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Can word usage make you hoity-toity?

The word of the day was “phantasmagoria.” You know; “phantasmagoria,” a word as common in the English language as “coffee,” or “hemorrhoids” or “stuff.” Phantasmagoria. It was the featured word of the day in Bryan Garner’s daily Usage Tip of the Day column, which my son, Matt, and I each receive by email. It’s an interesting language column that discusses common and uncommon words; their misuse and proper application. Geared mostly toward lawyers, Garner still comes up with definitions for words such as “hoity-toity,” which is a term, frankly, I have never heard spoken in a courtroom. Even though lawyers act hoity-toity sometimes. The same is true for “phantasmagoria.” I don’t recall that I’ve ever heard of the word before, even from a lawyer. So the challenge, I wrote Matt on the day that “phantasmagoria” was featured, was to use that word in a sentence that day. “Game on,” he emailed back/ Kathy Hedberg , Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Have you ever used “phantasmagoria” in a sentence in every day use?

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog