Contents -AUTHOR INDEX -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Mawson, C.O.S., ed. (1870–1938). Roget’s International Thesaurus. 1922.

Class IV. Words Relating to the Intellectual Faculties
Division (I) Formation of Ideas
Section V. Results of Reasoning

497. Absurdity.

   NOUN:ABSURDITY, absurdness &c. adj.; imbecility [See Imbecility. Folly]; alogy [obs.], comicality, nonsense, paradox, inconsistency; stultiloquy [rare], stultiloquence [rare], stultification, futility, nugacity.
  BLUNDER, muddle, bull; Irishism, Hibernicism; anticlimax, bathos; sophism [See Intuition. Sophistry].
  FARCE, galimatias, burlesque, parody, fiddle-faddle [colloq.], amphigory or amphigouri, rhapsody; farrago (disorder) [See Disorder]; bêtise [F.]; extravagance, romance; sciamachy.
  PUN, sell [colloq.], catch [colloq.], verbal quibble, macaronic composition, limerick, joke.
  JARGON, slipslop [colloq.], gibberish, balderdash, bombast, claptrap, fustian, twaddle (no meaning) [See Unmeaningness]; exaggeration [See Exaggeration]; moonshine, stuff; mare’snest, quibble, self-delusion.
  TOMFOOLERY, vagary, mummery, monkeyshine [slang, U. S.], monkey trick, boutade [F.], frisk, practical joke, escapade.
   VERB:PLAY THE FOOL [See Imbecility. Folly]; stultify, blunder, muddle; employ absurdity &c. n.; rhapsodize; romance, sell [slang], fiddle-faddle [colloq.]; talk nonsense, parler à tort et à travers [F.]; battre la compagne [F.]; anemolia bazein [Gr. ανεμωλια βαζειν]; be absurd &c. adj.; frisk, caper, joke, play practical jokes.
  BE THE FOOL, be the goat [colloq.], bite [colloq.].
   ADJECTIVE:ABSURD, nonsensical, farcical, preposterous, egregious, senseless, inconsistent, stultiloquent [rare], stulty [obs.], ridiculous, extravagant, quibbling; self-annulling, self-contradictory; paradoxical, macaronic or maccaronic, punning.
  burlesque, foolish [See Imbecility. Folly]; sophistical [See Intuition. Sophistry]; unmeaning [See Unmeaningness]; amphigoric; without rime or reason; fantastic or fantastical, rhapsodic or rhapsodical, bombastic, high-flown.
   INTERJECTION: fiddledeedee! pish! pho or phoh! [rare], pooh! pooh-pooh! bah! stuff and nonsense! fiddle-faddle! bosh! rats! [slang], come off! [slang], “in the name of the Prophet—figs!” [Horace Smith].    QUOTATIONS:

1. Credat Judæus Apella.—Horace
2. Tell it to the marines.
3. A little nonsense now and then Is relished by the wisest men.—Anonymous
4. Say ‘Boo!’ to you—‘pooh-pooh!’ to you.—Gilbert