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

I was having a debate with a friend of mine on how to spell the name of that one song...I thought I'd ask all of you smart people.

The most commonly accepted spelling, and the one used by the Sherman brothers in Mary Poppins is: supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

The Sherman brothers were taken to court for the use of the word by a children's songwriter who claimed authorship of a song with a similar title. It is believed that the word has evolved through folk song (there are somewhat bizarre rumours that it has something to do with Irish prostitutes), and has therefore innumerate spellings.

B

I doubt that the numeracy skills of any of "supercalifagilibby-oh -it" (my nan's pronunciation after a few too many sherries,) many spellings are much better than my spelling skils but shouldnt they be refered to as *innumerable*?

Just thought Id have a go at being pedantic, cause Im bored.

"Pedantry is the last refuge of the bored", who said that?



Oh, it was me!

B

And here was me thinking it was a nonsense word made up on the spot for the purposes of a silly song.

So did I...I surely didn't realize there was any debate over authorship of the word.
Better yet...I really didn't think it was even considered a "real" word.

The film's tagline was:


It's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/


and


http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/soundtrack

However, to add confusion, if you deliberately misspell it on a google search you get the message:

Did you mean: supercalifragilisticexplialidocious

Umm diddle-iddle-iddle umm diddle aye.

F

even thought the sound of it is something quite atrocious

Incidentally, Stan Laurel said the best impersonation he ever saw of himself was by Dick Van Dyke.

Good job Stan Laurel wasn't a cockney, eh readers?

>> Just thought Id have a go at being pedantic, cause Im bored. <<

That'd be "I'd", "'cause" and "I'm", then.

RF

"because", surely?


Geggs

"'cause" is a valid abbreviation of "because".



RF

I don't reckon so. I think 'cus' or 'cuz' would be valid abbreviations. But 'cause' is a complete different word in my book.


Geggs

Hence the apostrophe in front of it in RFs post

There are also some good puns on the word. My favourite was when Calidonian Thistle beat Celtic:

"Super Cally go ballistic, Celtic are atroious"

B

Well, since pedantry seems to be the order of the day, that would be "Caledonian" and "atrocious".

Noggin

And of course, there's the slightly more long-winded joke:

Gandhi walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath.

This made him a...




...super calloused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.

Fair cop, Noggin. I type faster than I should at times.

B