balladmonger means A seller or composer of ballads (especially the narrative poems). It carries an Arena rating of 1594, earned across 42 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, balladmonger ranks #310 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #471 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #481 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #2,653 of 17,142 for Most Ingenious Words.
Why “balladmonger” is a great word
BALLADMONGER — [Noun] A seller or composer of ballads, especially one considered an inferior or hackneyed poet. From ballad (a narrative poem or song) + monger (a dealer or trader). First recorded in 1590–1600. Unlike poetaster, which scorns the quality of the verse itself, or troubadour, which elevates the lyricist to romantic artistry, balladmonger carries the grime of commerce, conjuring a figure who trades in sentiment for coin. It is the cry of the hawker on a sooty street corner, the crinkle of cheap, inky broadsheets stacked for a penny, and the predictable, heart-tugging meter of a tale recited for the thousandth time—a reminder that art, when it must also be a commodity, often wears its most worn and desperate face.
Etymology
From ballad + monger.
noun
- A seller or composer of ballads (especially the narrative poems).
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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