Thursday, September 14, 2006

fanfaronade- word of the day

fanfaronade \fan-fair-uh-NAYD; -NOD\, noun:
1. Swaggering; empty boasting; blustering manner or behavior; ostentatious display.
2. Fanfare.

George Manahan made his debut this week as music director of New York City
Opera, and it is difficult to imagine someone laying claim to a major podium
with less of a fanfaronade.-- Justin Davidson, "A Director's Toil Pays Some
Dividends", Newsday, September 21,
1996

But like a demure singer in a long gown who is surrounded by chorus girls
in sequined miniskirts, the statue may seem slightly lost amid the
fanfaronade.-- Richard Stengel, "Rockets will glare and bands blare to celebrate
the statue", Time, July 7, 1986


Fanfaronade derives from Spanish fanfarronada, from fanfarrón, "braggart," from Arabic farfar, "garrulous."

1 comment:

Field Notes said...

Cool - it reminds me of a similar French word that I first heard in a French pop song about crazy football (soccer) fans. I'm really enjoying your words of the day!