While typing the title of this post I was reminded of  my step-dad, Nate. He used to pick random times to sit me and my siblings down and give us a word to define. Just out of the blue. Of course we never knew the word, we were just kids, but I became a reader of the Dictionary. He also made us do math problems, but today my math skills suck. Anywho, in looking through internet sites trying to find inspiration for writing this post, maybe something about encouragement or love, I came upon the most looked up word in the dictionary for 2016.

One of the words in the running for 2016 was the word “flummadiddle.” It means something foolish or worthless. According to Webster’s Dictionary, flummadidle spiked in look ups around this year’s election process.

It caught my attention because it looked just like a word my father, Eddie Green, made popular back in 1926. The word was “fummadiddle.” As in “Dad doesn’t go in for fummadiddles,” from a story in 1928, or as in “If you got much to say, be quick about it cause I ain’t got no time fo’ fummadiddles!”, from a story in 1919. According to the Dobbs Ferry Register back in 1926: Newest of the catch phrases to sweep the Country via radio is “fummadiddles” and the promoter of the new word is Eddie Green, whose comedy has been heard several times on the Rudy Vallee program. Eddie’s word was said to be the modern equivalent of “Wanna Buy a Duck?”, which was a silly phrase back in the 1920s. Or it was just another way of  was saying “Balderdash!”.

Anyhow,  whether flummadiddles or fummadidles, either word fits in with the in’s and out’s of this years election.

By the way, Webster’s Dictionary Word of the Year is: Surreal-meaning “marked by the intense irrationality of a dream.” A word that also spiked in look ups last month.

Thank you so much, for stopping by.

Dictionary picture courtesy of Google Advanced Image Search