Something nerdy for Friday.

Today's word o the day is such a doozie I just had to share it with you. It's one of those rare examples when not just the word itself, but the description lives up to the aforementioned title of "doozie".

gallimaufry
\gal-uh-MAW-free\, noun;
1. A hodgepodge; jumble; confused medley.

Should I bother to go on, can that be improved on? When you already talk of a hodgepodge and throw in a medley and some confusion.. where is there to go?

Well.. one can elaborate on , I guess. Here are some quotes:

Today bilingual programs are conducted in a gallimaufry of around 80 tongues, ranging from Spanish to Lithuanian to Micronesian Yapese.

-- Ezra Bowen, "For Learning or Ethnic Pride?", Time, July 8, 1985

We have the same eyes dark and chestnut hair. But I am a lame gallimaufry and she remains perfect.

-- Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

That's quite a mouthful.

Origin:

Gallimaufry, originally meaning "a hash of various kinds of meats," comes from French galimafrée, from Old French, from galer, "to rejoice, to make merry" (source of English gala) + mafrer, "to eat much," from Medieval Dutch maffelen, "to open one's mouth wide."

kay.