Word of the Day: Flabbergast

Flabbergast (flăb’ər-găst’) means to overwhelm with wonder or surprise. If you are flabbergasted, you are astonished with something.

I’m flabbergasted — never has my flabber been so gasted! (Frankie Howerd)

You, too, can make turkey chops at home and flabbergast your guests, but first you have some obstacles to overcome. (NY Times)

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Zhanna on March 15th, 2008 2:01 pm

Hey, I was under the impression that flabbergast has a negative connotation of surprise. The positive way the NY times article uses it seems like a rare occurrence.

The more typical case seems to be how Hannah Arendt uses it to describe Eichmann:

“That the man would gladly have himself hanged in public, you have probably read. I am flabbergasted.”

What do you think?
Ray Fowler on March 15th, 2008 7:24 pm

Cool! I just used this word in a blog post yesterday.

“The woman on the other end said she had our dog and that he was safe. I asked her where he was, and she said, ‘Chicopee.’ I was flabbergasted.”

http://www.rayfowler.org/2008/.....f-danny-d/
samulli on March 16th, 2008 2:25 pm

Ah, one of my favorite words! But I have to admit, I have always wondered what exactly a flabber is and how I can gast it…
Zhanna on March 16th, 2008 3:49 pm

It would seem the operative verb is not “gast” but “aghast,” which would make a lot more sense.

flabbergast
1772, mentioned (with bored) in a magazine article as a new vogue word, perhaps from some dialect (in 1823 it was noted as a Sussex word), likely an arbitrary formation from flabby or flapper and aghast.
jessica on May 15th, 2008 2:27 pm

I love this word….I used it on my 6 page essay, I got an A!LOL
PRAKASH on June 1st, 2008 7:12 pm

I eagerly wanted to know from which language flabbergast originated. can someone inform.