I love discovering new words and learning about the definitions and meanings behind it. The word “boggle” is quite fascinating.
According to the Merriam-Webster’s definition:
- to start with fright or amazement: be overwhelmed
// the mind boggles at the research needed - to hesitate because of doubt, fear, or scruples
- to overwhelm with wonder or bewilderment
// boggle the mind
(Overwhelming is another one of my favorites)
The word boggle basically is telling us that wonderment and fear are connected. That to marvel and to doubt are related feelings of the same nature. That to be amazed can be frighting. To be astonished can cause you to hesitate.
When I was a kid, one of my favorite games was called “Parole”. In Portuguese that means “palavra”, or in English “word”. It was a very simple game. Take a few plastic cubes that have printed letters. Shake these cubes in a container, and organize them in a plastic plate. Now turn an hourglass for one minute and write as many words as you can with those random letters.
After moving to the US, I was delighted to learn that this game actually existed here too (long before it went to Brazil actually). And of course you probably know the name of “Parole” in the US: Boggle.