From Aasvogel to Zymurgy: Which Word is Fake? Quiz

Answer: abod

An abbot is the head of a monastery. To abet someone is to encourage him or her. When pain abates, it reduces in intensity. Let me give you a bit of advice: don't use "abod" when you write--it isn't a real word. Abod IS a proper noun, though--it's the name of a town in Hungary.

Answer: buffaloon

A bouffant hairdo is a puffy one like the original Barbie's bubble. You can buffet a ball about or serve a buffet luncheon. A buffoon is a clown. Maybe my invented word, "buffaloon," might mean "a crazy clown" or "a clownish bison."

Answer: compustion

Combustion is burning, confusion is mixing things up, and a contusion is a bruise. "Compustion," which I invented, suggests to me an exploding pimple. (Yuck.)

Answer: deffle

There are dabbling ducks and dilettantes who dabble in various fields. Soldiers may carry their gear in duffle bags (also spelled "duffel"). To dibble is to fish by letting your bait bob lightly on the surface of the water. I made up "deffle," but perhaps it might mean "to waste time deftly."

Answer: elfinny

Elfin and elvish both mean "resembling an elf." An elflock is a lock of tangled hair. Maybe my invented word, "elfinny," might mean "resembling a tiny magical fish."

Answer: flun

Flan is yummy baked custard with a burnt sugar topping. Before whales were protected by law, sailors used to flench whales' carcasses--strip the blubber from them. To fleece a sheep is to remove its wool. My made-up word, "flun," might mean "to clumsily stun an enemy."

Answer: gubbet

A gobbet is a lump of meat. To gibbet someone is to hang him. To gudgeon someone is to dupe her; a gudgeon is also a small European fish. I made up "gubbet," but perhaps it might mean "to attempt to chew a too-large bite of food or "to puff out one's cheeks." Gubbet is part of a proper noun, however. There is a place called Gubbet Uasasa in Gedo, Somalia.

Answer: hiffle

A huffish person is cranky and sulky. In Yiddish (and American English), to have hutzpah, or chutzpah, means to be supremely self-confident. To huzza means to cheer. I invented "hiffle," but maybe it means "to sniffle and huff at the same time."

Answer: issy

Something icky is yucky or gross or nauseating. An immy is a type of playing marble. An izzard is a letter "Z." I made up "issy," but it might mean "tiny, but fierce." Capitalized, Issy is part of a French proper noun: Issy-les-Moulineaux is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris.

Answer: jimpins

A joggler is someone who joggles items. To have the jimjams means to be in a violent state of delirium. "So and so be jiggered!" means "So and so be damned!" I made up "jimpins," but maybe they are sudden, almost imperceptible jolts. There does seem to be a guy on Facebook named Jim Pin. Do you know him?

Answer: kallump

A kazoo is a toy musical instrument with a humorous sound. If your home is kempt, it's tidy and clean (although it is more common now to use unkempt to refer to the opposite condition). A kamikaze is an airplane that is flown into a target on a suicide mission. I invented the word "kallump," but perhaps it could be a verb that means "to hop angrily in circles."

Answer: lumpox

A lumper is a dock worker who loads and unloads ships. A lummox is an oaf. Lupus is an auto-immune disease. I made up "lumpox" but it could name a cross between mumps and chicken pox. Glad it's not real!

Answer: mufflette

Mensches and momzers are opposite types: a mensch is a solid citizen, a good, reliable guy, while a momzer is a terrible person. A minx is a pert girl. I made up "mufflette," but it might be a good name for a frilly, girly-type muffler.

Answer: nex

A nob is a bigwig or mucky muck, a nub is a protuberance, but a nex ain't nothin' unless it's capitalized, in which case it might be the name of a restaurant or a video game.

Answer: oppal

If you octuple 11, you get 88. To ogle someone is to stare at her or him (often lasciviously). Offal is yucky, gross, nauseating waste material. I made up "oppal" but perhaps it might mean "to make a sound similar to that of a ping-pong ball bouncing on a table top."

Answer: pimble

A puffin is a sea bird, a pixel is a basic unit of a video image, and to piffle is to babble. I made up "pimble" but perhaps it might mean "to punch someone and then nimbly step aside."

Answer: quemp

To quaff is to drink deeply, "quinsy" is another name for tonsillitis, and a quenelle is a dumpling. I made up "quemp," but maybe it could mean "to clean up a disgusting mess such as cat vomit."

Answer: rintle

To ruddle something is to dye it red, to riffle through a stack of papers is to flip through them hastily, and to rankle is to cause resentment. I made up "rintle" but perhaps it could mean "to chatter very quietly."

Answer: snoomp

To sluff is to discard a playing card, a snood is a hairnet, and to snooker someone is to trick him or her. I made up "snoomp," but maybe it could mean "to snoop loudly and ineffectively."

Answer: tiffer

To titter is to laugh nervously, to tipple is to drink alcoholic beverages, and a tizzy is a state of nervous collapse (like a "hissy fit"). I made up tiffer, but maybe it could mean "even crankier than before."

Answer: ubular

"Unctuous" can mean "greasy" or "ingratiating." To ululate is to howl. Umber is a shade of brown. I made up "ubular," but perhaps it might mean "dense and plump."

Answer: vulpique

A valkyrie is a maiden in Norse mythology. To vamoose is to leave hurriedly. A vomiter is, as you may have guessed, someone who vomits. Vulpique is the French word used in the name of an acid (vulpinic acid in English) which is found in lichens.

Answer: whibbit

To whelp is to give birth to (puppies, usually). A widget is a gadget. A wickiup or wickyup is a Native American hut. I invented "whibbit," but perhaps it might name a petite, fleet hopping creature similar to a wallaby.

Answer: yaumi

A yeti is an abominable snowman, a yarmulke is a skullcap worn by Jewish men, and a yurt is a dome-shaped tent or home (I know someone who lives in one in Marin County, California). I invented "yaumi" but perhaps it can mean "a fat, sleepy toddler."

Answer: zinzy

Zymurgy is the branch of chemistry that deals with fermentation. A zaftig woman is full bosomed. Zabaione is an Italian custard, often served warm (delicious!). I invented "zinzy," but let's say it's an adjective that means "ditzy and high-strung." BTW: "Aasvogel" (from the title) is a real word for a vulture.