brillig: Lewis Carroll* says that this word is derived from the verb to bryl or broil, and that it is 'the time of broiling dinner, ie, the close of the afternoon.'
Humpty Dumpty says that it '"means four o'clock in the afternoon - the time when you begin broiling things for dinner."'
slithy: Carroll* says that it is 'compounded of slimy and lithe', meaning 'smooth and active'.
Humpty Dumpty says '"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 in one word."' The Annotated Alice** claims that the Oxford English Dictionary says that 'slithy' is a variant of 'sleathy,' which means 'slovenly.'
toves:'A species of Badger. They had long white hair, long hind legs, and short horns like a stag; lived chiefly on cheese.' That is, according to Carroll*.
Humpty Dumpty claims '"Well, 'toves' are something like badgers - they're something like lizards - and they're something like corkscrews"' and that '"also they make their nests under sundials - also they live chiefly on cheese."'
