|
folderol: msg#00014culture.language.word-of-the-day
**************************************************************** Attention word gurus: try WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature Merriam-Webster definitions! Available at Borders Bookstores. http://www.wordsweep.com **************************************************************** The Word of the Day for December 14 is: folderol \FAHL-duh-rahl\ noun 1 : a useless ornament or accessory : trifle *2 : nonsense Example sentence: Cherie dismissed the tabloid article as useless folderol. Did you know? Hogwash. Claptrap. Hooey. Drivel. Malarkey. English is rife with words that mean "nonsense," and "folderol" is one of the many. Though not the most common of the words for nonsense, it's been around since 1820 and is still heard today. "Folderol" comes from "fol-de-rol" (or "fal-de-ral"), which used to be a nonsense refrain in songs, much like "tra-la-la." The oldest recorded instance of someone "singing folderol" occurs in Irish dramatist George Farquhar’s 1701 play _Sir Harry Wildair_, in which a character sings, "Fal, al, deral!" You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, please click here: http://www.drhinternet.net/mw/u/966408/568f14b4ab4f050b/N334L6 To change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio pronunciations, please visit: http://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml (c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 |
|
| <Prev in Thread] | Current Thread | [Next in Thread> |
|---|---|---|
| Previous by Date: | ingenue: 00014, word |
|---|---|
| Next by Date: | ubiquitous: 00014, word |
| Previous by Thread: | ingenuei: 00014, word |
| Next by Thread: | ubiquitous: 00014, word |
| Indexes: | [Date] [Thread] [Top] [All Lists] |
| News | FAQ | advertise |