‘and what are “toves”?’

‘Well, “toves” are something like badgers — they’re something like lizards — and they’re something like corkscrews.’

‘They must be very curious looking creatures.’

‘They are that,’ said Humpty Dumpty: ‘also they make their nests under sun-dials — also they live on cheese.’

‘And what’s the “gyre” and to “gimble”?’

‘To “gyre” is to go round and round like a gyroscope. To “gimble” is to make holes like a gimlet.’

‘And “the wabe” is the grass-plot round a sun-dial, I suppose?’