rodomontade

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2008 is: rodomontade • \rah-duh-mun-TAYD\ • noun 1 : a bragging speech 2 : vain boasting or bluster : rant Examples: My arrogant uncle is given to frequent flights of rodomontade about what a hard-working, self-made man he is. Did you know? "Rodomontade" (which can also be spelled "rhodomontade") originated in Italian poetry. Rodomonte was a fierce and boastful king in Orlando Innamorato, Count Matteo M. Boiardo's late 15th century epic, and later in the sequel Orlando Furioso, written by poet Lodovico Ariosto in 1516. In the late 16th century, English speakers began to use "rodomont" as a noun meaning "braggart." Soon afterwards, "rodomontade" entered the language as a noun (meaning "empty bluster" or "bragging speech") and later as an adjective (meaning "boastful" or "ranting"). The noun "rodomont" is no longer used in English, but "rodomontade" is still with us. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.