(for the truly inquisitive)
Start by saying um to rhyme with come, drum, and thumb.
Now say um three times as a single word, accenting the first um, like this: UM-um-um.
Got it? Now have some fun with it! Try saying Ummamum with your upper teeth sticking out over your lip. Feels funny, huh? If you like, do five um’s instead of three: Umma-Mumma-Mum! Now you’ve got it!
Note to children: DON’T DO THIS to your parents or teacher, or in a situation where you’re expected to be serious. It will get you into trouble! Trust me: it has happened to our son Joe, as well as some other children!
Um… um… um… I’m not sure exactly what it means… but perhaps it’s a compound word, made up of two words. The first word, umma, means cool or awesome. When you smell delicious food, you may say “Ummmmm!” So let’s suppose you see something that REALLY excites you, like a good looking guy or girl (depending on your own gender), or a fancy car, or a briefcase full of cash. “Umma, umma!” you say—or not. I made that one up!
The second word, mum, could mean quiet (I’m not certain how that enters into the picture), or maybe mother. I suppose this site is the mother of all Ummamum sites, but since it’s the ONLY such site, that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either. Mum is also short for chrysanthemum, a beautiful flower with large, colorful blossoms. Well, our pages do have plenty of color (in more ways than one).
So Ummamum would describe something as cool, awesome or maybe delicious, and also beautiful or colorful. Hopefully, this is the impression you will get of our website!
My wife’s name is Wendi, and her middle initial is M, so sometimes I call her “Wendi Mmm.” At some point in time, I started throwing in extra M’s (M-M-M), just to be goofy. Later, I started doing it with my upper teeth out. Ummamum was born!
At first, Wendi hated it. Now she says she is used to it and even considers it sort of cute, unless, of course, I do it too often! Then it becomes annoying.
The earliest reference to Ummamum in our family journal is from February, 1999, where it was spelled “um-mum-mum.” It appeared again in August of that year, this time spelled “M-M-M.” I believe I started doing it sometime in late 1998, which means I have been “ummamuming” for quite a long time already!
As for the current spelling, I thought of it in 1999 but never used it until I had to pick a screen name for AOL in March, 2000. Most common names were already taken, so I used the one nobody else had: Ummamum. I’ve used it for various Internet accounts since then, each with a different (often bizarre) password.
Didn’t you know? That’s me! (only kidding; I don’t really look like that)
Honestly, he is only the official mascot of our websites:
As for the character himself, he’s a kind of guy that is likely to succeed in today’s society. He is honest, loyal, courteous and kind (except for the “evil” one), but he is also extremely goofy. He’s not a particularly bright fellow, either. His simplicity and innocence are matched by only…