amphigory

/ˈæm.fɪ.ɡɔ.ɹi/

Etymology

From French amphigouri, of uncertain derivation; perhaps from Ancient Greek ἀμφί (amphí) + γῦρος (gûros, “circle”) or -αγορία (-agoría, “speech”).

amphigory means A nonsense verse; a rigmarole, which is meaningless despite possibly appearing to have meaning. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.

Why this word is great

AMPHIGORY — [Noun] A nonsense verse or composition that presents a convincing façade of structure and sense while being intrinsically meaningless. From French amphigouri, of uncertain derivation; perhaps from Ancient Greek ἀμφί (amphí, "both, around") + γῦρος (gûros, "circle") or -αγορία (-agoría, "speech"). Unlike "doggerel," which is merely clumsy or trivial verse, or "gibberish," which is raw and openly unintelligible noise, an amphigory is a polite deception, a syntactic façade. It is the perfectly metered poem about brillig slithy toves, the academic treatise citing non-existent authorities, the political manifesto woven from fashionable, empty signifiers—a deliberate, almost affectionate mockery of our hunger for sense, proving that language’s solemn garments can be tailored to clothe a perfect void.

noun

A nonsense verse; a rigmarole, which is meaningless despite possibly appearing to have meaning.“There is always a danger that a poet, in search after the infinitely ingenious, may lapse into amphigory, into sheer absurdity and triviality, which Cowper, in spite of his elegant lightness, does not always escape.”