Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Transmogrify


transmogrify \tran(t)s-ˈmä-grə-ˌfī, tranz-\ transitive verb: to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect
intransitive verb: to become transmogrified

Etymology: origin unknown

“It was a transmogrifying bee / Came droning down on Chucky’s old bald head / And sat and put the poison. It scarcely bled, / But how exceedingly / And purply did the knot / Swell with the venom and communicate / Its rigour!”

— John Crowe Ransom, “Janet Waking”

1 comment:

Leah said...

Kudos for quoting Ransom. It's funny, when I read yesterday's post, "Transmigrate," I thought immediately of the word transmogrify and (it goes without saying) this very poem. Well done.