Word-of-the-Day: Dundreary

Believe me, I’m fully aware this isn’t typical church blog material, but I thought it’d be a humorous little diversion for your day. I’ll get some good theological stuff up here soon enough…

How’s this for a great word to have in your back pocket for that once-every-10-years situation when you need to accurately name someone with the guts to have audacious sideburns?! For example, you might say (and, to really put a point on it, use a hoity-toity ‘I-speak-real-English’ brogue), “Oh dear (and make sure you hold the vowels in dear about 3 times longer than normal)… you’re a regular Dundreary!”

Here’s a little etymology, from my word-of-the-day email, received from wordsmith.org, a great little increase-your-knowledge addition to your inbox once a day:

After the bushy sideburns worn by actor Edward A. Sothern who played the part of Lord Dundreary in the play Our American Cousin (1858), written by Tom Taylor (1817-1880). This was the play being performed at Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC during which Abraham Lincoln was shot.

So, when you see me and I need a haircut and start getting those wings around the ears, feel free to make fun of my dundrearies! By the way, that is apparently an actual picture of Edward Sothern with his full-blown Lord Dundreary costuming.