The Word I Made Up

Incrambrience adj. (i think) inf. (doesn't make sense, it's not a verb) - the state of feeling incrambrient - 'I cannot give an account of my crimes, for I feel rather incrambrient today Your Honour'

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In using a word in conversation with a friend recently, it was found that I had totally made it up. 'I'm just feeling a little incrambrient' said I to Chris, whereupon he said 'what the hell does that mean?' or words something similar to that effect.

'It means groggy headed', I responded - 'unable to stick to task, mindlessness where one would like to be mindful'
'Never heard of it', said he.

At that we stole to the dictionary like the avid and curious etymologists that we are. Aghast I found it wasn't in there. The slow smile spread across my friend's face. Dim memory and realization dawned, slowly.

I'd made it up in a dream, long ago. Somehow, upon waking I'd failed to distinguish the difference between the contents of the Oxford English dictionary and the contents of my head, and it had smoothly slipped into my vocabulary undetected. Not being a simple word of common parlance, my understanding of this Dr Johnson-approved signifier assured me, it was to be saved like all other fruity language for tremendously special occasions.

Like the one where you are arguing with an equally word-lovingly pedantic friend over rhyme, reason and other types of nothing and you want to explain something succinctly whilst demonstrating prowess - in hope they will defer to your superiority and back down, their tail between their skinny legs (never happens.)

A grave error in this instance. I may as well have said Bobbins.

But here you have it - Incrambrience. On the strength of another friend, Alex, enjoying it's sound and signification tremendously (or at least well enough to be complimentary of it's chances) when the incident was mentioned to him, I'd like to propose it's approval for the common English tongue. Or the uncommon English tongue, whichever you prefer to ascribe yourself to. Propose it here, in this pinprick corner of cyberspace. Incrambrience. Go on, try it next time you can't be bothered to finish your studies, projects, or feel stoned even if you aren't.

Incrambrience. Also, as this electronic missive has warped slightly into an exercise in... well... hifalutin language in itself and general thinly veiled pomposity, please to be, if you like, imagining that a character of less eminently detestable linguistic peacockishness (also not a word) has recommended it to you. I hope to see it in all good Dictionaries in all average bookshops (slash coffee shops) sometime in the rapidly encroaching future.

Next stop - the Urban Dictionary. I wonder if it'll fit in amongst all the ridiculous memes and guttersnipe colloquialisms. I expect it'll look positively crambrient by comparison.