Bandersnatch!

[Inkidu]

I was recently asked, nay outgrabed into defining a difference between gibberish and jabberwocky.
There is no truly defining definition between the two and I sought to give it the old vorpal try.

Both are nonsense but jabberwocky has to make sense in its own nonsensical way. Like a malapropism.

he difference between Gibberish and Jabberwocky. Both are nonsense yes but Jabberwocky has to make sense in a nonsensical way.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

Somehow it makes sense.

[Oniya]

Of course it makes sense.

"BRILLIG" means four o'clock in the afternoon -- the time when you begin BROILING things for dinner.'

`That'll do very well,' said Alice: and "SLITHY"?'

`Well, "SLITHY" means "lithe and slimy." "Lithe" is the same as "active." You see it's like a portmanteau -- there are two meanings packed up into one word.'

`I see it now,' Alice remarked thoughtfully: `and what are "TOVES"?'

`Well, "TOVES' are something like badgers -- they're something like lizards -- and they're something like corkscrews.'

`They must be very curious looking creatures.'

`They are that,' said Humpty Dumpty: `also they make their nests under sun-dials -- also they live on cheese.'

`Andy what's the "GYRE" and to "GIMBLE"?'

`To "GYRE" is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To "GIMBLE" is to make holes like a gimblet.'

`And "THE WABE" is the grass-plot round a sun-dial, I suppose?' said Alice, surprised at her own ingenuity.

`Of course it is. It's called "WABE," you know, because it goes a long way before it, and a long way behind it -- '

`And a long way beyond it on each side,' Alice added.

`Exactly so. Well, then, "MIMSY" is "flimsy and miserable" (there's another portmanteau for you). And a "BOROGOVE" is a thing shabby-looking bird with its feathers sticking out all round -- something like a live mop.'

`And then "MOME RATHS"?' said Alice. `I'm afraid I'm giving you a great deal of trouble.'

`Well, a "RATH" is a sort of green pig: but "MOME" I'm not certain about. I think it's short for "from home" -- meaning that they'd lost their way, you know.'

`And what does "OUTGRABE" mean?'

`Well, "OUTGRIBING" is something between bellowing and whistling, with a kind of sneeze in the middle: however, you'll hear it done, maybe -- down in the wood yonder -- and when you've once heard it you'll be QUITE content.

[Inkidu]

Eh, I find the really good stuff should always escape definite definition.

[Kotah]

Gibberish isn't hard either. You just add a dg after every vowel sound.

treedge
modgop
madgad

[Inkidu]

Gibberish isn't hard either. You just add a dg after every vowel sound.

treedge
modgop
madgad

Well, the point is Jabberwocky is like a malapropism. A malapropism isn't just a mistake it's a mistake that makes better sense than the correct version would.

My favorite example: "A kick in the groan."