In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
PREPOSTEROUS
absurd, cockeyed, derisory, idiotic, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous
(adjective) so unreasonable as to invite derision; “the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework”; “that’s a cockeyed idea”; “ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer”; “a contribution so small as to be laughable”; “it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion”; “a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history”; “her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
preposterous (comparative more preposterous, superlative most preposterous)
Absurd, or contrary to common sense.
Synonyms
• absurd
• foolish
• irrational
• nonsensical
• See also absurd
Source: Wiktionary
Pre*pos"ter*ous a.Etym: [L. praeposterus; prae before + posterus coming after, latter. See Posterior.]
1. Having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. [Obs.] The method I take may be censured as preposterous, because I thus treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature. Woodward.
2. Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd; perverted. "Most preposterous conclusions." Shak. Preposterous ass, that never read so far! Shak.
Syn.
– Absurd; perverted; wrong; irrational; foolish; monstrous. See Absurd.
– Pre*pos"ter*ous*ly, adv. -Pre*pos"ter*ous*ness, n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
24 October 2024
ELLIPSE
(noun) a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it; “the sums of the distances from the foci to any point on an ellipse is constant”
Coffee Trivia
