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Usenet Posted 22 years ago
Usage
Etymology of "four dollar word"
I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word". I know it means roughly "big pretentious word" - what I'm curious about is when it became a popular term and why "four dollar" and not "three dollar" or "five dollar" or "one hundred dollar" word.
Googling on "four dollar word" found pages where the term was used to describe other words, but nothing on the origin of this term itself. I did find an archived AUE thread from 1998 with the following posts:
[nq:2]Q: what does "four-dollar word" mean?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a figure of speech. People who like plain talk, notably frontier rustics like the ones you seem to be ... word should cost more than a plain, little one, and that such big words are pretentious. Perchprism word tyke[/nq]
Ah, inflation! When I was a lad, it was a four-bit (fifty cents) word. It is an educated, or even stilted word; often a bigger word than necessary or a big, educated word used to show off when simpler words are available. Here the speaker doesn't seem to be crticizing the use of the word, just saying that it is a word only educated people would know.
Gary Williams
[nq:1]Big. A little word is only worth a few cents, a big word is worth more. Oddly enough, they used ... (I've had a few paleontology classes only a few of 'em look for bones, by the way) -30- rex[/nq]
It's impossible to effectively google on "four bit word" as a term for a fancy word since it is more commonly used to describe a chunk of data 4 bits long (1/2 a byte). However I did find some useful references to the "sixty-four dollar word", which lead to the Sixty-Four Dollar Question, a radio quiz show from the 1940s.
Does anyone here know if the term "four dollar word" predates the Sixty-Four Dollar Question radio show? If not, is there any evidence the term "four dollar word" was coined because the answer to a "four dollar question" was often a big word? Was "four bit word" commonly used prior to "four dollar word" - perhaps morphing into "four dollar word" concurrently with the radio show?
Thanks!
jc
Googling on "four dollar word" found pages where the term was used to describe other words, but nothing on the origin of this term itself. I did find an archived AUE thread from 1998 with the following posts:
[nq:2]Q: what does "four-dollar word" mean?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's a figure of speech. People who like plain talk, notably frontier rustics like the ones you seem to be ... word should cost more than a plain, little one, and that such big words are pretentious. Perchprism word tyke[/nq]
Ah, inflation! When I was a lad, it was a four-bit (fifty cents) word. It is an educated, or even stilted word; often a bigger word than necessary or a big, educated word used to show off when simpler words are available. Here the speaker doesn't seem to be crticizing the use of the word, just saying that it is a word only educated people would know.
Gary Williams
[nq:1]Big. A little word is only worth a few cents, a big word is worth more. Oddly enough, they used ... (I've had a few paleontology classes only a few of 'em look for bones, by the way) -30- rex[/nq]
It's impossible to effectively google on "four bit word" as a term for a fancy word since it is more commonly used to describe a chunk of data 4 bits long (1/2 a byte). However I did find some useful references to the "sixty-four dollar word", which lead to the Sixty-Four Dollar Question, a radio quiz show from the 1940s.
Does anyone here know if the term "four dollar word" predates the Sixty-Four Dollar Question radio show? If not, is there any evidence the term "four dollar word" was coined because the answer to a "four dollar question" was often a big word? Was "four bit word" commonly used prior to "four dollar word" - perhaps morphing into "four dollar word" concurrently with the radio show?
Thanks!
jc
Top answer
[nq:1]I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word". I know it means roughly "big pretentious word" - ... on the origin of this term itself.
- [nq:1]I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word".
- I know it means roughly "big pretentious word" - ...
- on the origin of this term itself.
- I did find an archived AUE thread from 1998 with the following posts:[/nq] I use the phrase "fifty dollar word" for a pretentious, multi-syllabic word.
- =20 At the current rate of inflation, a "four dollar word" wouldn't be much of a word.
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21 Answers
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[nq:1]I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word". I know it means roughly "big pretentious word" - ... on the origin of this term itself. I did find an archived AUE thread from 1998 with the following posts:[/nq]
I use the phrase "fifty dollar word" for a pretentious, multi-syllabic word. Never heard of the others except $64, 000 Question.=20
At the current rate of
I use the phrase "fifty dollar word" for a pretentious, multi-syllabic word. Never heard of the others except $64, 000 Question.=20
At the current rate of
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[nq:2]I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar ... words, but nothing on the origin of this term itself.[/nq]
When I Google on it, I get a mere 52 hits, less than the others.
"two dollar word" 136
"four dollar word" 52
"five dollar word" 502
"ten dollar word 618
"twenty dollar word" 357
"fifty dollar word" 58
I see that Strunk and White had this
When I Google on it, I get a mere 52 hits, less than the others.
"two dollar word" 136
"four dollar word" 52
"five dollar word" 502
"ten dollar word 618
"twenty dollar word" 357
"fifty dollar word" 58
I see that Strunk and White had this
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[nq:1]I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word".[/nq]
I'll give you my best guess:
It's an updating of "four-bit word", a word worth fifty cents. If you were writing pulp fiction for two cents per word ("word" meaning "five letters"), then it would inticate literally a word one hundred twenty-five letters long, or figuratively, a very, very long word, also called hippo
I'll give you my best guess:
It's an updating of "four-bit word", a word worth fifty cents. If you were writing pulp fiction for two cents per word ("word" meaning "five letters"), then it would inticate literally a word one hundred twenty-five letters long, or figuratively, a very, very long word, also called hippo
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[nq:1]If a word cost four bits, and four bits = 50 cents, then one bit = 50/4 = 12.5 cents. Did America really once have a coin worth 12.5 cents? How very fractional.[/nq]
As the parrot squawked, "Pieces of eight!" "Pieces of eight!"
Early Americans also used whatever foreign coins they could get. English shillings, Spanish dollars, as well as French and Dutch coins, all circulated in
As the parrot squawked, "Pieces of eight!" "Pieces of eight!"
Early Americans also used whatever foreign coins they could get. English shillings, Spanish dollars, as well as French and Dutch coins, all circulated in
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[nq:1]When I Google on it, I get a mere 52 hits, less than the others. "two dollar word" 136 "four ... this line: Do not be tempted to use a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, raady and able.[/nq]
I love it! I can't wait for an opportunity to use "handy, randy, and able."
I love it! I can't wait for an opportunity to use "handy, randy, and able."
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[nq:2]If a word cost four bits, and four bits = ... once have a coin worth 12.5 cents? How very fractional.[/nq]
[nq:1]As the parrot squawked, "Pieces of eight!" "Pieces of eight!" Early Americans also used whatever foreign coins they could get. ... block and whack it with an axe. "Ooops, now there's a big half and a little half." Jeweler's tools, maybe.[/nq]
Silver is pretty soft. Place a
[nq:1]As the parrot squawked, "Pieces of eight!" "Pieces of eight!" Early Americans also used whatever foreign coins they could get. ... block and whack it with an axe. "Ooops, now there's a big half and a little half." Jeweler's tools, maybe.[/nq]
Silver is pretty soft. Place a
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[nq:2]I see that Strunk and White had this line: Do ... word when there is a ten-center handy, raady and able.[/nq]
[nq:1]I love it! I can't wait for an opportunity to use "handy, randy, and able."[/nq]
We're both wrong that isn't ready or randy, it's "rAAdy." Obviously based on the Dutch word "raad" meaning counsel.
Beest Donna Richoux
[nq:1]I love it! I can't wait for an opportunity to use "handy, randy, and able."[/nq]
We're both wrong that isn't ready or randy, it's "rAAdy." Obviously based on the Dutch word "raad" meaning counsel.
Beest Donna Richoux
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I'm interested in the etymology of the term "four dollar word". I know it means roughly "big pretentious word" -
what I'm curious about is when it became a popular term and why "four dollar" and not "three dollar" or "five dollar" or "one hundred dollar" word.
Googling on "four dollar word" found pages where
the term was used to describe other words, but nothing on the origin of this t
what I'm curious about is when it became a popular term and why "four dollar" and not "three dollar" or "five dollar" or "one hundred dollar" word.
Googling on "four dollar word" found pages where
the term was used to describe other words, but nothing on the origin of this t
00
[nq:1]It's an updating of "four-bit word", a word worth fifty cents. If you were writing pulp fiction for two cents ... would inticate literally a word one hundred twenty-five letters long, or figuratively, a very, very long word, also called hippopotamomonstrosesquipedalian.[/nq]
Were words ever defined that way for writing rates, though? Back when I was in college I looked up publishing rate
Were words ever defined that way for writing rates, though? Back when I was in college I looked up publishing rate
00
[nq:2]It's an updating of "four-bit word", a word worth fifty ... or figuratively, a very, very long word, also called hippopotamomonstrosesquipedalian.[/nq]
[nq:1]Were words ever defined that way for writing rates, though? Back when I was in college I looked up publishing rates for various magazines, and I don't remember anybody saying that "words" were anything other than, well, words.[/nq]
[nq:1]Were words ever defined that way for writing rates, though? Back when I was in college I looked up publishing rates for various magazines, and I don't remember anybody saying that "words" were anything other than, well, words.[/nq]
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