Bombastic Words | Meaning

“A persnickety entanglement,” Finch repeated, savoring the syllables like fine wine. “It implies a fussy, exacting difficulty that offends the sensibilities.”

Encouraged, he joined them. But instead of grabbing a rope, he began a running commentary. “Let us not resort to haphazard yanking! We require a salient strategy. First, we must ameliorate the tension on the eastern guy-line. Then, with celerity —that is to say, swiftness—we shall circumvent the central pole’s inclination to catawampus collapse.”

“It does, it does!” Finch clapped his hands. bombastic words meaning

That evening, at the village pub, Professor Finch was surrounded. Mr. Gable bought him a pint. “You know,” he said, “all those fancy words you use… they’re not just for showing off, are they? They actually mean something. More specific. Like, ‘persnickety’ isn’t just ‘hard.’ It’s annoyingly hard. It’s hard with an attitude.”

He wrote a new preface for his Compendium : “Do not fear the bombastic word. Embrace it. For a rich vocabulary is not a wall to keep others out, but a bridge to let them see the world as you do—in sharper colors, deeper shadows, and more glorious light. Speak bombastically. Mean it exquisitely.” “Let us not resort to haphazard yanking

A flicker of hope lit in Finch’s chest. “Precisely!”

Finch beamed. “That, sir, is the most luminous definition I have ever heard.” Then, with celerity —that is to say, swiftness—we

Mrs. Gable paused. She looked at the tent, then at Finch. “You know,” she said slowly, “it is persnickety. It’s being very particular about how it wants to fall down.”