August 2, 2022

AUG 2, neologism (classic): gobbledegook

 

GOBBLEDEGOOK


What's its origin: Gobbledegook?

(Form of bafflegab, Google says, "Look!")

Guy named Maverick invented

This term that's resented:

Verbal clap-trap, not something you'd cook.

Dr G.H. and Giorgio Coniglio, 2022

Authors' Note: The disparaging term gobbledegook was first used in 1944 by a Texas politician named Maverick (scion of the original staunchly independent thinker). Its meaning — pompous, overinflated language — gave rise a few year later to the equivalent bafflegab. These expressions, employing repetition of sounds, have a musical and amusing quality, but only their close cousin clap-trap -- empty verbiage, nonsense -- would qualify as a reduplication.


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