Tally-ho comrades! Today’s grandiloquence comes to me via the West Coast. Now, I’m not totally sure this is really a word, as the all-mighty google turns up more references to people’s blog comments than actual dictionaries. But, lexiphanic is a word so lexiphane just makes sense. But, let’s not get this word confused with lexiphile, lexiphobe, or lexiphage.
It seems to come from Greek word of the same grammatic constitution, and was the title of a dialog by Lucian, everybody’s favorite Assyian Rhetorician, I’m sure. But besides all that, I just like this word, and I’d put money that it has appeared on My Word. But, enough dilly dallying, please allow me to move on to the definition, and hence deviate from the dark path of obfuscation into the light of lucidity:
- lexiphane
- One who delights in pretentious grammatical expressionism, who has a certain esprit de mot, or a penchant for meretricious or orotund locution.
So, I don’t have a great quote to leave you all with, but I think the definition above should do the trick. Hmmm, hopefully some of you will tempt the lexiphanic by leaving me some creative comments to this post!
Stay strong, brave Americans,
-c
