Why this word is great
TRAPPINGS — [Noun] The outward and often superficial signs, objects, or accessories associated with a particular status, role, or situation. From Middle English *trap*, from Old French *drap* (“cloth”), with the suffix -ing, originally referring to an ornamental cloth covering for a horse. Unlike “essence,” which denotes the irreducible core, or “paraphernalia,” which implies utilitarian gear, trappings are the ceremonial husk, the symbolic plumage donned for the world’s stage. They are the weight of medals on a dress uniform, the scent of polished mahogany in a prestige office, and the oppressive warmth of spotlights on a solitary figure—the elegant, hollow armor we don against the suspicion that we are only playing a part.