If you were to spend a substantial amount of time around my family — and heaven help you if you did — you’d probably hear the word “gommy” tossed around, mostly by my mother. It’s a word we use to mean messy or weird or overly complicated. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone else use this word, although it does exist in popular culture. So I’m not sure anyone else would understand exactly what my mother means by it.

All families have their own ways of communicating. Some even go so far as to make up their own words and phrases that would make no sense to outsiders. And Paul Dickson has a new book out — Family Words: A Dictionary of the Secret Language of Families — in which he catalogues many of these quirky idioms and words.

Some of them are downright hilarious:

GRISWOLD, v. — to rush through a museum or other attraction.
(e.g.: “I’m really hungry, so let’s griswold that museum and then eat dinner.”)

Does your family have any secret words?