The Poet of Church Street

I love strange words. One which is near the top of my list was created by Victor Neuburg who lived in Vine Cottage in Church Street in the 1920’s. As a young man he was an admirer of a pretty unsavoury character called Aleister Crowley, who was a Satanist. Apparently they indulged in some fantastical occult activities on Chanctonbury Ring.

Eventually they fell out when Crowley described Neuburg as a dromedary. Neuburg’s reply was that this was 'ostrobogulous piffle'. Only this grand word, which he invented for the occasion, with its intended connotations of bizarre and unattractive indecency, could, in his mind, have dealt adequately with Crowley’s slur.

I love strange words. One which is near the top of my list was created by Victor Neuburg who lived in Vine Cottage in Church Street in the 1920’s.

As a young man he was an admirer of a pretty unsavoury character called Aleister Crowley, who was a Satanist. Apparently they indulged in some fantastical occult activities on Chanctonbury Ring.

Eventually they fell out when Crowley described Neuburg as a dromedary. Neuburg’s reply was that this was 'ostrobogulous piffle'. Only this grand word, which he invented for the occasion, with its intended connotations of bizarre and unattractive indecency, could, in his mind, have dealt adequately with Crowley’s slur.