A silly pink door in Holland Park, London

Silly words in English - we love them! It’s no wonder, since the word ‘silly’ comes from the Old English for ‘happy’ (gesælig). Here are some of our favourites.

What’s your funniest word in English? Apparently the word ‘umbrella’ makes Germans laugh.

Kerfuffle: noun, meaning lots of argument or noisy activity caused by conflicting views. There was a kerfuffle in the pub when someone accidentally knocked over a man’s drink.

Shenanigans: noun, meaning dishonest, silly or immoral behaviour, which is funny or interesting. The guys are going on a trip to Las Vegas - there are sure to be shenanigans.

Pong: noun, meaning an unpleasant smell. There was a pong coming from the fridge because it hadn’t been cleaned.

Gobbledygook: noun, referring to language that is difficult to understand because of its jargon (specialist words) or unclear meaning. Politicians often speak in gobbledegook when they are asked difficult questions.

Go berserk: phrase, to describe someone whose anger is out of control. She offended her company’s best client and her boss went berserk.

Flabbergasted: adjective, meaning extremely surprised or shocked. He was absolutely flabbergasted when he was told he had won £10 million on the lottery.