✦ Est. 1987 (Approximately) ✦
About the Institute
The Bogusaurus Institute of Nonexistent Linguistics is the world's foremost authority on words that do not exist. We take this responsibility very seriously.
4,000+
NonWords Documented
38
Years of Scholarship
12
Peer-Reviewed Papers
0
Certified Practitioners
Our Mission
The Institute was founded on a single, animating principle: that the English language contains a great many gaps, and that those gaps deserve to be filled with words that sound entirely plausible but mean nothing whatsoever.
Since our founding, we have documented over 4,000 NonWords, trained 0 certified NonWord practitioners, and published 12 peer-reviewed papers in journals that do not exist. We consider this a remarkable record of achievement.
A Brief History
The Institute was established in 1987 by Professor Aldous Crumblethwaite III, following a heated dispute at a dinner party over whether 'flumptious' was a real word. It was not. This was considered a founding moment.
In the early years, the Institute operated out of a converted garden shed in Shropshire. By 1994, we had relocated to a slightly larger shed. Today, our headquarters occupies a full floor of an office building, though we have been asked not to specify which one.
The Institute's annual symposium, the Bogusaurus Colloquium on Nonexistent Vocabulary, has been held every year since 1991, with the exception of 1996, 2003, 2011, and any year in which the catering fell through.
Distinguished Faculty
Prof. Aldous Crumblethwaite III
Founder & Director Emeritus
Professor Crumblethwaite has dedicated his career to the study of words that do not exist. He holds three honorary doctorates, none of which are from accredited institutions.
Dr. Penelope Snorkelwump
Head of Definitional Affairs
Dr. Snorkelwump joined the Institute in 2004 after a distinguished career in applied vagueness. She is responsible for ensuring all definitions are specific enough to be useless.
Reginald Fumbleton, Esq.
Legal Counsel & Etymology Consultant
Mr. Fumbleton handles all matters relating to the Institute's legal standing, which is, at best, ambiguous. He also reviews submitted etymologies for plausibility.
A Note on Methodology
All NonWords published by the Institute have been rigorously verified as nonexistent through a proprietary process involving three dictionary checks, one internet search, and a brief period of sitting quietly and thinking about it. We stand behind every word we have documented, in the sense that we are prepared to stand behind it and deny all knowledge of it if pressed.