bloviation

English

WOTD – 14 June 2019

Etymology

From bloviate +‎ -ion.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bləʊvɪˈeɪʃən/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /bloʊvɪˈeɪʃən/
• Rhymes: -eɪʃən
• Hyphenation: blo‧vi‧at‧ion

Noun

bloviation (countable and uncountable, plural bloviations)

1. (US, possibly originally Ohio, informal) A boastful or pompous manner of speaking or writing; a lengthy discourse delivered in that manner. [from mid 19th c.]
   • 1850 June 29, J. McCormick, J. V. Smith (official reporter), “[Report No. 1 on the Judiciary]”, in Report of the Debates and Proceedings of the Convention for the Revision of the Constitution of the State of Ohio, 1850–51, Columbus, Oh.: S. Medary, printer to the Convention, published 1851, →OCLC, page 640, column 1:

     For doing my duty, I claim no credit—I seek no “bloviations”—I ask for no sacrifices—I desire no ovations— [...]

   • 1857 January, G. W. L. Bickley, “History of the Eclectic Medical Institute of Cincinnati, and Its Ethical Peculiarities”, in R[obert] S. Newton, editor, The Eclectic Medical Journal, volume I (Fifth Series; volume XVI overall), number 1, Cincinnati, Oh.: Published by R. S. Newton, […], →OCLC, pages 13–14:

     Sects generally claim for their founders some successful speculators, who, whether deserving or not, had obtained reputations. Most commonly the reputation is dependant on the amount of bloviation that has been practiced, and certainly, in some instances, this has been extensive enough.

   • 1909 December 7, J. W. Jeffrey, “Address”, in Proceedings of the Thirty-sixth Convention of the California State Fruit Growers, Held under the Auspices of the State Commission of Horticulture, at Watsonville, December 7, 8, 9 and 10, 1909, volume II, Sacramento, Calif.: W. W. Shannon, […], published 1910, page 16:

     The members of this convention are neither fogies nor faddists nor men given to bloviation for the sole purpose of stimulating activities in real estate.

   • 1993, John T. Morello, “President Warren G. Harding’s Inaugural Address, 1921”, in Halford Ryan, editor, The Inaugural Addresses of Twentieth-century American Presidents (Praeger Series in Political Communication), Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers, Greenwood Publishing Group, →ISBN, →ISSN, pages 53–54:

     As critics saw it, the inaugural address of the twenty-ninth president [Warren Gamaliel Harding] was full of bloviation. Official newspaper reaction was positive if restrained.

   • 2009 November, Sam Roberts, “Introduction”, in Only in New York: An Exploration of the World’s Most Fascinating, Frustrating, and Irrepressible City, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 4:

     The [New York] Times itself, though, is very much alive. The newspaper is less stenographic, more relevant, and in some ways an even more assuring and indispenable morning touchstone in a nonstop torrent of breaking news and a bottomless pit of bloviation.

Related terms

• bloviate
• bloviating (adjective, noun)
• bloviator

Translations

lengthy discourse in a boastful or pompous manner

• Estonian: sõnavaht

Further reading

• bloviation on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Michael Quinion (March 13, 1999) “Bloviate”, in World Wide Words.