The act or habit of describing or regarding something as unimportant
often cited as the longest non-technical word in the English language.
I am floccinaucinihilipilificating the fact
that I have passed the two year anniversary of my blog.
Such a trifling matter was this event,
that it came and went unmarked back in October.
But the word may come in useful
and so I am going to give it a little airing.
Full etymology here.
Its first recorded appearance was in a letter from the poet
William Shenstone:
'I loved him for nothing so much as his
floccinaucinihilipilification of money.'
The first time I heard of him was at the Design Museum
exhibition Plain Space, about the work of architect John Pawson.
I like the idea of the eye loving liberty.
John Pawson likes it very much indeed.
I just don't think I could ever manage
to maintain such a pared down existence.
Where would I put all my jugs?
Two years of use, beauty and erudition. Thank you on behalf of your many readers!
ReplyDeleteI aim to slip floccinaucinihilipilification into my conversation at least three times today, though I suspect it will pass unnoticed. My staff have grown used to the term.
That is a scary word to cope with first thing in the morning before my eyes are focussing properly.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the two year mark - I always feel useful AND beautiful after I have been informed and delighted by your words and photos.
Congratulations on your two years! I would love to be in the vicinity of someone who used that word so that I would know how it should be pronounced....
ReplyDeleteI can't say that.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on two years of Useful or Beautiful! (Surely that should be "and"?) I don't think you should floccinaucinihilipilificate your blog at all, I think it's great.
ReplyDeleteBut look at all that plain space around the jugs!
ReplyDelete(Congrats on the two years. And I can't say it either.)
Two years...there's a lot of experience there. Congratulations. I could count 12 syllables for this new word and it would require some memorization to recite the word from memory on my part. I could f...on the perils of ego.
ReplyDelete