When all of the hoopla about the Icelandic volcano was going on, and everyone else on the planet was freaking out and fretting over the mail and flight cancellations, I was celebrating because it was the perfect opportunity to show off my vocab skillz and bust out the longest word in the English dictionary: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. Which is basically black lung caused my volcanic ash. Yum!
Despite the word being “real”, according to Wikipedia, “This word was invented in 1935 by Everett M. Smith, president of the National Puzzlers’ League, at its annual meeting.” So some crossword enthusiast MADE IT UP?! That’s kind of bogus, if you ask me, but I will continue shamelessly flaunting my knowledge and ability to spell the word nonetheless.
Anyway, this led to me looking up other long words (mostly non-English). This is my favorite.
“Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the M?ori name for a hill, 305 metres high, close to Porangahau, south of Waipukurau in southern Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand…
…and it means The hill of the flute playing by Tamatea — who was blown hither from afar, had a circumcised penis, grazed his knees climbing mountains, fell on the earth, and encircled the land — to his beloved.”
I love that! I think we should all name our towns and various locations to be so specific. It would lead to a lot less confusion.
Just imagine, you’re meeting a friend on a hill somewhere…
“So I should meet you at Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu?”
“No, not that one. The one where the guy with the uncircumcised penis grazed his knees and fell on the earth!”
And this is completely unrelated, but is it wrong that I watched a few seconds of the Grey’s Anatomy finale last night and laughed when McSteamy or McDreamy or whateverthefuckPatrickDempsey’scharacter’snameis got shot?