{"id":3750,"date":"2025-01-18T14:16:12","date_gmt":"2025-01-18T14:16:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=3750"},"modified":"2025-01-18T14:19:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-18T14:19:21","slug":"adventures-in-etymology-cluttered-klutzes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=3750","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Etymology &#8211; Cluttered Klutzes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Cluttered Klutzes\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-01-18T14:16:12+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M00S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between clutter, clods and klutzes.\n\n\nMy cluttered kitchen part way through its current renovation\n\nClutter [\u02c8kl\u028ct\u0259(\u0279) \/ \u02c8kl\u028ct\u025a] is:\n\n\nA confused disordered jumble of things\nBackground echoes, from ...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1.9\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_1977\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3750-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=3750-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"clutteredklutzes.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between <strong>clutter<\/strong>, <strong>clods<\/strong> and <strong>klutzes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/omniglot\/54212394501\/in\/dateposted\/\" title=\"My kitchen halfway through renovation\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/54212394501_83b7f419f7_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"My kitchen halfway through renovation\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<em>My cluttered kitchen part way through its current renovation<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Clutter<\/strong> [\u02c8kl\u028ct\u0259(\u0279) \/ \u02c8kl\u028ct\u025a] is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A confused disordered jumble of things<\/li>\n<li>Background echoes, from clouds etc., on a radar or sonar screen.<\/li>\n<li>Clatter; confused noise. <em>(obsolete<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It comes from Middle English <em>cloteren<\/em> (to form clots, coagulate, heap on), from <em>clot<\/em> (clot, ball of earth of clay), from Old English <em>clot(t)<\/em> (mass, lump), from Proto-West-Germanic <em>*klott<\/em> (clod, lump, ball), from Proto-Germanic <em>*kluttaz<\/em> (clod, lump, ball), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*gel-<\/em> (to ball up, amass, clench) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/clutter\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Words from the same roots include <strong>cleat<\/strong>, <strong>clod<\/strong>, <strong>clot<\/strong>, <strong>cloud<\/strong> and <strong>klutz<\/strong> in English, <strong>Klotz<\/strong> (block, log, chunk, klutz) in German, <strong>klut<\/strong> (rag, cloth, patch, sail) in Swedish,  <strong>klode<\/strong> (globe) in Danish, and possibly <strong>cludair<\/strong> (a heap, pile) in Welsh [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-West_Germanic\/klott\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>klutz<\/strong>, which in the USA refers to a clumsy or stupud person, comes from the Yiddish word <em>\u05e7\u05dc\u05d0\u05b8\u05e5<\/em> (klots &#8211; wooden beam, log, block, oaf, blockhead), from Middle High German <em>kloz<\/em> (stump, ball), from Old High German <em>kloz<\/em> (stump, ball), from Proto-West Germanic <em>*klott<\/em> (clod, lump, ball), etc. [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/klutz#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>In the UK, one equivalent of a <strong>klutz<\/strong> might be a <strong>clot<\/strong>, which is used to refer to a silly person, and not so much a clumsy person <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordhippo.com\/what-is\/another-word-for\/klutz.html\">Other words with similar meanings<\/a> are available. For a clumsy person, we might say <strong>butterfingers<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/clot#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Some related words related to <strong>clutter<\/strong> include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>cluttercore<\/strong> &#8211; An interior design trend and aesthetic, popular in the 2020s, based on densely filling spaces with personal objects and decorative items, resulting in a vibrant and eclectic arrangement of contrasting colours and textures &#8211; a.k.a. &#8216;TikTok aesthetic&#8217; [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/cluttercore#English\">source<\/a>]<\/li>\n<li><strong>clutterblug<\/strong> &#8211; someone who collects lots of things that have value or personal meaning, unlike a <strong>hoarder<\/strong>, who collects huge amounts of stuff, often of seemingly little value to themselves or others [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.apdo.co.uk\/resource\/are-you-a-hoarder-or-a-clutterbug.html\">source<\/a>].<\/li>\n<li><strong>(to) declutter<\/strong> &#8211; The act or process of removing clutter; a decluttering; to remove clutter from, to tidy &#8211; a.k.a. (to) unclutter [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/declutter#English\">source<\/a>]. This is something I&#8217;m attempting to do at the moment in my late mother&#8217;s house, and my own house.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I am a bit of a <strong>clutterblug<\/strong>, and tend to hold on to things that might be useful one day. I seem to go through phases of cluttering, decluttering and recluttering. How about you?<\/p>\n<p>I thought I&#8217;d just made up <strong>reclutter<\/strong> (the process of cluttering after a declutter), but apparently it&#8217;s a thing:  &#8220;recluttering encourages us to discard our negative associations towards \u2018clutter\u2019 and create a conscious, more mindful relationship with our belongings, instead. Essentially, if something brings joy, purpose or personality to us and our homes, it\u2019s worth holding on to, whether it\u2019s \u2018necessary\u2019 or not.&#8221; [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.idealhome.co.uk\/house-manual\/storage-organisation\/what-is-recluttering\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>You can also listen to this podcast on: <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/gb\/podcast\/radio-omniglot\/id1432641094\">Apple Podcasts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/music.amazon.com\/podcasts\/8b1b1d1b-b39e-4277-b28d-479a3b5043b3\/radio-omniglot\">Amazon Music<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/tunein.com\/podcasts\/Education-Podcasts\/Radio-Omniglot-p1154145\/\">TuneIn<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.podchaser.com\/podcasts\/radio-omniglot-716327\">Podchaser<\/a>, <a href=\"<a href=\"https:\/\/podbay.fm\/p\/radio-omniglot\">Podbay<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/podtail.com\/da\/podcast\/radio-omniglot\/\">Podtail<\/a> and other pod places.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/uk\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd=_flow&amp;SESSION=aLjPfXL-vP_1gQ_U23Iz8_hSWLlhzLHPMFZrt32dIEfG8htoNFLYaPoWkv8&amp;dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8def8934b92a630e40b7fef61ab7e9fe63\">PayPal<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/omniglot\">Patreon<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/donations.htm\">contribute to Omniglot in other ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with <a href=\"https:\/\/blubrry.com\/services\/podcast-hosting\/?code=omniglot\">Blubrry Podcast Hosting<\/a>, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code <strong>omniglot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/\">Omniglot Blog<\/a>, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/\">Celtiadur<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/my.kualo.com\/uk\/go\/00572\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.kualo.com\/rewards\/uk-unlimited-728x90.gif\" width=\"728\" height=\"90\" border=\"0\"\nalt=\"Unlimited Web Hosting - Kualo\"\/><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Cluttered Klutzes\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-01-18T14:16:12+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT2M00S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between clutter, clods and klutzes.\n\n\nMy cluttered kitchen part way through its current renovation\n\nClutter [\u02c8kl\u028ct\u0259(\u0279) \/ \u02c8kl\u028ct\u025a] is:\n\n\nA confused disordered jumble of things\nBackground echoes, from ...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"1.9\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_1978\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-3750-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=3750-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/clutteredklutzes.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"clutteredklutzes.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this Adventure in Etymology, we find connections between clutter, clods and klutzes. My cluttered kitchen part way through its current renovation Clutter [\u02c8kl\u028ct\u0259(\u0279) \/ \u02c8kl\u028ct\u025a] is: A confused disordered jumble of things Background echoes, from clouds etc., on a radar or sonar screen. Clatter; confused noise. (obsolete) It comes from Middle English cloteren (to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,31,20,56,24,4,58,11,55,1,57,59,119,30,7,51],"tags":[199,200,196,197,90,201,9,88,8,198,103],"class_list":["post-3750","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventures-in-etymology","category-danish","category-english","category-etymology","category-german","category-language","category-middle-english","category-music","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-podcast","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-west-germanic","category-swedish","category-welsh","category-yiddish-","tag-clod","tag-clot","tag-clutter","tag-declutter","tag-etymology","tag-klutz","tag-language","tag-omniglot","tag-podcast","tag-reclutter","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3750"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3758,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3750\/revisions\/3758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}