"Bouma" enters the Official Dictionary of Unofficial English

Number3Pencils28 Apr 2011

I was researching something else today and I found the pretty well put together Official Dictionary of Unofficial English (it even has a quote from William Safire on the cover!). And it includes Hrant's famous "bouma", along with a quote from him as one of its seminal uses.

I couldn't find any evidence that this news has been broken to Hrant and the rest of the Typophile community, so I thought I ought to make a topic.

hrant29 Apr 2011#

In an actual printed book?! That's awesome!
You've made my day - thanks.

hhp

Gary Lonergan8 May 2011#

now I know what
a Bouma is

dezcom8 May 2011#

Gary, did you Lack-a-bouma before this? ;-)

.008 May 2011#

This is and will always be my definition of Bouma

dezcom8 May 2011#

Or as they say in Boston, when addressing children born just after WWII "Baby Boomahs" ;-P

William Berkson9 May 2011#

Nice! By the way, Peter Enneson tells me that in Dutch the "ou" in Bouma is pronounced as "ow" in "cow", not as "oo" in "boom". Does the dictionary indicate the pronunciation?

hrant9 May 2011#

Yes, it's "ow". I used to pronounce it "oo" (even though I knew
of the native pronunciation) but Peter eventually convinced me
to use "ow" instead. For one thing it makes it sound fancier. :-)

hhp

dezcom9 May 2011#

I guess you had to bow to Peter's language heritage ;-)

Theunis de Jong9 May 2011#

Peter Ennison, of this book?

(Fast-reading the colophon brings back memories. I have worked with both Françoise Berserik and with the late Teus de Jong!)

William Berkson9 May 2011#

Yes, and Typophiler, particularly on reading theory.

dezcom9 May 2011#

"Peter Ennison, of this book?"

Yes, and he is also fun on a road trip through Georgia ;-)

hrant10 May 2011#

FWIW, I like esoteric dictionaries to begin with, so I bought it! :-)
Thanks again for the ref.

hhp

Number3Pencils13 May 2011#

Heh, happy to provide it. I'm glad it's brought such joy.

hrant13 May 2011#

The vain are easily pleased!

hhp

5star29 Jan 2013#

My latest font attempt plays ..neh ...toys with/in the realm of Bouma.

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