Toffee / Truffle / Truculent

A few weeks ago, Hoipolloi released its first ever podcast, with our brand new feature: Stefanie Muellers Word of the Week.

Now, realistically, I think we all knew that we’d be defining “week” pretty loosely; “A word every time we manage to get round to doing it” didn’t have quite the same ring. And in our defence, Steffi’s been touring a show and I had to single-handedly run the company for two weeks whilst my valued senior colleagues abandoned me to go on a jaunt round Australia.

But I know you’ve been waiting with baited breath, so here we go. Stefanie Mueller’s word of this week is...

"Truculent"

Now, as those who listened to our podcast will know, this feature contains not just the real definition of each word but what Steffi (who isn’t a native English speaker) originally thought each word might mean and how she eventually taught herself to remember what they really meant.

(Thus we offer you an insight into the delightfully confuzzled mind of Hoipolloi’s Associate Director.)

I would define “truculent” as meaning “pugnacious”, “belligerent”, “unco-operative” and “difficult”, all rolled into one. When Steffi first heard the word “truculent” she didn’t recognise it but it reminded her of “truffle” and by association “toffee”, which made her think of eating something that sticks your teeth together and is difficult to chew. (Cross-reference: every schoolboy’s favourite not-quite-a-pun, “masticate”.)

So imagine her delight when she learnt the real meaning of “truculent”, which in many ways is like an unco-operative lump of toffee, refusing to be chewed. Trying to talk whilst chewing toffee even makes you sound like you’re moaning and groaning and arguing and being “truculent”!

So, voila! Another vocabulary-expanding look inside the brain of Stefanie Mueller. I’ll bring you another word of the week soon... ie. when I manage to get round to it.

Thanks to Lilthorner for the photo!