Ludicrous Word Ludic Falstaffian Fal Staf Ee Uhn Adjective Fat Jolly

falstaffian \fal-STAF-ee-uhn\

adjective

Fat, jolly, and convivial.

[Here's a serious word, just for fun. That is to say, it means "fun," but it was created in all seriousness around 1940 by psychologists. They wanted a term to describe what children do, and they came up with "ludic activity." That may seem ludicrous — why not just call it "playing"? — but the word "ludic" caught on, and it's not all child's play anymore. It can refer to architecture that is playful, narrative that is humorous and even satirical, and literature that is light. "Ludic" is ultimately from the Latin noun "ludus," which refers to a whole range of fun things — stage shows, games, sports, even jokes. The more familiar word "ludicrous" also traces back to the same source.

After Sir John Falstaff, a character in Shakespeare's plays Henry IV (parts 1 & 2) and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Earliest documented use: 1809.]

"His hair was long and scruffy, his ties ludicrous and his manner jovial bordering on Falstaffian; a board meeting, for him, was a debate, punctuated by gales of his maniacal laughter." - John Harvey-Jones; The Economist (London, UK); Jan 17, 2008.