Later in Through the Looking Glass, Alice meets Humpty Dumpty - he boasts that he can explain the meaning of any verse ever invented, so Alice kindly asks him to explain to her what the words in Jabberwocky mean. She repeats the first verse for him:-

'That's enough to begin with,' Humpty Dumpty interrupted: 'There are plenty of hard words there. "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 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.'

'And what's to "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 sundial 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 thin 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 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...."

Thus Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice the meaning of the verse The Jabberwocky.

 

The bordered background on this page was created by me using the line drawing of Sr John Tenniel as published in the first edition of "Alice in Wonderland".