Word of the Week: a bookish meme hosted here on Mondays in which we share a word that we find entertaining, enlightening, edifying, or just plain fun to say! Share your own word on your blog, then help me grow the meme and come share it here on mine!
It’s been a minute – life has been hectic! But today, I am back with a new Word of the Week.
Today’s word is one I’ve never heard, but given the amount of fantasy and sci-fi I read, I think it may be a new favorite.
I found this word on Haggard Hawks. It’s attributed to American sci-fi writer James Blish, who said in a 1955 review, “As usual, the problem is ‘solved’ by pulling three rabbits out of the author’s hat (though of course he doesn’t call them rabbits — they look like rabbits, but if you call them smeerps, that makes it science fiction).” I’ve certainly read my fair share of fictional universes where things sometimes acted very much like their analogues on Earth. So while I may not have known the word, I completely get the meaning.
Have you ever heard this word before?
Got a word? Share it below! Then share the meme to help it grow.
So smeerp = rabbit….oh my gosh, I am in love with Blish because I have so many smeerp families in my yard! LOL but this is such an interesting word. Plus, what a unique perspective because truly science fiction novels really have absurd dictionaries shelved left and right
We have a handful of smeerp here, too! (Such a fun word!)