h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

According to the Guinness Book of Records, floccipaucinihilipilification is an alternative spelling, and the spelling quoted in the article is normally hyphenated - they cite the OED, although my edition only gives the 'n' form, hyphenated. I don't know what that would do to the Latin - I got a grade 6 at 'O' Level and have forgotten what little I knew.

I have known this for many years, and longed for an excuse to say so in context. Thank you for allowing me to realise a dream.

Reminds me of the Woody Allen movie ("Annie Hall"?) where some guy is telling everybody in a movie line what Marshall McLuhan meant by "The Medium is the Message". Woody listens and stews, then says "I have Marshall McLuhan right here ..." and sure enough, there he is. "That's not what I meant" he explains. Just once, I wish ...

(Interesting the way the scene was filmed, BTW, no cuts, as I recall ... so MM had to stand behind this movie poster for a while)

I you are a logophile, I commend a reading of "Poplollies and Bellibones" by Susan K. Sperling -- where I first discovered the "floc" word 10 or 15 years ago. It is an absolutely delightful tour of some long forgotten and disused words, such as bellytimber, gundyguts, libbersauce and more. I just checked alibris.com and they have copies available for under $10 US.

Cool - I got to read that before the URL got zapped! I was just about to switch off and go to bed, and I thought I'd just check out my personal space first...

I should have added 'thanks' - it would have been more polite.

And also 'goodnight'.

OK, I'll bite. Where is the hyphen supposed to be placed in the 'n' version?

Rightyho - my 1934 edition of the OED (it was my dad's) has:

flocci-nauci-nihili-pili-fication

It doesn't mnetion the 'p' one at all. The Guiness Book of Records records the 'p' version and merely mentions an alternative hyphenated spelling. My modern dictionary, a Chambers Concise, omits the word (I'm not going to type it out again! ) altogether.

I'm sure pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is in the dictionary, I found it there once. I've committed myself to memorizing as many long words as possible (don't ask me why, I don't know) and I think that one's a good start

What does it mean?

it = inanimate object.

Ouch!

I think you'll find that pneomomoultramicriscopicosilcovolcanoconiosis is a lung disease.

According to Guinness, hepaticocholangiocholectolecystenterostomies refers to the surgical creations of new communications between gallbladders and heptactic ducts and between intestines and gallbladders. I like their beer, so who am I to argue?

Taumatawhakatangihangakauoauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwenukitanatahu is apparently a place in New Zealand, although I may have spelt it wrong. I learnt to say it when I was about 14, although I'm sure my pronunciation stinks!

I just thought I'd mention that.

-micrOscopico-