Discussion Forum—A Way with Words, a fun radio show and podcast about language

It never fails: Every time we sit down for hot dogs or hamburgers, the person opening the mustard bottle exclaims, "Anyone want the whoopknacker?" Of course, no one wants it; we're just showing off that we know what a whoopknacker is-- or rather, those of us who really know what it is are fooling those who don't, and in the process, helping keep a false definition alive.

This started when we played Balderdash for the first time as a family. For anyone who hasn't played, Balderdash is a game where players are encouraged to falsify the definition of a real word in hopes that their opponents will fall for it instead of the real definition. This is a hilarious game and tons of fun; I highly recommend it.

Unfortunately, it's got its downside-- it's not very good for learning new vocabulary. Often times, the made-up definitions stick with you longer than the real definitions. For example, when the word "whoopknacker" showed up (which, if I remember correctly, must have been an obsolete word for a type of pants worn in some remote area, but don't quote me), my brother made up the sly definition of "a crusty structure that forms on top of a mustard bottle". This definition was not only convincing, it was quite hilarious that we all fell for it.

Ever since then, "who wants the whoopknacker?" has been a part of every meal that includes bottled mustard. Some day, "whoopknacker" will make it back into the dictionary, and this time with two definitions. I call it the "Balderdash effect".

So...anyone else have false Balderdash definitions that have remained part of your everyday conversations?