I Mash Together Random Words To Create New Ones, Here’re 30 Of Them

Bored Panda reached out to the Cunning Linguist with some questions.

What’s your main motivation to keep creating new words?

"Enjoyment. I’m a logophile. I love words, especially creating new ones. It’s a bit like solving a problem and I relish the challenge. I started doing it four years ago with punny, made-up collective nouns (you can check out that project here). Right about the same time, I discovered that I was also really good at translating wordplay, which is quite hard. I’m going to continue no matter what but, as with the collective noun project, I do have plans to have these illustrated and turned into physical objects, such as prints, mugs, etc., and eventually, a book—that is the ultimate goal."

How long does it take to come up with a good pun?

"That depends. Sometimes, it starts with simply noticing similar-sounding words, in which case arriving at the pun is fairly immediate and it's basically a question of working on a definition that works. If, on the other hand, I start with a concept, then it's much harder and it could take a fair share of exploration and trial and error (I usually test the ones I’m iffy about with a few friends and fans) to get to a certain standard of quality. So, anywhere from a flash of inspiration up to maybe a couple of hours for the more challenging ones."

How do you come up with the ideas in general, or are they just random?

"I’m always on the lookout for either ideas or words with potential and I note them all down for later examination. If it’s words or expressions, then it’ll be something inherently funny like, for instance, ‘resting b**ch face’. Off the bat, that’s a funny phrase. And you can tell it has some wordplay potential: ‘bitch’ rhymes with ditch, itch, glitch, hitch, kitsch, niche (in US English), pitch, snitch, witch… Then I go through all the possible options until I settle on the funniest.

If I’m starting with a concept, the exploration stage is similar but also based on semantic fields besides phonetic similarity and it’s either a request from a fan, a pet hate of mine or little things that are, if not universal, shared experiences. I find these to be the most rewarding to come up with, because of their reliability."

How do people mostly react to your work?

"I don’t think most people care that much for puns (unless you’re British or Irish, in which case I have the opposite impression), but among the ones that do and have found me on Instagram, there are always a few enthusiastic fans who show their appreciation, which always encourages and cheers me up. And of course, my more risqué entries (go to my Instagram account if you want to see some of those), be it blue humour or anything that even references anything potentially controversial, are definitely not appreciated by some; sometimes I’m not even making fun of the subject matter or endorsing the use of the language in question, I’m just having fun with words, but still, some people will take issue with it. I suppose that comes with the territory in these PC times. For me, it’s all about context. I’d say that if someone’s offended by a silly pun, that’s more a reflection of that person’s self-centredness and dualistic worldview rather than the creator’s character or opinions."

Do you ever feel burned out by what you do, or is it more like a hobby?

"Not at all. This is actually what I do for fun so that I don’t feel burned out by my actual job! I feel like I could go on forever. Posting only once a week is due to lack of time, not lack of ideas. If only I could do this full-time, I’d be a happy man!"

What part of the whole creative process (from creating the word itself, the description, and even choosing the picture) do you enjoy the most?

"Creating the word itself, since that’s the most creative and engaging part. The rest, especially finding and editing the image, is mostly a chore. I’m limited to stock photography and it takes me a lot of time to find a good photo, and then quite a bit of editing too. That part is not as fun, but it absolutely makes the whole thing come alive and arouse more interest."

What inspired you to start an Instagram account for your puns?

"With any creative endeavour, it feels kind of pointless if it’s not shared with an audience. The joy I get from it is part from the creative process, part from the appreciation I get from fellow wordplay enthusiasts. And I don't get just appreciation, but also constructive criticism and inspiration.

Of course, the goal is to keep growing that audience, therefore Instagram seemed like the natural choice so that I can eventually turn these into the aforementioned physical objects I plan to create and sell."