HIGH-FALUTIN'

[Dr. Goodword]

• high-falutin' •

Pronunciation: hai-fê-lut-ên • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Adjective

Meaning: (Regional slang) 1. Highly pompous, bombastic (speech). 2. Showing off, ostentatious, pretending to be above one's station in life, putting on airs.

Notes: The amazing thing about high-falutin' is that is not a high-faluting word itself for it is always pronounced with a regional twang—high-falutin'. However, it has survived long enough to be treated as a legitimate word that may be pronounced standardly, high-faluting, if it makes you feel better. It may be used as an adverb with or without any doctoring: "Benny can talk as high-falutin' as any of them.

In Play: This word is not only slang but slang used predominately in the southern US states: "Nan Tucket thinks that using high-falutin' words will convince people that she is a high-class lady." Although most commonly associated with speech, today's Good Word is a home in many other contexts: "Cindy Mae Lovett hasn't talked to any of her old friends since she started waitressing in that high-falutin' restaurant on Nob Hill."

Word History: Today's Good Word is ostensibly made up of the adjective high + the participle of the verb falute. The problem with this explanation is that there is no verb falute "put on airs"! (We see this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle: "Ally Katz falutes like a millionaire philosophy professor when she goes out with men.") It probably started out as a blend of "fly" and "salute" but that is pure speculation at this point. (Now let's thank Kyle McDonald of RPI for suggesting today's low-falutin' Good Word.)

[bamaboy56]

Having been born and reared in the Southwest and now having lived for many years in the Deep South, I've heard high-falutin' all my life. It's great to see it as a Good Word. It goes hand in hand with another word that's used interchangeably with it: high-hattin'. It's used when someone puts on airs and tries to come off as being better than eveyone else, perhaps in an attempt to emulate those that wear tophats and belong to the "upper crust". Everyone in the Deep South knows that someone who puts on such airs is "crazier than a run-over dog" and "nuttier than a squirell's breakfast".

[MTC]

From the lexical bleachers we hear the answering yawp of the blue-collar contingent-- "Low-falutin!"

[bamaboy56]

Low-falutin'. That's me, ya'll !

[wsodonnell2]

I've always thought High Fluting (a flashy, show-off style) was the origin of this strange but useful little specimen.

Several sources tend to agree, but cautiously, tentatively.

Nonetheless it seems at least quite plausible, no?

[bamaboy56]

from one newbie to another, welcome wsodonnell2!

[Dr. Goodword]

My impression is that the people who use the term high-falutin' are more likely to listen to the radio than the flute. OED also suggests it might be a revision of high-flying or high-flown. I see now I probably should have not said that it is "probably" a blend of "fly" and "salute" but that this speculation is as good as any. None make any real sense.

[LukeJavan8]

Was traveling with a friend who listens to country
music, and had on his car radio, a station from
eastern Iowa. Someone made a comment on it the
other day using "high-falutin".

[Audiendus]

"High-falutin" is a well-known word in the UK, although it does sound slightly exotic.