Rhyming compounds: vocabulary to easily remember and use

Friday, August 8, 2014




A goal for all English learners is to have a rich vocabulary and sometimes it helps when words are divided into themed categories. If you read this blog regularly, do you remember shape words?

Compound words that contain rhyming elements are another quick and perhaps fun way to increase your word power. Their sing-song quality is easier to recall and the English language would not be the same without them.

Wizard of Oz: “To confer, converse, and otherwise hob-nob with my brother wizards.”

“At the risk of being a fuddy-duddy I don't have a computer; I don't have e-mail; and I really don't need something in my house that I would be sitting in front of for hours.”
Marian McPartland (English-American jazz pianist, composer and writer.)


backpack = Satchel carried on back
bigwig = Important person
black-jack = Card game

bogo = Buy one, get one (free)
boogie-woogie = Fast jazz dance
boob tube = Television set

chug-a-lug = To drink down in one swallow
claptrap = Cheap talk
fast track = Expedited service

fuddy-duddy = Old-fashioned person
handy-dandy = Quite useful
hanky-panky = Questionable activity

heebie-jeebies = Chills of fright
helter-skelter = In all directions
hi-fi = High quality sound

hobnob = Hang around with
hocus-pocus = Trickery
hoity-toity = Showing off

honky-tonk = Sleazy saloon
hotshot = Important person
hubbub = Noisy confusion of sounds

humdrum = Boringly routine.
itsy-bitsy = Very, very little
itty-bitty = Very, very little

lovey-dovey = Affectionate(ly)
mumbo-jumbo = Unintelligible speech
nightlight = Small electric light

nitty-gritty = The essence
nitwit = Dumb person
okey-dokey = OK

pell-mell = In a rush
pooper-scooper = Pet dropping scoop
prime time = TV programming 8 to 11 PM


slo-mo = Slow motion (movies)
wing-ding = Wild party
wi-fi = Wideband wireless network

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