>So did ombibulous ever officially enter the language?

this query raises a thorny issue: what determines when a word officially enters the language? but that would be a rather major digression, and we wouldn't want to go there!

all I will say is that it isn't in W3 and it isn't in OED; but then neither is another menckenian gem, bibliobibuli (see wwftd :). on the other hand, and for what it's worth, both menckenian and menckenese can be found in W3, so I guess they're officially American English.

joe (unofficially) f.

p.s. - the updated OED2 (online) has: Menckenesque, a., Menckenian, a. Menckenism, n.