Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mouthfuls Quiz

Answer: something when you have nothing to say

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" has 34 letters and is pronounced "soo-per-kal-uh-fraj-uh-lis-tik-ek-spee-al-i-doh-shuhs". Many dictionaries list its meaning as exciting and wonderful. The word was made popular by the the song writers The Sherman brothers and Disney's "Mary Poppins", who described it as a nonsense made up word that meant "something wonderful when you have nothing to say". According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word was around 30 years before Mary Poppins sang "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and was invented by a columnist named Helen Herman in 1931.

Helen Herman engineered the word with multiple words that meant exciting. She tried to sue the Sherman brothers for copyright infringement, but the Sherman brothers won in the end.

Answer: It is the action or habit of estimating something as worthless.

"Floccinaucinihilipilification" has 29 letters and is pronounced "floc·ci·nau·ci·ni·hil·i·pil·i·fi·ca·tion". According to Alpha Dictionary and Dr. Goodword, it was first used in 1741 by the English poet William Shenstone, in a letter accusing a friend for his worthless love of money.

It is an extra long compound word made up of four smaller Latin words: "flocci", "nauci", nihili", and "pili". Each of these words mean of little value or "trifle".

Answer: the state of being able to achieve honours

"Honorificabilitudinitatibusis" is pronounced "hon·ori·fi·ca·bil·i·tu·dini·tat·i·bus". Honorificabilitudinitatibus is the longest English word with alternating consonants and vowels. Shakespeare invented the word for his play "Love's Labour's Lost", and used it in a scene with Costard the clown:
"I marvel thy master hath not eaten thee for a word;
for thou art not so long by the head as
honorificabilitudinitatibus: thou art easier
swallowed than a flap-dragon." (Act V, Scene I)

Answer: the fear of long words

"Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia" has 39 letters and is pronounced "hi·puh·paa·tuh·muhn·strow·suh·skwipt·a·lee·ow·fow·bee·uh".
Sesquipedalophobia is another shorter term for the phobia. This fear is considered a social phobia, where a person may be afraid of having a conversation or be under intense stress around around people.

The American Psychiatric Association doesn't officially recognize this fear. However it may be a legit fear on a spelling test.

Answer: volcanoes

"Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis" has 45 letters and is pronounced
"noo·muh·now·uhl·truh·mai·kruh·skaa·puhk·si·luh·kow·vaal·kei·now·kow·nee·ow·suhs".
It is a fictitious disease caused by inhaling microscopic silicate particles originating from eruption of a volcano. The word was created by a puzzle-smith named Everett M Smith, President of the National Puzzler's League and a writer for the Christian Science Monitor magazine. He created the word by combining a series of medical and science terms during a puzzlers conference as an example of the increasing length of science terminology. The word was reported to The New York Herald-Tribune in February 1935 and subsequently added to the 1939 Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

Answer: the underlying skin beneath the fingertips

"Subdermatoglyphic" has 17 letters and is pronounced "sub-dermato-glyph-ic". This is the longest word in the English language that doesn't use any of its letters twice. This refers to the underlying skin beneath the fingertips that determines the pattern formed by the whorls, arches, and ridges in a fingerprint. Each individual has their own unique pattern, that will reform in many cases, even if the outer skin is cut or damaged.

Answer: The Church of England

"Antidisestablishmentarianism" has 28 letters and is pronounced "an-ti-dis-es-tab-lish-ment-ar-i-an-is-m". This originally meant when people were against the removal of the Church of England's status, but now it can be used to refer to a movement against the government taking away their support for any particular church or religion.

It was originally used when a political movement in the 19th century sought to remove the Church of England as the state church. Politicians for antidisestabilishmentarianism argued that the government should continue to fund the church because it protected a civil society and traditions.

Answer: PPHP

Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism" has 30 letters and is pronounced "soo·dow·soo·dow·hai·pow·peh·ruh·thai·roy·di·zm".
It is abbreviated with the acronym PPHP. PPHP is caused by mutations in the GNAS gene and is usually inherited from the father. It affects how bones are formed and developed, causing shorter stature, shorter hand bones, and rounder facial structure. It can also cause joints and tissues to harden causing pain, joint, and nerve damage. Some people with PPHP face learning disabilities and physical disabilities.

Answer: a musical term to show the melodic endings of the standard Psalm tones of a Gregorian chant

"Euouae" has six letters and is pronounced "you-oo-ee". According to the Guinness Book of Records, euouae is the longest vowel-only word in the English language. It was originally an abreviation from the last line, "saeculorum amen" in the Gregorian chant, "Gloria Patri". Euouae was coined to help musicians memorize the chant, by referring to the pattern of tones corresponding to the last six syllables of the line: "saEcUlOrUm AmEn".

Answer: the tendency to use long words

"Sesquipedalianism" has 17 letters and is pronounced "ses·quip·e·dal-ian-ism".
According to Dictionary.com, the word was traced back to the Roman poet Horace, who wrote that in certain circumstances poets must avoid "sesquipedalia verba", which in Latin means "words a foot and a half long". Ironically many long words have been coined by poets such as Horace, Shakespeare, Helen Herman, and many others. Scientists are the top creators of the longest words in the English dictionary. Puzzle-makers, writers, and politicians have added to the mix.