gobbledygook

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

First attested in a memo by US Representative (Texas) Maury Maverick dated March 30, 1944, banning "gobbledygook language". Apparently coined in imitation of the sounds made by a turkey.

Pronunciation

  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

gobbledygook (usually uncountable, plural gobbledygooks)

  1. (informal) Nonsense; meaningless or encrypted language.
  2. (informal) Something written in an overly complex, incoherent, or incomprehensible manner.

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