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

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A542008

Floccinaucinihilipilification: n. the act of estimating something as worthless.
It's one of my favorite words. To date, I've used it 4 times in essays for school. Teachers never fail to be impressed.

Lochinvar

Hi Lochinvar, good job.

In my opinion this word is far more deserving of the longest word epithet than the current guide entry http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A182765 which I consider to be utter cobblers.

I used to watch a silly gameshow on BBC2 a few years ago where people were always coming out with floccinauchinihillipilification and pneumonoultramicrospicosilicovolacanicconiosis (BTW I work as a chemist (sciencewise, not pharmacist)and we are at risk from this disease. Believe it or not, its usually referred to as silicosis - a bit easier ).

So they're excellent word game words too

A good entry.

Two typos:

aggragate --> aggregate
apparant --> apparent

Mikey likes it!

I thought the etymology was that:

flocci - wool or lint
nauci - a trifle

could we get a pronunciation guide? i suppose you could sound it out, but maybee it'd be better if heard from someone who is familiar with the words ins and outs....

You have misquoted. Your entry should read:
"I loved him for nothing so much as his floccinaucinihilipilification of money."
--William Shenstone, Letters

Will Shakespeare did use honorificabilitudinitatibus _Love's Labour's Lost_

This will work for the guide but let us not forget that charming village in Wales, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. I understand you can't get there by train because there's no room on the ticket for the destination. (Of course, the real problem is *saying* where it is you want to go.)

You have misquoted. Your entry should read:
"I loved him for nothing so much as his floccinaucinihilipilification of money."
--William Shenstone, Letters

Will Shakespeare did use honorificabilitudinitatibus _Love's Labour's Lost_

This will work for the guide but let us not forget that charming village in Wales, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. I understand you can't get there by train because there's no room on the ticket for the destination. (Of course, the real problem is *saying* where it is you want to go.)

Barton

That's right, it's the town so nice I said it twice.

Sorry for the double punch.

Barton

The pronunciation guide is at the top, right under the title. I know it doesn't have the fancy pronunciation marks, but that IS how you say the word.

You're right about the Shenstone thing. I misread the quote quickly expecting William Sh... to be William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare, similar to Don King, made up honorificabilitudinitatibus.

The Maori name for a New Zealand hill, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu, is longer than that piddly little Welsh construction made to look good on railway signs.

But of course they're not in english! If the longest word in any language was taken into consideration then just think of an extremely large number said in German.

Of course, I never actually said it was the longest in English or in any language. There's so many scientific words that are longer and many more come close whether they were made up or not. I said it was one of the longest, and longer than antidisestablishmentarianism, the word everyone in my school argued was the longest.

I did, however, do some more research and found that the "flocci" part is from "floccus" which eventually became "floccipendo." I added this and edited the section on "nauci" which I found to be a combined form of "pauci" and the numerous words meaning none and nothing.

Thank you.

Lochinvar

What about 'antidisestablishmentarianists'? That's the same length as 'floccinaucihilipilification'.

It's also somewhat easier to read.

I'm still not sure why flocci has to be related to floccipendo. Just 'floccus' means:

floccus , i, m., a lock or flock (of wool, on clothes, in fruits, etc.).

- I. Lit.: ...

- II. Transf., something trifling, insignificant, of no account (most freq., esp. with negatives, and in the phrase flocci
facere, to make no account of, to care not a straw for; v. the foll.).

Interestingly, when I look this up on Perseus, I also get a reference to:

naucum , i, n., or naucus , i, m. [etym. dub.; cf. hugae] , something slight or trivial, a trifle:

A worr I have used, but not in relation to this article as it has been recommended

This thread will move to the article and a sub editor will be along to do whatever they do and then eventually it will appear as an edited entry, well done.

ChawkE

Just wondering how on earth anyone will find this with the search engine

Another word on my 'list of things not to say when drunk' (it's a long, long list)

Sue

I think it's a nice entry, and it will be nice to put it in the guide.
Just check that you haven't quoted any copywrited stuff like maybe:
"the act of estimating something as worthless." or anything. I don't understand a lot about copywrite laws, so I'll take your word for it.

Just say: "Hi Dancer, It's OK, the entry is legal." and I pick it this monday.

Yours,
Itai Basel

DAncer - beaten you to it, tis recommended (see my earlier post) just not moved yet

ChawkE

This is a word from which I have also gotten some good use. I use it in conversations whenever applicable because of its unique sound. Most people would floccinaucinihilipilificate such a cumbersome word, but I would never give it a single floccinaucinihilipilification. I've had some great times with this word.

I _like_ this word.