- Today's Word
Malarkey
[muh-LAHR-kee]
Definition
- (noun) Insincere, foolish, or exaggerated talk or writing. It can be used to dismiss something as nonsense, rubbish, or empty rhetoric, often with a touch of skepticism or disbelief.
Example
The politician’s grand promises about solving the city’s problems within a month were dismissed as pure malarkey by the jaded electorate, who had heard similar empty pledges before.
Fun Fact
The exact origin of “malarkey” is uncertain, but it is believed to have emerged in American slang during the 1920s. One popular theory suggests that it might be derived from the Irish surname “Mullarkey,” which became associated with nonsensical or exaggerated talk. Another theory proposes that “malarkey” could be related to the Greek word “malakia,” meaning softness or stupidity, which might have been brought to America by Greek immigrants. The term gained widespread popularity in the United States after it was used by President Joe Biden during the 2012 Vice Presidential debate, where he famously dismissed his opponent’s arguments as “a bunch of malarkey.” Since then, “malarkey” has become a favorite term for calling out insincere, foolish, or exaggerated statements in politics and beyond.
(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.
The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.
Excoriate comes from the Latin excoriare, meaning “to strip off the skin,” from ex- (“off”) and corium (“hide” or “skin”). While the word originally described physical abrasion, its meaning shifted metaphorically over time to describe verbal attacks so harsh they feel skin-deep, leaving nothing protected.