I often do the Spelling Bee puzzle in the New York Times. It’s nice way to exercise my brain, while pleasantly filling the time when I’m waiting for this or that.
When you do a puzzle like that, which requires you to find words, you quickly realize how many perfectly plausible words don’t exist. Many combinations of letters follow all of the proper rules of spelling, but they simply aren’t in the language.
I just today’s puzzle, for example, I came up with brini, intort, thiron and hibortion, all of them perfectly pleasant sounding, and none of them in the dictionary.
I wonder whether we could create a dictionary of alternate words. We could probably make it happen if we all worked together.
People could suggest meanings for various alternate words and then we could all vote on the most popular meaning. If nothing else it would be a fun activity.
As far as I know, there is no name for such a project. Maybe we should come up with a word for it.
Sure, here are some plausible definitions for those fake words:
Brini (noun): A term used to describe a small, decorative container typically used for serving or storing condiments, often found in fancy dining settings.
Example: “Please pass the brini with the mustard.”
Intort (verb): To twist or coil something in a complex or intricate manner.
Example: “She intorted the wires together to create a unique piece of art.”
Thiron (noun): A mythical creature known for its strength and wisdom, often depicted in ancient folklore as a guardian of knowledge.
Example: “The villagers believed that the thiron protected the sacred library from harm.”
Hibortion (noun): An unexpected interruption or delay in a process, often causing frustration or inconvenience.
Example: “The project faced a hibortion due to unforeseen technical issues.”
Nice!
“Dinner was delayed by a short hibortion, when a thiron intorted around the brini.”