Weekly Word is a weekly post intended to illustrate the meaning and use of a single word. The chosen word will begin with a different letter of the alphabet each week, as Louise (my daughter) and I work our way through the alphabet.

Louise posts on her website:

An Enchanted Place

This week’s word begins with the letter G:

or…

The two spellings seem to be used in both the UK and the US, but the most used spelling seems to be the second one (whereas I have always used the first).

Meaning:

1.  Complicated or technical language that is difficult to understand, especially when used in official documents or instruction manuals.

2.  Although Meaning (1) above still remains in use, gobbledegook is sometimes used to mean simply nonsensical or silly (i.e. not necessarily jargon or pretentious wording):

Parents watched as the children played their party games, their happy chatter sounding like gobbledegook to adult ears.

Pronunciation:

gob–uhl-dee-gook

Audio Link:

Gobbledegook

Part of Speech:

Noun (Informal)

Synonyms:

nonsense, babble, balderdash, boloney, drivel, poppycock, mumbo jumbo, twaddle, gibberish, claptrap

Antonyms: 

fact, frankness, honesty, openness, sense, truth, truthfulness

Related Forms:

None

Word Origin:

1940s (originally US): probably imitating a turkey’s gobble.

Texas Congressman Maury Maverick coined the word in 1944 to describe the frustrating jargon used by policymakers in Washington. It reminded him of the sound of turkeys gobbling.

Use the Word in a Sentence: 

1. ‘Okay, I’ve heard enough,’ Greg said none too politely, cutting through the salesman’s jargon. ‘Forget the rest of the gobbledegook and just tell me how much the car costs.’

2. After listening to the closing speeches at the end of the trial, Monica’s head was spinning. Sifting the truth from the deluge of what sounded like gobbledegook spouted by witnesses and judges alike would not be an easy matter.

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If you would like to join us in doing this weekly post, both Louise and I would be happy to see you. You can pick of your own word and illustrate its use in any way you choose(even a short story) or use your chosen word to follow a similar pattern to our posts.