Take a guess why I chose these three words for this week.
Flibbertigibbet: Flibber-te-GIB-bit
Depending on whether you understand this word to be a noun or an adjective, it could mean exactly what it says. You could even go as far to say that it's onomatopoetic. As an adjective, Flibbertigibbet means "balderdash" or "nonsense." How convenient.
On the other hand, Flibbertigibbet can also be a noun, meaning "Someone that is a talkative chatterbox." It's usually in reference to a woman, but really anyone can be a Flibbertigibbet. Heck, sometimes I can be a Flibbertigibbet.
This word likely is just a nonsense phrase from the 1400s, much like yakkity-yak or yadda-yadda-yadda. Fuzzy-Wuzzy. Handy-Dandy. Jibber-Jabber. Those are called Rhyming Compounds.
Batrachomyomachy (n.): But-rock-uh-my-AH-muh-kee
You're wrong.
I chose Flibbertigibbet, Batrachomyomachy, and Finifugal because they are specifically words that you will never remember how to say. Even when writing this post, I could never say the first two the same way twice. So have fun.
Flibbertigibbet: Flibber-te-GIB-bit
Depending on whether you understand this word to be a noun or an adjective, it could mean exactly what it says. You could even go as far to say that it's onomatopoetic. As an adjective, Flibbertigibbet means "balderdash" or "nonsense." How convenient.
On the other hand, Flibbertigibbet can also be a noun, meaning "Someone that is a talkative chatterbox." It's usually in reference to a woman, but really anyone can be a Flibbertigibbet. Heck, sometimes I can be a Flibbertigibbet.
This word likely is just a nonsense phrase from the 1400s, much like yakkity-yak or yadda-yadda-yadda. Fuzzy-Wuzzy. Handy-Dandy. Jibber-Jabber. Those are called Rhyming Compounds.
Batrachomyomachy (n.): But-rock-uh-my-AH-muh-kee
Face the facts. You'll never be able to pronounce this. I've tried so many times and a couple minutes later, I have to try again.
As long as we're talking about words about themselves and onomatopoetic, we come to Batrachomyomachy. How many times did you want to tell someone that they were over-exaggerating something that is completely pointless, but you didn't want to use the hackneyed phrase "Making a mountain out of a molehill"? That's why you can just say "Stop being a Batrachomyomachist!"
Oddly enough, by saying Batrachomyomachy, you are making a mountain of a problem by trying to say a molehill of a phrase.
The word comes to us from Latin. Ah, those Romans, always coming up with weird phrases. So the Latin root Batracho- means "Frog", Mys- means "Mouse", and -Mochy means "Fight". So, really, by making a Mountain out of a Molehill, you're just making the frog and the mouse fight.
This is also the title of a short epic poem, translated to The Battle of Frog and Mice. You can read it here, but it's pretty self-explanatory as to what it's about.
Finifugal (adj.): Fini-FEW-gull
I find that this is actually one of the most interesting words I've found in a while, besides the other two in this post. Briefly, the word Finifugal is used to describe someone who doesn't like ending things, albeit relationships, books, blog posts, etc. I sometimes feel like I'm not very Finifugal, but then I rememb--
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| Don't worry. Phineas and Ferb know what you're talking about. |
Oddly enough, by saying Batrachomyomachy, you are making a mountain of a problem by trying to say a molehill of a phrase.
The word comes to us from Latin. Ah, those Romans, always coming up with weird phrases. So the Latin root Batracho- means "Frog", Mys- means "Mouse", and -Mochy means "Fight". So, really, by making a Mountain out of a Molehill, you're just making the frog and the mouse fight.
This is also the title of a short epic poem, translated to The Battle of Frog and Mice. You can read it here, but it's pretty self-explanatory as to what it's about.
Finifugal (adj.): Fini-FEW-gull
I find that this is actually one of the most interesting words I've found in a while, besides the other two in this post. Briefly, the word Finifugal is used to describe someone who doesn't like ending things, albeit relationships, books, blog posts, etc. I sometimes feel like I'm not very Finifugal, but then I rememb--
I think there was a radio show, maybe called Amos and Andy, which had a character named Fibber McGee, who, for some reason, reminds me of the word flibberdegibbet. Maybe there was another character named that. I'd have to ask my mom.
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