From: jwkenne@attglobal.net   
      
   On 2014-07-27 14:17:32 +0000, Dorothy J Heydt said:   
      
   > In article ,   
   > Jymesion   wrote:   
   >> To indicate being surprised and bewildered:   
   >>   
   >> "It gasted my flabber."   
   >>   
   >> "My gaster was flabbered."   
   >>   
   >> Which one is correct?   
   >   
   > Uh ... neither one makes it, IMO.  "I was flabbergasted" has made   
   > it into the language as an adjective without any noun or verb of   
   > which it can be said to be made up.   
      
   No, "flabbergast" is a legitimate verb: "This will flabbergast you." In   
   fact, there is even a noun, meaning "bombast", albeit rare: "His speech   
   was all hooey, balderdash, and flabbergast."   
      
   According to one of the possible etymologies, it would be   
   quasi-legitimate to say, "My flap was aghast," but I'm not sure the   
   wordplay would be caught. Of course, the two suggested ways are also   
   OK, considered as humorous nonce phrases. But "correct" ain't the word   
   for 'em.   
      
   --   
   John W Kennedy   
   "...when you're trying to build a house of cards, the last thing you   
   should do is blow hard and wave your hands like a madman."   
     --  Rupert Goodwins   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)