Boontling: The Lingo of Boonville

Boontling: The Lingo of Boonville. . Storekeeper, W.W. Boone settled in Southern Anderson Valley among families that brought the Scottish and Midwestern patterns of speech in the mid 1890’s. Young men picked hops, sheared sheep, and displayed marvelous whit, cleverness, and intelligence to create a forceful descriptive 1,500 – word language harped by 500 residents. , The versatility of Boontling is apparent; “Bucky Waltered my appoled to a tidricks for bahl chiggul and zeese.” , Derivations : A pay phone cost an Indian “Bucky” nickel and Walter Levi owned the first (telephone); “applehead” by unusual circumlocution is “girlfriend” and shortened “tea-drinkers” is a party. The next two words are from Scottish while that for “coffee” commemorates camp cook C.Z. “Zeese” Blivens’ renown strong brew., Translation: I telephoned my girlfriend to go to a party for good food and coffee. , Use declined after 1917, when boonters marched into the Great War but boontling continues to amaze listeners and baffle outsiders. , Keemwun keemle to raise a seephorn to bahlness and boontling with higgy huger highpocket and kimmies of E Clampsus Vitus, . Dedicated September 30, 6011 (2006) Capitulus Redivius Yerba Buena: The Mother Lodge #1 Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampsus Vitus