Search: falutin
Why: Yosemite Sam says "high-falutin'" as though "falute" is a word, which it isn't.
Answer: high-falutin' means:
- Highly pompous, bombastic (speech)
- Showing off, ostentatious, pretending to be above one's station in life, putting on airs
It is always pronounced with a regional twang: high-falutin'. However, it has survived long enough to be treated as a legitimate word that may be pronounced standardly, high-faluting, if it makes you feel better. It may be used as an adverb with or without any doctoring: "Benny can talk as high-falutin' as any of them."
The fake word falute might have started out as a blend of "fly" and "salute." Maybe.
Source: AlphaDictionary
The More You Know: Here are some topical TV & movie quotes:
- "Well that sounds very deep dish and high falutin'." -Christmas in July (1940)
- "It wasn't clear; all I know is they were obviously influenced by someone's, you know, high-falutin' talkin'." -Junebug (2005)
- "When a woman's got a husband, and you've got none, why should she take advice from you? Even if you can quote Balzac and Shakespeare and all them other high-falutin' Greeks." -The Music Man (1962)
