Callooh! Callay! 20 Jabberwocky words from Alice in Wonderland that still galumph, chortle & snark through English
The ever-curious Alice was inspired by Carroll's young neighbour, Alice Liddell, a precocious five-year-old, who became his muse. During a leisurely boat trip along the Thames, Dodgson—a mathematician —improvised the story to entertain her. Lured down the rabbit hole, Liddell begged him to write it down. Two years later, she received the first manuscript, Alice's Adventures Under Ground, complete with Dodgson's illustrations. The Alice in Wonderland series includes two books Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1971).
Though 160 years have passed since its publication, Alice's magic only grows 'curiouser and curiouser.' Like the ever-accommodating rabbit hole that keeps Alice intrigued no matter her size — she keeps shrinking and shooting up — the story's colourful metaphor, fabulous imagery, and linguistic whimsy continue to captivate readers of all ages and from all walks of life. The childhood classic has become a cornerstone of English literature.
This July 4th, we celebrate the novel's linguistic genius, its nonsense words and playful phrases, some of which have even made it to dictionaries.
Aishwarya Khosla is a journalist currently serving as Deputy Copy Editor at The Indian Express. Her writings examine the interplay of culture, identity, and politics.
She began her career at the Hindustan Times, where she covered books, theatre, culture, and the Punjabi diaspora. Her editorial expertise spans the Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Online desks.
She was the recipient of the The Nehru Fellowship in Politics and Elections, where she studied political campaigns, policy research, political strategy and communications for a year.
She pens The Indian Express newsletter, Meanwhile, Back Home.
Write to her at aishwaryakhosla.ak@gmail.com or aishwarya.khosla@indianexpress.com. You can follow her on Instagram: @ink_and_ideology, and X: @KhoslaAishwarya. ... Read More
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