Following up on our discussion of the really big word you ever learned, some listeners responded with antidisestablishmentarianism, a word rarely seen except in, well, discussions of big words. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Antidisestablishmentarianism”
We had a conversation a while back about the first really big word that you learn, the one that you just couldn’t wait to show off to adults.
And that prompted a message from Patricia Lawler, who said, “Mine was anti-disestablishmentarianism, which I proudly walked around spouting when I was, oh, I think five years old, because my mother was really into words and language.”
So I learned that word, and now I’m 83.
And I still don’t know what it means, but I enjoy being able to say it.
So, Patricia, properly it means opposition to the disestablishment of the Church of England.
But most of the time it’s just a word that you find in collections of really long words.
Gotcha.
My favorite use of Antidisestablishmentarianism is by Eminem.
“Now get off my dick! Dick’s too short of a word for my dick
Get off my antidisestablishmentarianism, you prick!”