By now, everyone knows about (and is sick of) “covfefe.” Trump’s nonsensical tweet garnered lots of laughter before it was deleted. Covfefe has since infiltrated the news, pop culture and even license plates.
President Trump, however, is not the only famous person to coin a weird word. Others have amused and confused the public with equally baffling terms (#serfbort, anyone?). Here is a list of seven gibberish words that paved the way for “covfefe.”
“Sussudio” (Phil Collins)
Phil Collins’ catchy 1985 tune is perhaps the grandfather of made-up words. According to Gary Shannon from Lake 92.9, Collins used nonsense words to nail the pacing of the song. Then when it was time to add in real lyrics, Collins liked the sound of “Sussudio” and decided to keep it. Even after 32 years, no one is quite sure what it means.
“Unskinny” (Poison)
Just like Phil Collins’ “Sussudio,” “Unskinny Bop” was a temporary nonsense phrase that never got replaced. According to Songfacts, Poison’s guitarist C.C. DeVille invented the term as a lyrical placeholder. Then when producer Bruce Fairbairn heard it, he liked it. The term has no meaning.
“Misunderestimate” (George W. Bush)
During his presidency, George W. Bush became well known for his unique take on the English language. One of his most famous “Bushisms” is the creation of the word “misunderestimate.” In 2000, during a speech in Arkansas, Bush said certain people misunderestimate him. Was he trying to say “misunderstand?”
“Serfbort” (Beyoncé)
Twitter lost its mind over Beyoncé’s surprise self-titled album drop, especially over “Drunk in Love.” In one line of the song, Beyoncé utters the word “surfboard” several times. Her pronunciation sounded funny to some Twitter users, and thus the #SERFBORT hashtag came into being.
“Recruiterments” (George W. Bush)
Another Bushism! This one came about in 2000, when the then-president was discussing ways to fight terrorist organizations. He said, “The best way to defeat this enemy in the long run is to deny them the recruiting tools… and the recruiterments.”
“Grool” (Mean Girls)
Mean Girls couldn’t make “fetch” happen, but it did make “grool” happen. The word is a combination of “great” and “cool.” When Cady Herron’s crush, Aaron Samuels, invites her to his Halloween party, she confirms her acceptance with this nervous slip-up.
“Bigly” (Donald Trump)
Donald Trump’s gibberish lexicon isn’t limited to “covfefe.” In 2016, during the first U.S. presidential debate, Trump remarked to Hillary Clinton that he would cut taxes “bigly” if elected, while she would “raise taxes bigly.” Whether he meant “bigly” or “big league,” the Internet ran wild with the quote. But here’s the rub: While not commonly used, bigly is indeed a real word.
