BLATHERSKITE

[Dr. Goodword]

• blatherskite •

Pronunciation: blæ-dhêr-skayt • [b]Hear it! [/b]

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A blustery, talkative person, a blabbermouth, 2. Stuff and nonsense, gobbledygook, codswallop.

Notes: Blather (or blether) mean the same as today's word in its second meaning above, which makes that meaning suspicious. Skite is probably a Cockney or Australian pronunciation of skate which, among all its meanings (fish, foot vehicles), at one time meant "a mean, contemptible person". Skate has retained this sense only in cheapskate, which some still treat as two words: cheap skate. So, it is best to use this word only in its first sense or as a verb: the occurrence of blatherskiting (or blatherskating) tends to increase dramatically just before political elections.

In Play: We were tempted to define today's Good Word as "a politician stumping for (re)election" but decided that this definition was too narrow. Still it is the season of blatherskiting in the US, so why not: "The amount of blather coming out of Washington and the state capitals is ordinarily breath-taking but the blasted blatherskites lose control of themselves just before elections." Of course, today's word has a much wider application; I'm sure you know someone the word fits: "The meeting was run by a blatherskite so full of codswallop that nothing was accomplished."

Word History: The original word blatherskite began its life in Scotland. During the Revolutionary War, the Scottish song Maggie Laude, in which this word occurs, became a favorite among Americans, so blatherskite became a familiar colloquialism in the 18th century. The original PIE root, *bledh- "to blow" went on to become bladder in English and bladhra "bladder" in Old Norse. However, when used as a verb in Old Norse, it meant "to prattle on", so English borrowed the Old Norse version back, giving us today's blather. (Today we are again grateful to Mark Bailey for suggesting such an unusual Good Word—and that's no blather!)

[Bailey]

or common, everyday windbaggery.

I like windbaggery, I will use that one.

mark I -see-lots-of-that-on-tv-ads-these-days Bailey

[Perry]

Codswallop sound so right, when spoken by Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane, nee Anthony Robert McMillan).

[skinem]

Great word!
If you can't dazzle them with brilliance...be a blatherskite. Or something to that effect.