Here’s a word for the next time you spill your hot or cold beverage of choice: jirble.
Jirble means ‘to spill by shaking or unsteady movement of the container’ or ‘to pour out unsteadily’ – usually due to carelessness. It is a Scottish word that is supposed to be imitative of the sound that is often made when liquids are jirbled.
“I jirbled the milk while I was speaking.”
The first use that the OED lists is from 1760 and the latest example given is from 1827. It would be a real shame if jirble didn’t make it into a few pieces of contemporary writing…
Sources:
Hannah McCall 