This week’s theme
Americanisms

This week’s words
humdinger
ripsnorter
ballyhoo
foofaraw
lollapalooza

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(FOO-fuh-raw)

MEANING:

noun:
1. Excessive or unnecessary ornamentation.
2. Fuss; commotion.

ETYMOLOGY:

Foofaraw is a word from the American West, but how was it formed? Nobody knows. Perhaps from French fanfaron or Spanish fanfarrón. Earliest documented use: 1848.

USAGE:

“The foofaraw included a fake grass skirt undulating from the rear bumper.”
Kelly O’Dell Stanley; Praying Upside Down; Tyndale; 2015.

Sometimes, even unicorns don’t care for the foofaraw. Check out this cartoon from The New Yorker.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: