Squirmish

I think it embarrassed us a little when the Russians shot the fellow down and we denied that he was there, and the President later had to identify that as a "cover story". I remember the words, even. It made me feel a little squirmish.

“Ah!” resumed Stebby, “you have not known Put as long as I have. He had rather see a fight or a squirmish any time than not.” “Skirmish,” said Freeman. “Squirmish, I said,” retorted Stebby, “and yet, Put is really — well, Put is really at heart you know” “A coward,” said Put.

Usage shifted from formal to less formal with each new generation. Words themselves changed. Why, I wonder, did two old soldiers both use "squirmish" rather than "skirmish" line? (Robert Norman says of Wounded Knee confrontation: "We were ordered to make a ‘squirmish’ line around those Indians standing there.")

Or ask Sarah Palin, who last year created a controversial neologism in refudiate and yesterday wondered if the situation in Libya is a war or a “squirmish,” (a rather apropos malamanteau of “squirm” and “skirmish,” both of which seem, in fact, to be occurring in and about Libya). These verbal blunders give ammunition to her political opponents and may help scuttle her as-yet-to-be-determined presidential bid.

Another row blows up as ten girls fight for the right to be the one to hold it above her head. For a second, Sophie hopes that the meringue will fall on all their squabbling heads as she is getting fed up with all this animosity, but she remains positive and lets them have their squirmish, safe in the knowledge she will win the battle.

3. A battle or squirmish occurred on this property between settlers and native American Indians. Possibly from this squirmish, there was death.

But right at that moment, you're standing in the way of our boys getting their eager hands on technology that could help end every squirmish before it starts, and certainly ease our negotiations with a lot of oil-rich nations.

The most quoted malamanteau is George W. Bush’s “I misunderestimated”. Others that have evoked smirks have been “miscommunicado” (from “miscommunicate” and “incommunicado”), “insinuendo” (from “innuendo” and “insinuation”), and “squirmish” (“squirm” and “skirmish”).