Lexicon Valley: The etymology and history of the word cockamamie with lexicographer Ben Zimmer.

The Etymology of Cockamamie Is Just That

The Etymology of Cockamamie Is Just That

A show about the mysteries of English.
Jan. 12 2015 12:48 PM

The Etymology of Cockamamie Is Just That

Listen to Slate’s show about the Yiddish-inflected origin of a crazy word, featuring lexicographer Ben Zimmer.

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Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year, 1942.
Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn in Woman of the Year.

Courtesy Everett Collection

Listen to Lexicon Valley Episode No. 51: LinguaFile VII

Mike Vuolo and Bob Garfield discuss the etymology and history of the word cockamamie with Wall Street Journal language columnist Ben Zimmer. For more on cockamamie, visit Zimmer's Word Routes column on Vocabulary.com.

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