Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Unclear, wordy jargon.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun informal Nonsense; meaningless or encrypted language.
  • noun informal Something written in an overly complex, incoherent, or incomprehensible manner.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun incomprehensible or pompous jargon of specialists

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Imitative of the gobbling of a turkey.]

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Examples

  • Congressman Maury Maverick, who coined the term gobbledygook (1944). (wikipedia)

    There May Be Truth in the McCain-Palin "Maverick" Claim 2008

  • New Class gobbledygook, which is more prevalent than ever, is also more destructive than ever because the government itself is doing more than ever.

    What's Elevated, Health-Care Provider? 2009

  • Apparently, some issues with signal, lost data packets, modem configurations, IP accessibility and other gobbledygook are at fault.

    Archive 2003-06-01 Dean Francis Alfar 2003

  • And if, as I believe he does, Woods wonders why the academic discourse on literature is conducted in a language called gobbledygook, then the answer is surely perfectly clear.

    Abandoned attempt Michael Allen 2005

  • Apparently, some issues with signal, lost data packets, modem configurations, IP accessibility and other gobbledygook are at fault.

    notes from the peanut gallery Dean Francis Alfar 2003

  • CNN: A push to simplify credit card 'gobbledygook'

    POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: November 20, 2009 2009

  • And yet, the Plain English Campaign says on their webpage that they're "campaigning against gobbledygook"; what sort of non-English speaker would know what "gobbledygook" is?

    More WTFery. tragic_elegance 2009

  • I mean, that's what critics are saying; this is just basically kind of gobbledygook you're talking about.

    CNN Transcript Feb 27, 2007 2007

  • One judge told the government its courtroom arguments were "gobbledygook" and invited its lawyer to return to his office and "have a big chuckle."

    Court Skeptical of Wiretap Rules 2006

  • At another point in the hearing, Edwards told the FCC's lawyer that his arguments were "gobbledygook" and "nonsense."

    05/06/2006 2006

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