smellfungus
/ˈsmɛlˌfʌŋɡəs/
smellfungus means A faultfinder, complainer, grumbler. It carries an Arena rating of 1693, earned across 27 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, smellfungus ranks #35 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #72 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #288 of 17,104 for Most Storied Words, #704 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words.
smellfungus is pronounced /ˈsmɛlˌfʌŋɡəs/.
Why “smellfungus” is a great word
SMELLFUNGUS — [Noun] A habitual faultfinder, complainer, or captious critic. From Smelfungus, the name of a hypercritical traveler in Laurence Sterne's 1768 novel A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, a satirical characterization of author Tobias Smollett; the name itself is apparently from smell + fungus. Unlike a critic, who may weigh merit and fault, or a curmudgeon, whose gruffness is a general ill-temper, a smellfungus is a specialist in petty, joy-spoiling grievance. He sniffs sourly at the bouquet of a decent wine, traces a finger along a mantle to catalog the dust, and, beholding the Alps, laments only the state of the post-road—his very presence a mildew on experience, proving the soul's peculiar talent for fermenting joy into meticulously catalogued triviality.
Etymology
From Smelfungus, name of a hypercritical traveller in A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy, a satirical characterization of Tobias Smollett and his Travels Through France and Italy (1766). Apparently from smell + fungus.
noun
- A faultfinder, complainer, grumbler.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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