WORD FOR THE DAY: MAGPIETY

Your word for today is: magpiety, n.

magpiety, n.

[‘Talkativeness, garrulity (esp. on religious or moral topics); affected piety.’]

Pronunciation: Brit. /maɡˈpʌɪəti/,  U.S. /mæɡˈpaɪədi/

Forms:  18 mag-piety,   18– magpiety. 

Etymology:Humorous blend of magpie n. and piety n. Compare also mag n.³, mag v.²

  Talkativeness, garrulity (esp. on religious or moral topics); affected piety.

1832  T. Hood Jarvis & Mrs. Cope in New Sporting Mag Mar. 323 Not pious in its proper sense, But chattring like a bird, Of sin and grace—in such a case Mag-piety's the word.

1841  T. Hood Let. in Memorials (1860) II. iii. 118 Such solemn questions as..whether your extreme devotion has been affected or sincere..in short, Piety or Mag-piety?

1891 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. 150 400/2 Conceive the agony of suppressed speech when a man is as garrulous as a magpie by nature; and my friend is that, though his magpiety is of an elevated sort.

1987  M. Daly Websters' First New Intergalactic Wickedary Eng. Lang. 145 Magpiety, the impious impropriety of Prudes; irreverence for sir-reverence; Nagpiety's Hagpiety.

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