gallimaufry
/ɡa.lɪˈmɔː.fɹi/
gallimaufry means A hash of various kinds of meats; a ragout. It carries an Arena rating of 1852, earned across 89 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, gallimaufry ranks #23 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #53 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #103 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #1,197 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words.
gallimaufry is pronounced /ɡa.lɪˈmɔː.fɹi/.
Why “gallimaufry” is a great word
GALLIMAUFRY — [Noun] A confused or jumbled mixture, especially a heterogeneous collection of things or a stew of various meats. From French galimafrée, from Old French calimafree ("stew of various kinds of meats"), possibly from Old French galer ("to have fun") + Old Northern French (Picard) mafrer ("to eat gluttonously"). First known use circa 1556. Unlike a "hodgepodge," which is a simple, chaotic blend, or an "assortment," which implies an orderly variety, a gallimaufry is an elaborate and absurdly incongruous concoction. It is the olfactory assault of a crowded bazaar—spices, sweat, and animal dung; the tactile chaos of a second-hand shop’s contents spilling from an overstuffed drawer; the visual spectacle of a banquet table where venison, candied fruit, and aniseed battle for supremacy. The world, in its relentless combining, offers not a puree, but this glorious, indigestible stew.
Etymology
From French galimafrée, from Old French calimafree (“stew of various kinds of meats”); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from a combination of Old French galer (“to have fun, to enjoy oneself”) and Old Northern French (Picard) mafrer (“to eat gluttonously”).
noun
- A hash of various kinds of meats; a ragout.
- Any absurd medley; an elaborate mishmash.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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