Word of the Day for Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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panjandrum \pan-JAN-druhm\, noun:
panjandrum \pan-JAN-druhm\, noun:
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An important personage or pretentious official.
An important personage or pretentious official.
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The B.O., being the Most High Panjandrum among all other panjandrums that he is, can't even talk to an elementary class of 6th graders without his beloved teleprompters!
--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog
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Panjandrum was coined by Samuel Foote (1720-1777) in a piece of nonsense writing:
Panjandrum was coined by Samuel Foote (1720-1777) in a piece of nonsense writing:
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"So she went into the garden to cut a cabbage-leaf to make an apple-pie; and at the same time a great she-bear, coming up the street, pops its head into the shop. "What! No soap?" So he died, and she very imprudently married the barber: and there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top, and they all fell to playing the game of catch-as-catch-can till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots."
"So she went into the garden to cut a cabbage-leaf to make an apple-pie; and at the same time a great she-bear, coming up the street, pops its head into the shop. "What! No soap?" So he died, and she very imprudently married the barber: and there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies, and the grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at top, and they all fell to playing the game of catch-as-catch-can till the gunpowder ran out at the heels of their boots."
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It was composed on the spot to challenge actor Charles Macklin's claim that he could memorize anything. Macklin is said to have refused to repeat a word of it.
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