Someone linked Spock Speak but on Reddit there was r/iamverysmart (I am very smart) with people using big words
Kolanaki@pawb.social 1 week ago
There is a term for this thing and I can’t remember what it is…
It’s not a malapopism; it’s like… You use a word mostly correctly, but you say it wrong? Like… “It’s ironical” instead of “it’s ironic.” I vaguely remember Don King being made fun of for talking like this a lot in cartoons and such as a kid. Adding unnecessary flourishes to outmoded or “smart” sounding words to try and sound even smarter/fancier.
If anyone can tell me what that is called, I’d be thankful. I can’t seem to describe what I mean well enough for a search. It usually points me to malaporpism, which again isnt what I am talking about.
FlihpFlorp@piefed.zip 1 week ago
Hoimo@ani.social 1 week ago
I gave it a try too, but I also got stuck on spoonerisms and malapropisms. Of the literary examples given by Malapropism (Wikipedia), could it be Constable Dogberry, Dogberryisms? He likes to use big words to sound imposing, but often says the opposite of what he intends:
Then we have Delusions of Eloquence, where a character is using big words wrong, to humorous effect.
Or the opposite, Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness), where big words are used right.
If we’re looking for a trope that’s named after a character, maybe Asperger Syndrome fits the bill?
But no, I can’t find this specific variant either, if it was ever notable enough to get a name. Maybe you can think of more examples? Is it always the right word with the wrong shape? It sounds like something a child might do, because adults are more likely to do the wrong word with the right shape (a malapropism). Maybe a side character in Charlie Brown or Dennis the Menace.