“Flabbergast,” which first appeared (and was noted as then-fashionable slang in a magazine) in the late 18th century, is another mystery, but was most likely concocted as a combination of “flabby” or “flap” and “aghast” (which itself harks back to the Old English “gaest,” ghost). “Flabbergast” is another useful word, meaning “to astonish to render someone speechless with surprise” (“Bob was flabbergasted when the pizza he had ordered actually arrived hot”). There is some evidence that it comes from an English country dialect, and it may originally have been “echoic,” imitating the sound of something thrown down in disgust and disorder on the ground. Unfortunately, the origins of “flummox,” which first appeared in print in the early 19th century, are a mystery. “Flummox” is a very useful word, meaning not only “to confuse” but also “to confound,” i.e., to frustrate so much that the only course is to give up and abandon the task or goal. The older “confuse, befuddle” sense of “amaze,” incidentally, gave us “maze” in the 15th century meaning “a structure designed as a puzzle, with a complex network of paths leading through it, only one of which actually leads out.” Our modern positive sense of “overcome with wonder, astonish” dates back only to the 16th century. It comes from the Old English word “amasian,” which meant “to stupefy, to stun, to confuse,” and which may have been rooted in Old Norse. The terms you mention are all fine words denoting various degrees of amazement, but before we get too far into the tall grass with them, it’s worth considering the word “amaze” itself. And although I’m not often “amazed” these days, I am frequently appalled, but that may be simply because reality keeps upping the ante. On the bright side, I remain, as my relatives will tell you, as easily amused as a small child, which comes in handy, given the current state of US culture. There are only so many times “Look! A groundhog!” carries the thrill it first did.
Of course, it probably helps not to live in the middle of nowhere, as I do. It must be nice to derive surprise from everyday life. Is it is a coincidence that all of these are such amazing words? Where did they come from? - Janis Landis.Įasily amazed, eh? I envy you.
I can choose, for example, to be “flummoxed,” “flabbergasted” or “gobsmacked,” depending on my state of stupefaction. So it is nice to know that there are so many ways to express this bewildered state.