Word of the Day

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FRIDAY, MARCH 13

Crinkum-crankum

[KRING-kəm-KRANG-kəm]Part of speech: noun

Origin: english, mid-18th century

• Elaborate decoration or detail.
• Something full of twists and turns.

Examples of Crinkum-crankum in a sentence

• I love Victorian architecture with the woodwork overflowing with crinkum-crankum.
• The reviews of the latest book in the mystery series promised a tale filled with crinkum-crankum.

About Crinkum-crankum

They all sound quite silly, but only tilly-willy is a made-up word. Crinkum-crankum describes something elaborately detailed. Hodgepodge is a confused mixture, and a bumbershoot is an umbrella.

Did you Know?

It might sound like a nonsense word, but it has roots in very real terms. It’s an alteration of crinkle, meaning a wrinkle or crease on the surface of something, and crankle, which comes from the Latin word “crincum.” It means a bend or twist. Crinkum-crankum is just a fun way to describe something delightfully elaborate.