Ruritanian

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The Word of the Day for February 14 is: 

Ruritanian   \rur-ih-TAY-nee-un\    adjective
      : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an 
imaginary place of high romance

Example sentence:
     Tolkien fans were elated when the Ruritanian world of 
Middle Earth was finally depicted on the big screen.

Did you know?
     In 1894, British author Anthony Hope published _The 
Prisoner of Zenda_, a novel set in the mythical kingdom of 
Ruritania. The book relates the adventures of Rudolf 
Rassendyll, a British gentleman who impersonates the king of 
Ruritania to save him from a treasonous plot. An improbable but 
high-spirited tale filled with heroes, villains, courtly 
intrigue, romance, and sword play, Hope's narrative (and its 
fictional locale) quickly captured the imagination of the 
public. Within two years of the novel's publication, George 
Bernard Shaw had seen fit to use "Ruritanian" as a generic 
adjective: "Our common sense ... must immediately put a summary 
stop to the somewhat silly Ruritanian gambols of our 
imagination." Romantic or fanciful places or things have 
been "Ruritanian" ever since.