohf) noun or verb
noun
A position a cat sometimes takes where all paws are tucked underneath the body, and the tail is curled tightly as well.
Etymology: Based on the famous B. Kliban cartoon “How to tell a cat from a meatloaf.” For more of Kliban’s work, see his website, eatmousies.com.
Usage: There’s a meatloaf on the chair. And it’s purring.
verb
The act of hanging out in the meatloaf position.
Usage: Dawn is meatloafing on the couch. Tucker, leave her alone.

Athena "meatloafing."

mep (mehp) noun or verb
noun
Onomatopoeia. The sound a cat--Dawn in particular-- makes to emphasize a point or to accent a change in location. Often used in a derogatory fashion.
Usage: Banished to the basement, Dawn let out a series of meps coinciding with each step down the stairs.
verb
The act of making a mep sound.
Usage: Dawn mepped her way up to the highest point in the cat tree and sat down in a huff.

"If you move me, I will have something to say about it: Mep!"

merp (murp) noun or verb
Onomatopoeia. The sound a cat makes when disturbed or interrupted.
Usage: Half asleep in her special spot on the back of the couch, Athena let out a “merp!” when I sat down and disturbed her slumber.
verb
The act of disturbing a cat inadvertently or on purpose in order to produce a merp.

Lilah, about to "merp" Athena.