Rumbustious

Rumbustious.

Like rambunctious, but more so, apparently. Also a fair bit older, and with an Olde English charm to it.

Can’t you just hear Aunt Hetty (King, of course) rolling that R? Rrrrrrrumbustious. Now there’s a word you can sink your teeth into. Like a steak dinner.

See, you use it like this. 

Ahehem. *Shrieks at the top of her lungs*

“BOYS!!!! YOU WILL STOP THAT INFERNAL RACKET RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!!!!”

*Takes a swing at the nearest foot, falls short* 

“NO TARZAN IMPERSONATIONS FROM THAT CHANDELIER, OR YE SHALL FIND YOURSELVES TO BE HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTIES OF A DISCOMFITING NATURE!!!!”

Great huffing and puffing is heard, and something suspiciously like a stuck-out tongue goes on overhead.

“I HAVE GIVEN YOU NOTICE!!!!!! I WILL HAVE THE COOK COME AFTER YOU WITH A BROOM!!!!!!!”

“THE BUTLER…. *Impressive pause*  HAS SPOKEN.”

The rumbustious activity ceases at this point, because the cook’s broom is greatly respected among the young fry.

The butler dusts of his always-impeccable gloves, and leaves the offending young whippersnappers to their fate, because the cook has arrived.

Because it takes the whole staff to raise hooligans, when a village is not to be had.

Ahem. Or something like that. Maybe with not quite so many exclamation marks. Also probably butlers do not shout even when naughty un-monkeys swing from chandeliers. Nor would they sic cooks after them, brooms or no brooms. Maybe a stable boy.

But my imagination made off with me, and we had a grand and rumbustious rampage before it dashed back into the stables, now didn’t we?