{"id":4024,"date":"2025-07-26T13:49:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=4024"},"modified":"2025-07-26T13:49:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-26T13:49:23","slug":"adventures-in-etymology-discombobulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?p=4024","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Etymology &#8211; Discombobulation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Discombobulation\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-07-26T13:49:23+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1M53S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word discombobulate.\n\n\n\nTo discombobulate [\u02ccd\u026as.k\u0259m\u02c8b\u0252b.j\u0259\u02ccle\u026at] is:\n\n\n  To throw into a state of confusion\n  To befuddle or perplex.\n  To upset or embarrass\n\n\nIt was coined in the USA and first appea...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.0\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2558\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4024-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=4024-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"discombobulation.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word <strong>discombobulate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/flexolite\/5381888676\/in\/photolist-9czA15-9cxoHt-2mdS1vj-bsmA5L-YBgJmv-2iWdt1x-2gZoou1-2iTwQDL-4stAjk-fVPgb3-r34hGP-4fWE6b-2dC7eUM-2q3Jun2-9y2WrV-DPFzi4-n72FPB-cXEsy9-2dN8Dyn-cjPqwu-2hCdzE6-2ohHf7v-8tQCQ9-87GRyR-h7fdky-2gW2MWm-3KPS7Y-7iFcxy-5uGY17-JhknRV-bxf6Q-5hEDhT-bNfYRK-5U36W6-gdy9Jx-6yGwaT-9tqAu5-BHH4v-9nqxWF-5THePa-9fgW23-m7M3j8-dMdBYr-4JxNWF-4MaB8y-efTuLw-5nSKnB-5r2WqZ-3jZemb-2s99Nk\" title=\"Discombobulation\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5209\/5381888676_30c62703c2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\" alt=\"Discombobulation\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>To discombobulate<\/strong> [\u02ccd\u026as.k\u0259m\u02c8b\u0252b.j\u0259\u02ccle\u026at] is:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>To throw into a state of confusion<\/li>\n<li>To befuddle or perplex.<\/li>\n<li>To upset or embarrass<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It was coined in the USA and first appeared in writing in around 1867 [<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/ngrams\/graph?content=discombobulate&#038;year_start=1800&#038;year_end=2022&#038;corpus=en&#038;smoothing=3\">source<\/a>]. It is a fanciful mock-Latin term of a kind that was popular at that time, and was possibly inspired by words like <strong>discompose<\/strong> and <strong>discomfit<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/discombobulate#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Similar words were in use from about 1825, including <strong>discomboberated<\/strong>, <strong>discombobolate<\/strong> and <strong>discomboberate<\/strong> [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dictionary.com\/e\/word-of-the-day\/discombobulate-2021-01-14\/\">source<\/a>]<\/p>\n<p>Related words include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>discombobulation<\/strong> = an embarrassing feeling that leaves a person confused; a confused or disorderly state<\/li>\n<li><strong>discombobulator<\/strong> = one who \/ that which discombobulates; a thingy or doodad<\/li>\n<li><strong>pericombobuation<\/strong> = disturbance and confusion (features in a 1987 episode of Blackadder The Third, a BBC TV comedy series)<\/li>\n<li><strong>to combobulate<\/strong> = to compose (oneself), to organize, to reverse the effect of discombobulation<\/li>\n<li><strong>recombobulation<\/strong> = the act of recombobulating; putting back into order; removing confusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Other mock-Latin words coined in the 19th century include <strong>to absquatulate<\/strong> (to leave quickly, to flee), <strong>to bloviate<\/strong> (to speak at length in a pompous or boastful manner),  <strong>to hornswoggle<\/strong> (to deceive or trick), and <strong>to skedaddle<\/strong> (to run away quickly) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Appendix:Fanciful_19th_century_American_coinages\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to support this podcast, you can make a donation via <a href=\"https:\/\/www.paypal.com\/uk\/cgi-bin\/webscr?cmd=_flow&amp;SESSION=aLjPfXL-vP_1gQ_U23Iz8_hSWLlhzLHPMFZrt32dIEfG8htoNFLYaPoWkv8&amp;dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8def8934b92a630e40b7fef61ab7e9fe63\">PayPal<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/omniglot\">Patreon<\/a>, or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/donations.htm\">contribute to Omniglot in other ways<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Radio Omniglot podcasts are brought to you in association with <a href=\"https:\/\/blubrry.com\/services\/podcast-hosting\/?code=omniglot\">Blubrry Podcast Hosting<\/a>, a great place to host your podcasts. Get your first month free with the promo code <strong>omniglot<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepod101.com\/member\/go.php?r=759259&amp;i=b0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/images\/banners\/banner_japanesepod.jpg\" alt=\"The Fastest Way to Learn Japanese Guaranteed with JapanesePod101.com\" width=\"630\" height=\"83\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I also write about words, etymology and other language-related topics on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/\">Omniglot Blog<\/a>, and I explore etymological connections between Celtic languages on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/\">Celtiadur<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<!-- Blog horizontal --><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\n     style=\"display:block\"\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-5001128073855040\"\n     data-ad-slot=\"1685480124\"\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/AudioObject\"><meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Adventures in Etymology &amp;#8211; Discombobulation\" \/><meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2025-07-26T13:49:23+00:00\" \/><meta itemprop=\"encodingFormat\" content=\"audio\/mpeg\" \/><meta itemprop=\"duration\" content=\"PT1M53S\" \/><meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word discombobulate.\n\n\n\nTo discombobulate [\u02ccd\u026as.k\u0259m\u02c8b\u0252b.j\u0259\u02ccle\u026at] is:\n\n\n  To throw into a state of confusion\n  To befuddle or perplex.\n  To upset or embarrass\n\n\nIt was coined in the USA and first appea...\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" \/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"2.0\" \/><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_2559\"><audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-4024-2\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3?_=2\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\" style=\"margin-bottom: 1px !important;\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/?powerpress_pinw=4024-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/radio_omniglot\/www.omniglot.com\/soundfiles\/etymology\/discombobulation.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"discombobulation.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p>In this Adventure in Etymology we investigate the word discombobulate. To discombobulate [\u02ccd\u026as.k\u0259m\u02c8b\u0252b.j\u0259\u02ccle\u026at] is: To throw into a state of confusion To befuddle or perplex. To upset or embarrass It was coined in the USA and first appeared in writing in around 1867 [source]. It is a fanciful mock-Latin term of a kind that was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[98,20,56,4,50,11,1],"tags":[285,286,284,90,287,9,15,88,8,288,103],"class_list":["post-4024","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-adventures-in-etymology","category-english","category-etymology","category-language","category-latin","category-music","category-podcast","tag-absquatulate","tag-bloviate","tag-discombobulate","tag-etymology","tag-hornswoggle","tag-language","tag-music","tag-omniglot","tag-podcast","tag-skeddadle","tag-words"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4024","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4024"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4025,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4024\/revisions\/4025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/radio\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}