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Today’s Word: floccinaucinihilipilification

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Today’s Word: floccinaucinihilipilification

#1

Peter Martin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JByI3gJBvZk
I stumbled across a word today that’s so long it needs its own ZIP code:

floccinaucinihilipilification
(n.) The act of estimating something as worthless.

Yes, that’s right — there’s a 29-letter way to say, “Eh, doesn’t matter.”

I’m convinced this word was invented by a group of bored Latin scholars who got snowed in for the winter and decided to see how many syllables they could glue together before someone passed out. I imagine the conversation went something like:

“Gentlemen, what shall we call the act of deeming something worthless?”
“A shrug?”
“Nonsense — add at least four Latin roots and a dash of suffering.”


To use it in a sentence:

I attempted to explain to my spouse why I needed yet another router plane, but she dismissed my reasoning with casual floccinaucinihilipilification.

In short, it’s a big fancy word for when someone treats your Very Important Opinion like sawdust on the shop floor.

Feel free to try and drop this one into conversation today — ideally with friends who aren’t drinking hot coffee at that moment.

Carry on.

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