Sunday, March 18, 2018

Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Farce


 
 

 
WORD OF THE DAY
March 18, 2018
 
 
farce Audio pronunciation
 
noun | FAHRSS  
 
Definition
 
:
a savory stuffing : forcemeat
 
:
a light dramatic composition marked by broadly satirical comedy and improbable plot
 
:
the broad humor characteristic of farce
 
:
an empty or patently ridiculous act, proceeding, or situation
 
Scroll down for more about farce
 
 
 
 
PEOPLE ARE READING
 
 
 
WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE
 
 
 
Confusing Words—A Quiz
 
Test your knowledge of these commonly confused words!
 
  PLAY NOW  
 
Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE  >
 
 
 
Did You Know?
 
When farce first appeared in English, it had to do with cookery, not comedy. In the 14th century, English adopted farce from Middle French with its original meaning of "forcemeat" or "stuffing." The comedic sense of farce in English dates from the 16th century, when English imported the word again, this time to refer to a kind of knockabout comedy already popular in France. This dramatic genre had its origins in the 13th-century practice of augmenting, or "stuffing," Latin church texts with explanatory phrases. By the 15th century, a similar practice had arisen of inserting unscripted buffoonery into religious plays. Such farces—which included clowning, acrobatics, reversal of social roles, and indecency—soon developed into a distinct dramatic genre and spread rapidly in various forms throughout Europe.
 
 
Examples of FARCE
 
"The company's guarantee is a farce," Jay complained. "The replacement they sent broke even more quickly than the original."
 
"Congress approved the funding with few reservations, and years passed before lawmakers seemed to comprehend their role in the farce."
Mark Mazzetti, The Atlantic, 27 Jan. 2018
 
Test Your Vocabulary
 
What is the name for a dramatic play in which people act out assigned roles for the purpose of analyzing relationship problems?
 
VIEW THE ANSWER  >
 
 
 
 
MERCH
 
 
Show Your Wordie Pride!
 
New swag now available — featuring our newly added words welp and wordie
 
 
 
 
      TRENDING NOW >
 
      WORDS AT PLAY >
MORE WORD FUN:
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Authors of comments and posts are solely responsible for their statements. Please email MiddletownInsider@gmail.com for questions or concerns. This blog, (and any site using the blogger platform), does not and cannot track the source of comments. While opinions and criticism are fine, they are subject to moderator discretion; slander and vile attacks of individuals will not to be tolerated. Middletown Insider retains the right to deny any post or comment without explanation.

Popular Posts