They dined on mince, and slices of quince, Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon,’ The word runcible, as it turns out, was invented entirely. Supposedly, ‘runcible’ was one of Lear’s favourite nonsense words, which makes sense when you learn that Lear used the term time and time again to describe different things, from a ‘runcible hat’, to a ‘runcible cat’ or ‘runcible goose’. So, the question arises; how do we define ‘runcible’?

Upon re-reading this poem as an adult, I am forced to ask: ‘what on Earth is a runcible spoon?’ So, I got to work on some researching, and I was surprised with what I learned. Hopefully, you will be too. Everyone was a child once, and most of us will recall the renowned work of Victorian poet, Edward Lear. Lear’s most famous work is the nonsensical poem, ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat’. From venturing the sea on a pea-green boat, to marrying using a ring from the nose of a Piggy-wig, ‘The Owl and the Pussy-Cat’ is a childhood classic.