According to Google’s English dictionary provided by Oxford Languages it’s defined as “affectedly and irritatingly grand, solemn, or self-important.” For whatever reason, it appears the popularity of this word has declined drastically since the 1800s. It needs a comeback. I like etymology and this word has some lovely sounding origins. The late Latin is pomposus and the old French is pompeux. As I imagine a lovely thick accented Frenchman telling someone they are pompeux and chuckling.
Why is it that in the professional world you hear or have so many pompeux conversations?
I was ambuscaded into a conversation and clearly, the person read a self-help book recently. Let me just say, these books are called self-help books but this person deemed themselves qualified to help others now. By others, I mean me. Um, most if not all of what spewed forth in a cloud of pomposus had me standing there thinking, seriously whatever self-help book you read man, burn it.
I’m an animated talker with a bit of sass, and my inner dialogue is no different. I get through these, the fug, moments because of my inner dialogue. Honestly, I think my inner dialogue talks back to itself.
— The fug.