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What is the origin of flabbergasted?

What is the origin of flabbergasted?

Origin and usage The origin of flabbergasted is uncertain; it may come from a dialect word used in Suffolk or Perthshire, or it may have been created from the words ‘flabby’ and ‘aghast’.

What does Inaptly mean?

inapt. adjective. 1. Not suited to circumstances: improper, inappropriate, incongruous, inept, malapropos, unapt, unbecoming, unbefitting, unfit, unseemly, unsuitable.

What is the root word for meticulous?

Meticulous Has Fearful Roots It may surprise you to learn that meticulous is derived from the Latin word for “fearful” – meticulosus – and ultimately comes from the Latin noun metus, meaning “fear.” Although meticulous currently has no “fearful” meanings, it was originally used as a synonym of frightened and timid.

Where did the word brusque come from?

We borrowed “brusque” from French in the 1600s. The French, in turn, had borrowed it from Italian, where it was spelled “brusco” and meant “tart.” And the Italian term came from “bruscus,” the Medieval Latin name for butcher’s-broom, a shrub whose bristly leaf-like twigs have long been used for making brooms.

When was flabbergasted used?

18th century
Flabbergasted has been used since the late 18th century, but no one knows for sure where it originated. The word sounds like what it means: when you say it out loud — “flabbergasted!” — it somehow captures the spirit of astonishment and shock.

Who invented flabbergasted?

The British comedian Frankie Howerd used to say in mock astonishment: “I’m flabbergasted — never has my flabber been so gasted!”. That’s about as good an explanation for the origin of this strange word for being surprised or astonished as you’re likely to get.

Is Minutiously a word?

adjective. Characterized by attention to very small details; concerned with or attentive to minutiae.

What’s the opposite of random?

random. Antonyms: steady, aimed, intended, regular, controlled, purposed, intentional, deliberate, designed, normal, systematic. Synonyms: haphazard, stray, chance, wild, aimless, purposeless, unpremeditated, casual, vague, accidental.

Is it brusk or brusque?

Brusque (pronounced “brusk”) was borrowed from the French word meaning “lively or fierce,” from Italian brusco, “coarse, rough.”

What is an unrefined person?

adjective. (used of persons and their behavior) not refined; uncouth. “how can a refined girl be drawn to such an unrefined man?” Synonyms: inelegant. lacking in refinement or grace or good taste.

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Ruth Doyle